Head of Estates

Are you an engineering leader looking for the opportunity to shape the future of a complex multi-site estate portfolio?

This is a rare opportunity to join a highly respected charity supporting military veterans and their families, where your expertise will directly influence the environments people call home.

This is not a traditional Head of Estates position.

As the organisation's senior engineering authority, you will play a pivotal role in shaping long-term estate strategy, asset management, infrastructure investment and engineering governance across multiple sites. Working closely with senior leadership, you will help drive decisions that improve resident experience, strengthen operational resilience and support the future sustainability of the estate portfolio.

If you are currently working as a Technical Services Manager, Engineering Manager, Regional Engineering Manager, Building Services Manager, Estates Manager or similar, this could be an excellent opportunity to step into a broader strategic leadership role.

What makes this opportunity different?

• Become the organisation's lead engineering expert and trusted advisor to senior leadership

• Influence long-term estate, asset and infrastructure strategy

• Lead significant capital investment and improvement programmes

• Shape sustainability and future estate planning initiatives

• Work within a purpose-driven organisation supporting military veterans

• Join a collaborative leadership team where your expertise will genuinely influence decision making

• Leave a lasting legacy across a portfolio of live operational environments

The Role

Reporting to the Director of Operations, you will lead engineering and estates activity across a portfolio of specialist care facilities.

You will bridge the gap between operational delivery and technical engineering requirements, ensuring the organisation's buildings, infrastructure and engineering systems remain safe, compliant, sustainable and fit for the future.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Developing and delivering long-term asset management and infrastructure strategies

• Leading capital expenditure planning and investment prioritisation

• Providing expert engineering advice to senior stakeholders and leadership teams

• Overseeing compliance across mechanical, electrical and building services systems

• Managing lifecycle planning for critical assets and infrastructure

• Leading engineering improvement projects from concept through to delivery

• Evaluating building performance and identifying opportunities for optimisation

• Supporting sustainability initiatives and future energy strategies

• Managing engineering contractors, service partners and specialist suppliers

• Leading, developing and supporting a small team of engineers across multiple locations

• Translating complex technical challenges into clear recommendations for non-technical stakeholders

Current Engineering Priorities

The successful candidate will play a key role in addressing several strategic engineering challenges, including:

• HVAC performance and environmental control improvements

• Infrastructure replacement planning and lifecycle management

• Water systems and aging asset strategies

• Long-term capital investment planning

• Estate sustainability and future-proofing initiatives

• Engineering governance and compliance enhancement

What we're looking for

We are open to candidates from a wide range of sectors.

Experience within healthcare is not essential.

We would welcome applications from individuals with backgrounds in:

• Healthcare and care environments

• Defence and military estates

• Facilities and technical services

• Universities and education estates

• Commercial property portfolios

• Multi-site manufacturing operations

• Building services and engineering consultancy

• Corporate estates and infrastructure management

You'll bring:

• Strong mechanical and electrical engineering knowledge

• Experience managing multi-site estates, engineering or technical services functions

• Asset management and lifecycle planning expertise

• Capital expenditure planning and investment management experience

• Contractor and supplier management capability

• Strong understanding of engineering compliance and governance

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills

• The ability to simplify complex technical concepts for non-technical audiences

Experience with HVAC systems, water infrastructure, sustainability projects and large-scale asset replacement programmes would be advantageous.

The Person

Cultural fit is critical to this appointment.

You will be a collaborative and approachable leader who builds strong relationships across teams and influences through expertise rather than hierarchy.

You will be:

• Values-driven and resident-focused

• Transparent and trustworthy

• Humble and approachable

• Emotionally intelligent

• A strong communicator

• Collaborative in your approach

• Comfortable challenging constructively when required

Most importantly, you will recognise that these are people's homes, not simply buildings.

Salary & Benefits

• £60,000 - £65,000 salary

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

• 7.5% employer pension contribution

• Life assurance at three times salary

• Professional membership fees paid

• Blue Light Discount Card

• Occupational sick pay scheme

• Additional paid leave for Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers

• Mileage reimbursement

• Travel time paid from home

• Hybrid working arrangement

Location & Travel

This is a multi-site role covering locations in Solihull, High Wycombe, Surbiton and Worthing.

You can expect to spend approximately three to four days per week on site, with the remaining time working remotely.

Travel is an essential part of the role and is fully supported through paid travel time and mileage reimbursement.

If you're looking for an opportunity where your engineering expertise can influence strategy, improve environments for military veterans and shape the future of a significant estate portfolio, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today for a confidential discussion.