Estates Operations Manager in England

The Estates Operations Manager is responsible for organising and coordinating estates operations, ensuring maintenance, compliance, and project activities are planned and delivered effectively. The role requires a high level of operational judgement and initiative. You will need to quickly absorb complex information, identify priorities, and determine practical next steps without constant direction. The role combines work planning, stakeholder liaison, and operational problem solving.

You will act as the central operational point within the estates structure, making sure work is well scheduled, resources are allocated appropriately, compliance actions are progressed, and projects are supported effectively, often based on your independent assessment of what needs to happen and when.

• Plan and organise daily and weekly workloads for the in‑house maintenance team, balancing reactive, planned, and compliance activities.
• Assess priorities across multiple operational demands and schedule tasks accordingly.
• Monitor progress of works and follow up to ensure completion to expected standards.
• Ensure work is delivered efficiently by coordinating resources and actions between team members.
• Undertake site checks to understand ongoing issues and ensure operational requirements are met.
• Ensure maintenance schedules minimise disruption to teaching, boarding, and events.
• Review inspection reports, statutory documentation, and compliance records, identifying required actions and next steps.
• Coordinate the delivery of remedial works through both the in‑house maintenance team and approved contractors.
• Track progress of compliance actions and maintain accurate records demonstrating completion and audit readiness.
• Apply judgement in prioritising remedial actions and ensuring they are delivered in line with operational needs.
• Support the organisation of compliance systems, ensuring they are up to date and accessible.
• Act as a key operational contact for academic departments, sports teams, domestic and catering services and commercial and lettings teams.
• Assess operational needs and ensure estates resources are deployed effectively across the school.
• Attend operational meetings and briefings, summarising complex points into actionable items.
• Communicate estates requirements clearly and ensure alignment with wider school activities.
• Work closely with commercial teams to ensure operational requirements for events and lettings are delivered effectively.
• Coordinate works with external contractors, ensuring scheduling aligns with operational priorities.
• Assist in compiling information for budget approval by the Director of Estates.
• Raise purchase orders with the Estates Administrator once works are authorised.
• Oversee contractors on site, including inductions, health and safety checks, and coordination with school activities.

In accordance with the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (as amended) and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (as amended) you must take reasonable care not to endanger yourself or other persons whilst at work. You must co‑operate with the client to enable them to comply with its legal duties for Health and Safety. Our client is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its pupils and expects all employees to share this commitment. Employees must, at all times, have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in line with the provisions of the Children Act 2004 (as amended) and Keeping Children Safe in Education (as amended) and be fully aware of, and understand, the duties and responsibilities that apply to their role in relation to these requirements. All employees must attend appropriate training in accordance with College and local Safeguarding Board stipulations.

• Estates management
• Facilities management
• Planned preventative maintenance
• Reactive maintenance management
• Building operations
• Building management systems
• Multi‑site estate management