Director of Estates

Your new company Hays are delighted to be supporting a growing Multi Academy Trust in recruiting an Interim Director of Estates role, on a part-time (3 days per week) basis for an 18-24 month contract. This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward thinking and values driven education environment where high‑quality learning spaces, safety and sustainability are central to long‑term success. You will be part of a professional, collaborative senior operations team committed to delivering exceptional estates management across a diverse portfolio of sites. This role offers the chance to shape and influence the future of an estate that supports thousands of staff and students, ensuring safe, efficient and inspiring environments for teaching and learning.

As Director of Estates, you will provide strategic leadership for a complex, multi‑site estate, ensuring it remains safe, compliant, resilient and aligned to organisational priorities. You will own the Estates Strategy and Asset Management Plan, advising senior leaders on risk, performance, investment and long‑term planning. In this pivotal role, you will lead statutory compliance and health and safety across all locations, overseeing policies, audits, assurance cycles and professional guidance for site‑based teams. You will direct the annual capital programme, overseeing project scoping, prioritisation, procurement and delivery to ensure excellent value, quality and sustainability. Acting as Sustainability Lead, you will shape the organisation's approach to environmental responsibility-leading energy monitoring, efficiency initiatives and contributing to decarbonisation planning. You will also provide leadership and coaching to central estates staff while empowering school‑based teams through training, frameworks and expert support. Alongside this, you will manage estates‑related budgets, ensure accurate forecasting and maintain robust financial and operational reporting. This position is a 3 day per week role, with the opportunity for hybrid working, plus regular visits to sites throughout the West Midlands.

To thrive in this role, you will bring:

• Significant leadership experience in estates or facilities management across multi‑site, public sector or education settings.
• Expertise in statutory compliance, health and safety legislation and capital programme management.
• A proven ability to lead, develop and inspire operational teams.
• Experience managing procurement processes, contractors and technical specialists.
• Strong analytical skills, including risk analysis and the ability to produce high‑quality board level reporting.
• A recognised health and safety qualification (IOSH/NEBOSH or equivalent).

Desirable attributes include experience in the education sector, project management qualifications (APM/PRINCE2), a technical or trade background and experience delivering decarbonisation or Net Zero initiatives. The successful candidate will be required to undertake an Enhanced DBS check prior to commencing in this role. Visa sponsorship will not be offered, and so all applicants must have the right to work in the UK at the time of application.

In addition to an excellent daily rate of up to £350 per day (UMB, inside of IR35) you will join a mission‑driven organisation that values innovation, professional growth and high‑quality estate management. This is an opportunity to shape a large, diverse estate and leave a long‑lasting impact on the learning environments of the future. You will play a key strategic role while working with supportive senior leaders, skilled estates teams and a culture that champions professional development, sustainability and operational excellence.

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now. If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.