Estates & Facilities Lead - School Safety & Maintenance in Cobham

The Yehudi Menuhin School is seeking to appoint an Estates Manager who will be responsible for taking the lead role in the maintenance, safe operation and condition of the estate, services, facilities and infrastructure of the school site, with a focus on quality of service and ensuring best practice and will have an integral role in the Health & Safety of the School. You will work closely with the Bursar.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• People Management: Managing the estates and housekeeping teams ensuring workload is carried out effectively in all areas of responsibility. Ensure staff receive relevant training in order to remain compliant.
• Planned Maintenance: Maintain, monitor and record the rolling planned maintenance programme, to include internal and external fabric and finishes, mechanical and electrical services and infrastructure, where appropriate, obtaining advice from consultants and trusted contractors on specific areas within the site. Oversee day-to-day management of all plant and machinery, including the swimming pool, and recommend major improvements or replacements of plant as required. Ensure the NOP for the pool is maintained and adhered to by all users. Liaise with contractors and manage access on site ensuring Safeguarding measures. Produce regular written reports on the progress of the maintenance programme and budget. Procure contracts by the most time and cost-effective route ensuring at all times value for money and compliance. Manage the Housekeeping and Maintenance teams so that the whole School site is maintained and cleaned to the highest standards possible. Deliver and maintain the Helpdesk and systems, ensuring all service work requests are dealt with efficiently and in a timely manner and communicate the resolution process as appropriate. Undertake emergency out-of-hours call-out services when necessary.
• Health and Safety: Take ownership of the School’s Health & Safety Policy ensuring it is compliant and implemented. Report all accidents and incidents to the Health and Safety Steering Committee, informing them of any concerns regarding Health & Safety. Complete a termly Health and Safety report for submission to the Health and Safety Steering Committee. Participate in termly Health and Safety Steering Committee. Liaise with staff and visiting contractors to ensure compliance with legislation and school policy and undertake induction sessions with relevant workers regarding site specific health and safety matters, safe systems of work and risk assessments. Take responsibility for ensuring adequate inspections are made, records kept, and necessary work carried out. Carry out Risk Assessments relating to the whole school site as required by the Bursar and the Director of the Menuhin Hall / Head of Commercial Activities. Ensure appropriate Contractor’s checks including safeguarding checks and ensure adherence to the Contractor’s policy. Manage systems and equipment in accordance with any corporate or legal requirements. Ensure the maintenance and periodic checking of fire, lockdown and other safety equipment by specialist contractors. Arranging, supporting and recording regular fire alarm and lockdown tests and drills. Ensure Fire Evacuation plans and procedures are compliant and implemented and that all staff receive the relevant training. Work with the Bursar on all revenue expenditure for the programme of maintenance and project management. Arrange, oversee, control and monitor work for grounds, facilities, fabric, plant, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, drainage, fire protection and security systems of the buildings within the agreed budgets ensuring value for money at all times.
• Commercial Management: Work closely with the Director of the Menuhin Hall / Head of Commercial Activities regarding the School and Hall lettings and commercial programme to ensure adequate staffing, compliance, safeguarding and risk management of visitors on site.
• Security: Manage all aspects of site security including physical assets, CCTV and access controls.
• Transport: Manage the school’s vehicles ensuring they are cleaned, serviced, taxed and MOT’d when required and other relevant safety checks are completed. Ensure all users of school vehicles are adequately trained. Check and record school vehicle users license details.
• Inspection: With support from the Bursar, be responsible for the Health and Safety matters relating to ISI inspections.

Person Specification:

• Ability to organise, manage and motivate teams from a variety of professions and trades to enable high morale and high productivity.
• Ability to oversee minor construction projects and planned maintenance programmes.
• Problem solving and pragmatic decision making.
• Work collaboratively with the School’s Leadership Team.
• Outstanding attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritise complex issues successfully.
• Self-motivated. Energy and vision.

The School is registered with the DBS and successful applicants will be required to complete the Disclosure Procedure at Enhanced level. It is an offence for a person barred from working with children to apply for this post. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Our full Safeguarding/Child Protection Policy can be found here. The Yehudi Menuhin School is an Equal Opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sectors of the community.

Status: 40 hours per week
Start date: Early July 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.