Deputy Director of Estates Ref: 43184

Full time, 37.5 hours. Requests for flexible working options will be considered (subject to business need). Grade 10B starting at £93,810 per annum, pro rata if part time. Contract Type Permanent.

About the role

The University of Sussex is seeking to make the appointment of a Deputy Director of Estates & Facilities Management to lead on the delivery of estate and infrastructure improvement projects across the campus portfolio. Reporting to the Director of Estates, Facilities Management & Commercial Services, the postholder will be responsible for leading the strategic planning and delivery of Estates Operations across the whole University campus environment. The role requires high level of collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, particularly our delivery partners, Sussex Estates and Facilities (SEF) and Chartwells.

About you

As a Senior leader within the Estates Division, you will have had extensive experience in designing and implementing master planning and real estate development, property, sustainability and space management. Designing transformational programmes of work and working closely with stakeholders to deliver a wide ranging and challenging portfolio of projects, ensuring that you take people on the journey with you. You will also have extensive experience in the delivery of a full range of Facilities Management services, either client side or through a contracting model. Understanding building services and the importance of defining and delivering asset management plans across a mixed estate of new and listed properties. You will have had experience in defining asset investment programmes of work delivering across the full scope of building services and general estate management. You will need to have experience in managing teams at a senior level to devise and deliver estate wide strategies to transform service delivery in a demanding operational environment. You will have a relevant degree in a related subject or significant comparable experience in managing a complex, multi-stakeholder estate. You will either have a relevant professional membership, eg IWFM, RICS, CIBSE, or a willingness to work towards membership.

About our Division

The Estates, Facilities and Commercial Services Division is vibrant and dynamic. We are continuously adapting to change and needs of our Students, Faculty, Visitors, and Permanent staff to deliver a great service. You can see our presence all around campus and we work behind-the-scenes to ensure an on-site positive experience for all. Over the last 5 years we have developed the East Slope, now we are working on the Developing of the West Slope: a mix of student housing and spaces for learning, socialising, and student wellbeing services. We are also thrilled to be working on Sustainability Sussex. Our vision is clear. Our strategic goal is for this University to be one of the most sustainable universities in the world.

Please find further information regarding the division at Estates, Facilities and Commercial Services: University of Sussex. Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme. Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it’s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.

The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route. The assigned SOC code is 1251 Property, housing and estate managers and the going rate is £42,600. Eligibility for sponsorship will depend on whether the candidate holds an existing Skilled Worker sponsorship which began before 22 July 2025. The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK.

If you are experiencing any issues using our application portal or if you require adjustments to be made to the selection process, please contact us on (01273) 873743 or recruitmentadministration@sussex.ac.uk to discuss your requirements.