Head of Property Contract Management

Head of Property Contract Management

McCarthy Stone | Property Operations | Hybrid Working

Lead performance. Drive standards. Protect our property portfolio.

Are you an experienced property, facilities management or building services professional ready to take the lead on complex contracts, technical performance and supplier delivery?

Job Introduction

At McCarthy Stone, we’re looking for a commercially minded and technically credible Head of Property Contract Management to lead the operational performance of our property contracts across our nationwide retirement living portfolio. This is a key leadership role where you’ll make a real difference to the safety, quality, reliability and value of the services we deliver. From hard facilities management and mechanical and electrical services to planned maintenance and statutory compliance, you’ll ensure our suppliers deliver to the highest standards while protecting our assets, controlling costs and keeping our homeowners at the heart of every decision. Working closely with internal teams and external partners, you’ll bring technical expertise, strong commercial judgement and a proactive approach to solving complex property challenges.

What You'll Be Doing

As Head of Property Contract Management, you'll take ownership of contract performance, technical assurance and continuous improvement across our property operations.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading contract performance: Drive the delivery of hard facilities management and property maintenance contracts, holding suppliers accountable for service standards, quality, compliance and value for money.
• Providing technical leadership: Act as the senior technical point of escalation for complex building fabric, construction, repairs and mechanical and electrical issues, driving effective solutions and reducing repeat failures.
• Overseeing compliance and maintenance: Ensure planned preventative maintenance, statutory inspections, safety-critical servicing and remedial works are completed on time, with robust evidence and appropriate assurance.
• Improving quality and reliability: Strengthen supplier performance, workmanship, specifications and quality controls to improve first-time resolution and the overall standard of service.
• Managing costs and commercial risk: Challenge unnecessary expenditure, assess warranty and service charge responsibilities, and ensure costs are appropriately allocated and supported by clear evidence.
• Using data to drive decisions: Monitor contract performance, compliance, recurring defects, energy and utilities, costs and service trends to identify risks and deliver meaningful improvements.
• Supporting asset management: Use stock condition information and asset data to inform maintenance priorities, lifecycle planning and future investment decisions.
• Leading and developing a team: Build the capability of Divisional Contract Managers, establish clear accountability and embed consistent, effective contract management practices.
• Building strong relationships: Work collaboratively with Procurement, Finance, Legal, Compliance, Fire and Building Safety, Asset Management and operational teams to resolve complex challenges and deliver the right outcomes.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who combines strong technical knowledge with commercial awareness, leadership capability and a passion for getting things right.

You’ll ideally bring:

• Significant experience in property contract management, hard facilities management, building services, construction, engineering, surveying or a related built-environment discipline.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical and electrical services, building fabric, repairs, planned maintenance and statutory compliance.
• Experience managing contractors and suppliers, monitoring performance, resolving escalated issues and driving continuous improvement.
• The technical confidence to diagnose complex problems, challenge proposed solutions and ensure remedial works address root causes rather than recurring symptoms.
• A sound understanding of health and safety, building compliance, statutory obligations and the importance of accurate certification and audit trails.
• Commercial acumen, including experience controlling costs, challenging variations, assessing contractual responsibilities and securing value for money.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use performance data and asset information to identify risks, inform decisions and improve service delivery.
• Proven leadership and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to develop others and influence colleagues and suppliers at all levels.

Relevant technical qualifications or professional experience in facilities management, building services, construction, surveying, engineering, health and safety or the wider built environment would be advantageous.

Above all, you'll be proactive, resilient and solutions-focused, with the judgement to balance safety, quality, customer outcomes and commercial performance.

Why join McCarthy Stone?

At McCarthy Stone, our retirement communities are about more than buildings. They're places where people feel safe, supported and able to enjoy later life. The quality, safety and reliability of our properties play an essential part in that experience. By joining our Property Operations team, you'll have the opportunity to influence how our nationwide portfolio is maintained, how our suppliers perform and how we deliver long-term value for our homeowners. You'll take on a role with real breadth, working across technical, operational and commercial disciplines while helping shape the future of property contract management within our business.

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