PPP/Estates Ops Manager – Student Housing (Hybrid) in Hatfield

Salary: Up to £56,000 + Annual Bonus

Hours: 37.5 per week, Monday to Friday

Location: Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Hybrid role - Up to 2 days per week WFH

Benefits: 25 days AL + BH, Life Insurance, Pension Scheme, up to 9% employer contribution, Private Medical Benefit including dental and optical, EAP, salary sacrifice schemes, gym & retailer discounts.

FIM (Fulcrum Infrastructure Management) is a management services company, managing social infrastructure assets on behalf of our parent company; global infrastructure investment company, Meridiam. This role is working on the University of Hertfordshire's Student accommodation project, a 50 year PPP project which consists of the design, build, financing and operation of 3,000+ student residence rooms based on the College Lane Campus in Hatfield.

We're seeking a proactive, hands on Operations Manager to join the team, who thrives in complex environments and can lead high-quality operational delivery across the asset.

• 3+ years' experience in an Operations, Contracts or Head of Services role within a PPP/PFI or complex estates environment, with strong contractual understanding.
• Solid facilities management background (hard and/or soft services), including managing outsourced FM partners, helpdesk performance and statutory compliance.
• Proven asset management experience, covering lifecycle planning, PPMs, defect resolution and service or improvement projects.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience working closely with universities, FM providers, boards and internal teams.
• Confident, hands‑on leader with commercial and financial awareness, able to manage budgets and make sound decisions in fast‑paced, demand‑led environments.

As Operations Manager, you will lead the day-to-day operational management of the College Lane residences, ensuring they remain an attractive, well‑run and sustainable living environment for students. You’ll manage service delivery through subcontracted FM partners, oversee operational performance and act as the principal operational interface with the University and key stakeholders to coordinate activity, minimise disruption and deliver exceptional service. The role has a strong contractual and commercial focus, requiring you to interpret and monitor compliance with PPP/PFI requirements, support asset and SPV governance, and identify opportunities to enhance service delivery and occupancy outcomes. You will oversee lifecycle planning, planned preventative maintenance, defect management and improvement projects, using data‑driven insights to monitor performance and inform decision‑making. You’ll also support Board and stakeholder meetings through preparation, reporting and action tracking, lead responses to out‑of‑hours operational emergencies, and play a key role in delivering the Uliving@Hertfordshire ESG strategy. This is a highly collaborative, hands‑on role requiring energy, resilience and a "roll-up‑your‑sleeves" approach.

This role is ideal for an experienced operations, contracts or estates professional with a strong background in PPP/PFI projects, social infrastructure or large‑scale FM environments. You will have a minimum of 3 years' experience in an Operations, Contracts or Head of Services role, and have a solid contractual understanding and are confident interpreting and applying complex contractual obligations to real‑world operational challenges. Your asset management experience enables you to influence lifecycle planning, oversee PPM delivery, resolve defects and support capital and improvement projects within a complex estate. You are analytical, solutions‑focused and comfortable making informed decisions using performance and financial data. Known for your ability to influence rather than direct, you build trust quickly and work effectively with diverse stakeholders including university estates teams, FM partners, subcontractors, students and project company representatives. Experience within the Higher Education sector, particularly in fast‑paced or demand‑led residential environments, would be highly advantageous. Values led and collaborative, you are committed to high standards, continuous improvement, health and safety compliance, and developing strong teams.