At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering strategy and infrastructure investment for a charitable organisation supporting military veterans.
- Company: A respected charity dedicated to improving the lives of military veterans.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous leave, pension contributions, and hybrid working options.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for professional growth and meaningful contributions.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on veterans' lives while shaping future estate development.
- Qualifications: Strong engineering leadership experience in multi-site environments required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 65000 £ per year.
Use your engineering expertise to shape the future of an organisation that supports military veterans. This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of the engineering strategy, infrastructure investment and long-term development of a respected charitable organisation's multi-site estate portfolio. Reporting directly to the Director of Operations, you will become the organisation's senior engineering authority, providing technical leadership across multiple sites while helping to shape future investment decisions, sustainability initiatives and asset management strategies. This is not a traditional facilities management position. The successful candidate will play a key role in influencing how buildings, engineering systems and infrastructure evolve over the coming years, ensuring environments remain safe, sustainable, compliant and fit for the future. Most importantly, every decision you make will positively impact the lives of military veterans and their families.
As Head of Estates, you will sit at the heart of the organisation's leadership team, acting as the bridge between technical engineering requirements and operational delivery. You will have the opportunity to:
- Lead the long-term engineering and estates strategy across a diverse property portfolio
- Influence significant capital investment and infrastructure improvement programmes
- Develop asset lifecycle and replacement strategies
- Drive sustainability and environmental initiatives
- Provide expert engineering advice to senior leadership
- Shape future estate development and investment decisions
- Deliver meaningful improvements within environments that support military veterans
This is an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy while leading engineering decisions that genuinely matter.
As Head of Estates, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across building services, infrastructure, engineering systems and estate assets. Working across multiple locations, you will oversee a small engineering team and specialist contractors while ensuring the estate remains safe, compliant, efficient and future-ready.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Engineering Leadership & Strategy
- Act as the organisation's senior engineering and technical advisor
- Develop and implement long-term engineering and asset management strategies
- Support senior leaders with technical decision-making and investment planning
- Build strong engineering governance and compliance frameworks
- Lead infrastructure and sustainability initiatives
- Asset Management & Capital Planning
- Develop structured asset lifecycle and replacement programmes
- Create long-term capital expenditure plans and investment roadmaps
- Assess infrastructure condition, risk and future viability
- Support business case development for major projects and upgrades
- Prioritise engineering investment to maximise value and operational resilience
- Estates & Infrastructure Management
- Oversee building services, HVAC, mechanical and electrical systems
- Lead infrastructure improvement and upgrade projects
- Ensure estates services support operational excellence across all locations
- Manage planned maintenance strategies and contractor performance
- Drive continuous improvement across engineering operations
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Build collaborative relationships across Operations, Sustainability and Senior Leadership teams
- Communicate technical information clearly to non-technical stakeholders
- Work closely with site leadership teams to ensure engineering solutions support resident wellbeing
- Foster a culture of openness, collaboration and shared decision making
We are keen to hear from candidates who bring strong engineering leadership experience within multi-site environments. You may currently be working as a:
- Head of Estates
- Estates Manager
- Senior Estates Manager
- Technical Services Manager
- Building Services Manager
- Engineering Services Manager
- Regional Engineering Manager
- Facilities Engineering Manager
- Head of Building Services
- Senior Engineering Manager
Experience gained within healthcare, care, facilities management, defence, hospitality, education, commercial property, manufacturing, engineering services or other regulated environments will be considered.
What You'll Bring
- Strong mechanical and electrical building services knowledge
- Experience managing engineering or estates functions across multiple sites
- Asset management and lifecycle planning expertise
- Capital expenditure planning and budget management experience
- Contractor and supplier management capability
- Strong understanding of compliance, risk and engineering governance
- Experience delivering infrastructure upgrades and improvement projects
- Ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly
Experience of HVAC systems, water infrastructure, sustainability initiatives and regulated environments would be advantageous.
The Person
Cultural fit is critical to this appointment. You will be:
- Collaborative and approachable
- Humble and respectful
- Values-driven and people-focused
- Comfortable working across teams and disciplines
- Emotionally intelligent with strong relationship-building skills
- Able to influence through expertise rather than hierarchy
- Passionate about creating positive environments for residents and colleagues
This role requires someone who understands that they are supporting people's homes, not simply managing buildings.
Working Pattern
This is a multi-site role covering locations including: Solihull, High Wycombe, Surbiton, Worthing. The role typically involves:
- Visiting approximately two sites per week
- Three to four days site-based
- One to two days working from home
Travel is an essential part of the role. Travel time is paid from the point you leave home and mileage is reimbursed.
Benefits
- Salary of £60,000 - £65,000
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- 7.5% employer pension contribution
- Life assurance (3x salary)
- Professional membership fees paid
- Blue Light Card discounts
- Occupational sick pay scheme
- Additional paid leave for Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers
- Mileage reimbursement
- Paid travel time
- Hybrid working
If you are an engineering leader looking for an opportunity to shape the future of a multi-site estate portfolio while making a genuine difference to the lives of military veterans, we would love to hear from you. Apply today to find out more about this unique leadership opportunity.
Head of Estates & Engineering in Surbiton employer: Castle Employment Group
Join a respected charitable organisation dedicated to supporting military veterans, where your engineering expertise will directly influence the future of their multi-site estate portfolio. With a strong focus on sustainability and community impact, you'll enjoy a collaborative work culture that values your contributions, alongside competitive benefits such as a generous pension scheme, hybrid working options, and additional leave for Reservists. This role not only offers professional growth opportunities but also allows you to leave a lasting legacy by enhancing the environments that support those who have served our country.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Estates & Engineering in Surbiton
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the engineering and estates sectors. Attend industry events or webinars where you can meet potential employers and showcase your expertise. Remember, it's all about who you know!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the organisation thoroughly. Understand their mission, values, and recent projects. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate how your engineering vision aligns with their goals.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills during interviews. Be ready to discuss past experiences where you've influenced engineering strategies or led successful projects. Highlight how these experiences can benefit the organisation's estate portfolio.
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you're genuinely interested in being part of our mission to support military veterans.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Estates & Engineering in Surbiton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When writing your application, let your passion for supporting military veterans shine through. We want to see how your engineering expertise can make a real difference in their lives.
Tailor Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in multi-site environments and asset management. We’re looking for specific examples that demonstrate your leadership skills and technical knowledge.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application clear and to the point. Use straightforward language to explain your achievements and how they relate to the role. We appreciate clarity as much as we value expertise!
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity to lead our estates and engineering strategy.
How to prepare for a job interview at Castle Employment Group
✨Know Your Engineering Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your mechanical and electrical building services knowledge. Be ready to discuss specific engineering systems and infrastructure improvements you've led in the past, as this role requires a strong technical foundation.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed teams across multiple sites. Highlight your experience in developing asset management strategies and how you've influenced senior stakeholders in previous roles.
✨Understand the Organisation's Mission
Familiarise yourself with the organisation's commitment to supporting military veterans. Be prepared to discuss how your engineering decisions can positively impact their lives and contribute to creating safe and sustainable environments.
✨Communicate Clearly
Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms. You'll need to engage with non-technical stakeholders, so being able to communicate effectively is key. Think about how you can foster collaboration and openness in your responses.
