Regional Head of Property - Europe

As ISP’s Regional Head of Property, you will be responsible for managing capital expenditure (CapEx) investments and ensuring the effective operation, maintenance, and compliance management of the Group’s expanding regional property portfolio. Your role will balance cost management with environmental impact. You will play a crucial role in planning and delivering school infrastructure expansions, enhancements, health and safety projects, and renovations. This position requires strong relationship-building skills to engage effectively with individual school leaders, external stakeholders, regional management, and divisional or group headquarters, delivering positive outcomes at local, regional, and international levels.

The role may be based in Poland, Italy, Greece, with extensive travel to other school sites as required to support business.

Key Responsibilities

• Support and advise school heads and functional managers on all aspects of facilities and project management.
• Interact with colleagues, partners, and contractors across various levels, including senior leadership teams, management, and external professionals.
• Adhere to business policies, rules, and procedures, including health and safety, equal opportunities, governance, and financial policies.
• Ensure compliance with the organization’s Code of Conduct in service delivery to staff and the community.
• Maintain close contact with governmental and local agencies to ensure adherence to regulations.
• Continuously improve the energy efficiency of our schools and foster a culture of environmental protection within the school community.

Estate and Building Management

• Establish and manage a regional maintenance plan in accordance with ISP policy.
• Create and oversee a regional facilities management committee per ISP guidelines.
• Conduct routine visits and inspections of school sites in accordance with ISP policy.
• Develop and manage comprehensive maintenance plans for all school sites, ensuring compliance with ISP policies and local regulations.
• Review, draft, and tender soft and hard facilities management contracts as needed.
• Manage complex mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems across the estate, including alarms, air conditioning, water heating, lighting controls, and energy management systems (BEMS).
• Ensure a transparent and competitive tender process for external service suppliers.
• Develop and monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for facilities maintenance and service management.
• Plan and manage facilities maintenance budgets and implement energy efficiency procedures.
• Investigate equipment malfunctions and design technical solutions to resolve issues promptly.
• Manage preventive maintenance systems to avoid future malfunctions or hazards.
• Ensure that all school-related building, operational, and construction permits are maintained up to date.
• Focus on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) strategies to improve sustainability, energy efficiency, and waste management across the region.

Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management

• Serve as the primary contact for local and regional authorities regarding compliance with national and regional regulations.
• Ensure 100% compliance in all schools within the region.
• Align ISP regional policies and procedures with local compliance requirements, including health and safety, fire safety, labor laws, civil protection, and educational infrastructure standards.
• Implement a routine inspection system to maintain compliance with safety systems, such as fire alarms, electrical and gas systems, and controlled access security systems.
• Oversee risk assessments related to physical infrastructure, ensuring the adoption of safe work systems and policies.
• Monitor KPIs for compliance services and escalate performance issues as necessary.
• Conduct periodic audits of regional schools to ensure legal and policy compliance and lead facility audits to plan maintenance tasks and improvements.
• Provide guidance on facility-related health and safety issues and offer follow-up training when necessary.
• Oversee incident investigations at ISP locations and ensure that local policies are updated in response to changes in local law and regulations.
• Support school facilities teams during emergencies and provide additional facilities support when school business is disrupted.

Infrastructure Enhancement and Project Management

• Collaborate with Heads of School and the Regional Managing Director to prioritize the 5-Year Infrastructure Development Plan for each school.
• Lead annual capacity analysis surveys for schools to assess infrastructure needs.
• Support Heads of School and the Regional Managing Director in drafting and reviewing project proposals.
• Oversee and manage new build projects, infrastructure improvements, and renovation projects to ensure they are completed within established timeframes, budgets, and specifications.
• Inspect construction and repair work to ensure compliance with specifications, local and national regulations, and safety standards.
• Engage with project leaders and other ISP colleagues to ensure that facility-related issues for acquisitions, new sites, and CapEx projects are properly addressed, realistic, and well-resourced.
• Monitor and assess the progress of infrastructure projects, intervening when necessary to ensure successful delivery.

Procurement Services Management

• Manage and support schools and the regional team on procurement processes in compliance with the regional procurement policy.
• Ensure all procurement processes are conducted through the eSourcing tool, adhering to ISP’s procurement policies and procedures.
• Oversee contract management through the eSourcing tool, ensuring key contracts are uploaded, identifying opportunities to change suppliers, renegotiate conditions, or plan renovations effectively.
• Develop a suppliers repository and identify opportunities for integrating suppliers across regional schools.
• Proactively search for new suppliers to enhance tenders and ensure the best value for money.
• Create comparative analyses to ensure quotes are homogeneous in quantity and quality.
• Negotiate final agreements with suppliers to ensure best value and favorable terms for ISP schools.
• Drive yearly regional procurement initiatives (e.g., books, stationery, notebooks) and report on savings, tracking identified initiatives and celebrating successes.

Skills, Qualifications, and Experience

• University Degree in Architecture, Engineering, Business or other relevant fields highly desirable, may be substituted with a minimum of 10+ years of demonstrated relevant professional experience.
• 10+ years in leading teams across Facility Management, Asset Management, or Property Management.
• Over 10 years of Facilities Management experience, preferably in a multi-site environment.
• Experience across multiple European locations (Poland, Italy, Greece, Morocco).
• Project management experience, including the management of new buildings and CapEx projects.
• CapEx management experience.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships at all organizational levels and influence key stakeholders.
• Methodical and highly organized approach to executing tasks and responsibilities.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Attention to detail and strong writing, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Positive, proactive, passionate, and results-oriented professional eager to progress within a global organization.
• Experience in cross-functional teamwork and working in a matrix organization.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required; proficiency in one or more of the following is preferred: French, Italian, Polish and Greek.
• Strong diplomacy and consensus-building skills to establish trust and credibility.
• Ability to handle confidential information with maturity and discretion.
• Capacity to take initiative and solve problems with minimal supervision.
• Strong people management skills.
• Willingness to travel occasionally.
• Previous experience in the education sector is advantageous but not essential.

ISP Principles

• Begin with our children and students. Their success is our success. Well-being and safety are essential for effective learning. We consistently identify potential health and safety issues, acting promptly and following up on all concerns.
• Treat everyone with care and respect. We support one another, embracing both similarities and differences, and promote the well-being of ourselves and others.
• Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the most important aspects that will drive positive change, applying school policies and embodying our community's shared values.
• Be financially responsible. We make financial decisions carefully, prioritizing the needs of our children, students, and schools.
• Learn continuously. Our drive for improvement motivates us to engage actively in personal and professional development, as well as in school improvement initiatives.

ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.

ISP Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.