At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead complex real estate projects and manage a diverse property portfolio.
- Company: Join the UK's leading environmental science funder, NERC, within UKRI.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, generous leave, and flexible working options.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on global research while advancing your career in real estate.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in property management with relevant qualifications.
The predicted salary is between 46743 - 46743 £ per year.
Natural Environment Research Council
Salary: 46,743 per annum
Band: UKRI ENERC Transformation: Senior Real Estate Manager
Contract Type: Open Ended
Hours: Full-time
Location: Swindon - Hybrid working available
Closing Date: Monday 7th September 2026
Interview Date: Proposed dates - 16th, 22nd and 23rd September
Background: UK Research and Innovation is an entity that brings together nine partners to create an independent organisation with a strong voice for research and innovation, and a vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is the largest funder of environmental science in the UK, investing 300 million each year in research, training and innovation through UK universities and research centres. Our Headquarters in Swindon provides the corporate policy, planning and administrative focus for NERC. The NERC UK property portfolio consists of 91 buildings over 15 sites including research centres, field sites and storage facilities. There are complex real estate arrangements across the portfolio managed by a small specialist property team.
About the role: The Senior Real Estate Manager provides high level organisation and coordination of complex real estate matters. They act as a subject matter expert for real estate and commercial property law and ensure NERC / BBSRC real estate liabilities are managed well in line with published best practice. Reporting to the NERC Head of Real Estate, this role will suit an experienced surveyor, legal or property professional with an interest in enabling globally leading research. You will oversee the NERC property portfolio including managing lease and licence renewals, business rate payments and licence to alter processes. You will lead for property data collection, curation, verification and reporting including to UKRI and central government via the State of the Estate (SOFTE) return.
Your responsibilities:
- Leading task management for the property portfolio, defining deadlines and resourcing activities and managing stakeholder requirements & expectations.
- Identifying, managing and escalating risks and opportunities arising from the property function.
- Taking a solutions approach to risk management.
- Developing and managing cut crossing processes and policies for commercial property real estate that translate government and UKRI requirements into NERC activities, including for document retention and document approvals.
- Leading on data and information management for real estate.
- Maintaining strong proactive working relationships with professional service providers and colleagues across NERC and its operational delivery partners, proactively managing communications and project updates.
- Acting as a subject matter expert for property real estate including for assurance and project development processes.
- Ensuring NERC works within legal and contractual property requirements.
- Leading on procurement of legal and real professional services.
- Managing local project budgets including ensuring effective cost controls for professional services, financial assurance and reporting.
- Assisting senior colleagues with the preparation of briefing documents and other materials for committees & responses to external and internal queries, ensuring accurate reporting on work progress, risks and dependencies.
- Deputising for the Head of Real Estate as required at internal and external meetings.
Essential:
- Relevant experience in property real estate management (minimum 5 years).
- Professionally recognised qualification(s) relevant for the role e.g. commercial property management, valuation, surveyor, legal qualifications.
- Experience of working on real estate projects.
- Sound understanding of UK government property standards and UK legal property frameworks.
- Effective collaborator and team member.
- A desire to progress professionally in a property-based project and programme management role.
- A willingness to travel for work – to attend project meetings at sites.
Desirable:
- An understanding of UKRI and its property portfolio.
- Experience of preparing government data returns.
- Real estate surveying experience.
- Experience of managing digital database systems.
- Experience of using AutoCAD in the workplace for site plans alterations.
About hybrid working: We support a hybrid approach, and you can expect a mix of working from home, the office, and occasionally at other UK locations.
Visa Sponsorship: Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us.
We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!
Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI): An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme, 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent), employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities, employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice, flexible working options, plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!
Disability Confident Employer: As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.
UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.
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