Head of Estates in Enfield

We're looking for a highly skilled and commercially astute Head of Estates to lead Enfield Council's operational and investment property portfolios – together valued at around £1bn and generating circa £7.5m per year in income. This is a high-profile leadership role at the heart of Enfield's ambitions for excellent services, financial resilience and regeneration. You'll be the Council's principal advisor on all matters of property management, development and asset strategy, shaping how we use our land and buildings to deliver better outcomes for residents and businesses.

About the role:

• Lead and manage our commercial and operational property teams, including five direct reports, to deliver the Council’s Strategic Asset Management Plan.
• Take corporate responsibility for all landlord & tenant, valuation, asset management, capital valuation, development appraisals and business rates appeals across our diverse portfolio (retail, industrial, office, rural and other non-residential assets).
• Be custodian of the Corporate Landlord operating model, driving the continued transformation and centralisation of property functions and championing best practice across the organisation.
• Provide strategic leadership on the Right Sizing Programme, rationalising and modernising the corporate estate so it is fit for current and future service needs – including disposals, acquisitions and development opportunities.
• Play a key role in major projects, advising on significant income, revenue and receipt opportunities and helping to shape the long-term strategy for this landmark regeneration scheme.
• Oversee the council’s accommodation strategy, including space utilisation, internal moves and chairing the Council’s Accommodation Board.
• Lead on identifying and delivering investment and re-investment opportunities, joint ventures and direct developments (typically in the £5m-£30m range).
• Ensure all property and estate management activity is legally compliant, well-governed, and underpinned by robust performance frameworks and KPIs.
• Act as a key member of the wider Property Services leadership team, deputising for the Director of Property when required and working closely with senior managers, Members, Finance, Legal and other stakeholders.

About you:

We're looking for a senior property professional who can combine technical excellence with strategic influence and strong people leadership. You will bring:

• Extensive asset/estate management experience across commercial and/or public sector portfolios, covering multiple general practice disciplines (valuation, landlord & tenant, asset management, compulsory purchase, business rates, voluntary sector, etc.).
• A track record of working at a senior level in local government and/or the private sector across complex, diverse operational portfolios – including experience of advising and presenting to senior stakeholders and elected Members.
• Deep understanding of asset management best practice and legislation relating to operational and occupational property.
• Proven experience of leading and developing professional teams and managing external advisors to deliver high-quality, customer-focused services.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including managing significant budgets and investment programmes.
• Strategic thinking, excellent judgement and the ability to work effectively across professional disciplines, develop and deliver strategies, and drive change programmes.
• Confident use of IT, asset management systems and data to inform decision-making.

Qualifications:

Member or Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – or equivalent relevant professional experience – is essential. Related qualifications (e.g. IRRV, Prince2, Accredited Mediator, Registered Valuer, MCIArb) are desirable.

We're passionate about our people and how we deliver services to our community in Enfield. That's why we encourage a culture that puts our customers at the heart of everything we do – by empowering our people to work together to find solutions, be open, honest and respectful, take responsibility and listen and learn. If you value these behaviours too, we'd love to hear from you – and of course we are always happy to talk flexible working.

Why it's great to work for Enfield Council:

• An excellent pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Up to 32 days annual leave depending on grade and length of service. You will also get eight public holidays per year and an extra day off at Christmas.
• A blend of remote and office based working for most roles.
• Interest free season ticket loan repayable over three or ten months.
• Career development and learning experiences from a range of training courses and learning methods.
• Employee Assistance Programme to provide advice and counselling services. This is a free and confidential service available to staff and members of their family.
• Health and leisure discounts and tax-free bikes for work.
• 1 month's paid sabbatical for registered Social Workers working in Children's Social Care.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications have been received. Therefore, we advise that you complete fully and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Certain posts in the Council are ‘politically restricted’ which means that staff employed in these posts may not undertake political activities either in or outside the workplace and therefore if candidates are affiliated with any political party, we may not be able to proceed with their application.