Executive Director of Estates Candidate Information Pack
Welcome
Thank you for taking an interest in this key leadership role. We are seeking an outstanding candidate who can bring their experience, skills and attributes to the University of Chester and play a leading role on our Strategic Executive Team. Keen to take the optimisation of our estate to the next level you will have worked in a large, complex organisation and had diverse responsibilities throughout your career. You will take our multi-site operation in your stride whilst understanding how to improve users’ experience at each location. Your leadership of internal teams is effective because you understand how to motivate and challenge people whilst championing values of equity and inclusion. The improvement of processes and modernisation of systems will be very familiar and you will enjoy the challenge of working across functions and services. You will have a deep knowledge of health, safety and legal obligations and know how to improve compliance monitoring systems, business continuity planning; liaising effectively with external stakeholders in this regard. This is a very interesting time to be joining the University as we are working on changes to our teaching model through a new academic framework. How we use our estate will be key to its success. In parallel, we are reviewing professional services across the institution to ensure we are making the most of technological and process enhancements and you will be expected to liaise closely with our Learning & Information Systems team as they implement our Digital Chester strategy. Our three faculties each have a strong mission to deliver outstanding academic activities
in specialist facilities as varied as nursing simulation suites, virtual reality caves, art & design studios, natural science laboratories and trading rooms. They are supported by access to a wide range of learning and study spaces with current priority investments for Chester Medical School and the School of Education. Research and Knowledge Exchange Institutes also require access to high quality spaces and you will play a leadership role in enabling them to succeed. Across the region, our University centres focus on professional courses in health, social work, education and business and represent a great opportunity to work closely with stakeholders in each of these areas. Importantly, you will be genuinely motivated by a desire to support the University of Chester in its education, research and knowledge exchange activities and will recognise the central importance we place on students through the Citizen Student Strategy. The challenge facing you will be how to optimise the use of an eclectic estate with a wide range of buildings and uses. Sustainability improvements will play an important part in this, guided by relevant frameworks such as BREEAM and the Well Standard. In summary, we need you to care about detail, yet be able to see and manage the estate in its entirety. The proof of this will be how you lead the finalisation of our Estate Development Document 2025-2030, take ownership of it and successfully navigate it through our University Council later this year. If this sounds like a challenge you would relish I look forward to receiving your application.
Professor Eunice Simmons Vice Chancellor, University of Chester
Background The University of Chester was founded in 1839 by a distinguished group of local leading figures and was the UK’s first purpose-built teacher training college, making Chester one of the longest-established higher education institutions in the country. In 2005, University College Chester was awarded full university status and became the University of Chester, and the institution has since gone from strength to strength. We now welcome students from 115 countries worldwide, providing them with a vibrant, diverse, and safe home while they study with us. Our Vision: We are committed to delivering community, fostering innovation and creativity, and providing education that not only enriches the lives of our graduates and staff but also contributes to positively shaping the communities and the world of which we are part. At the heart of the University’s Vision is an unwavering commitment to ensuring an outstanding student learning experience, developing the expertise of staff, providing teaching excellence, and actively growing research and scholarship. Citizen Student Strategy 2024-30 In order to deliver this Vision, the University has developed its Citizen Student Strategy 2024- 30, which focuses on three key aspects of a student’s development: • Building Social Capital – opening doors for students whilst studying and beyond. • Holistic Student Experience – creating a culture of opportunity and self- development. • Lifelong Learning – an inclusive teaching and learning offer for students, of all ages and backgrounds. We ensure that environmental and financial sustainability is embedded across all that we do.
Awards The pursuit of our Vision and Strategy has attracted awards and recognition: Uni Compare University Rankings 2023: • 100% of students who reviewed us said they would recommend the institution • Top 2% of universities in the UK for Course Quality Whatuni Student Choice Awards placings: • 1st - Student Support • 1st - International • 1st - Postgraduate • 2nd - University of the Year • 3rd - Lecturers and Teaching Quality • 3rd - Career Prospects • 4th - Facilities • 5th - Student Life • 7th - Halls and Student Accommodation • 9th - Students’ Union Educate North Business School of the Year Shortlisted for the Times Higher Education Business School of the Year, in recognition of the commitment to low carbon business futures.
Our Estate Since 1839 the estate has grown from its modest footprint at Exton Park to incorporate additional sites across Chester. In addition we have Professional Centres at Warrington and Birkenhead which provide a range of teaching and learning facilities and good access to public transport, enabling our offer to be more accessible to commuting students. In the last 3 years there has been a planned strategic rationalisation of the Estate to focus on the changing requirements of our students and stakeholders and to address our commitment to our net zero targets. We have benchmarked our carbon data, estate utilisation and sustainability targets and actively monitor these, involving colleagues across the academy and professional services. The sustainability team is committed to accessing funding for a range of projects ranging from heat generation to biodiversity net gain.
Within Chester we are focusing on aligning our sites on a north-south “ribbon” across the city centre, from Exton Park to Queen’s Park south of the River Dee. This alignment has been popular with the local council and other stakeholders and we are proud that the phrase “University City” now features in civic ambitions such as the One City Plan, and is evident in the independently researched Economic Impact Assessment 2024. With the launch of a medical school at Chester there has been significant investment in the estate. This has included re-locating the School of Education into a newly refurbished building to allow extensive refitting of the Riverside Wheeler Building to accommodate medical laboratories and simulation suites. We are committed to bringing our School of Creative Industries from a suburb into the city centre and are actively seeking an opportunity to deliver an exemplar retro fit. The increase in international students, arriving at different points in the year and with different requirements and constraints is contributing to an on-going review of our accommodation strategy. Across all our sites we are looking to model best practice in sustainable design and delivery and to deliver green spaces that contribute to the wellbeing of the users. As a major stakeholder in the city, we are key to Place Making and have formed strong working relationships with the council, heritage organisations, re-generation initiatives and private investors. The University has an important role to play in attracting investment into the area, supporting partnerships, such as the NHS Workforce Plan, and a is key player in influencing the future of the supporting infrastructure of public services and transport.
Top 5 University of the Year Whatuni Student Choice Awards, 2023
Third in the UK for Lecturers and Teaching Quality Whatuni Student Choice Awards, 2023
The City of Chester and region
Top 5 for Student Accommodation Whatuni Student Choice Awards, 2023
The University of Chester is the only university in the Cheshire and Warrington subregion, located within the Cheshire West and Chester local authority area and with direct links into its neighbouring areas of Cheshire East, Warrington, North Wales and the Wirral, through its University Centres and other activities. In 2021 the University announced that it was signing a Partnership Agreement with Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC), reflecting the organisations’ joint commitment to supporting their communities, and in recognition of the many areas of mutual interest and benefit. This Agreement enhances our work in key areas, including: education and skills; sustainable, inclusive, green growth; and, health and wellbeing. A recent activity that has evolved from the Partnership Agreement is the Chester Festival of Ideas, taking place in July 2024 and intended as an annual fixture in our public engagement calendar. This programme of free, public events has been co-created with CWaC and other local organisations and communities, with events being delivered by both the University itself and its external stakeholders. An independent economic impact report conducted in March 2024 highlighted the significance of the University’s contribution to the local area: • In 2022/23 we created an economic value in Cheshire West and Chester of £138m GVA • We employ 659 Cheshire West and Chester residents • Through our activities, local organisations gained c.823 new graduate recruits in 2022/23 • We spent £6.5m with local suppliers in 2022/23
Ranked the ‘Prettiest City in the World’
Eye Catching Architecture study, Online Mortgage Advisor 2023
The Role
Accountabilities • Lead the development and implementation of the University of Chester’s Estates strategy, ensuring that it supports the immediate and long-term objectives of the University and achieves Key Performance Indicators. • Inspire and develop the Estates and Facilities directorate, creating a shared vision for quality and empowering the Directorate’s managers and teams, ensuring the delivery of efficient and effective services and a high-performing culture. • Advocate for a future-focus across the organisation to ensure that the Chester Estates and Facilities function works with academics and professional services colleagues to develop the University’s sustainability goals and to drive their implementation through the estate. • Work as part of the Strategic Executive Team to ensure the strategy aligns with Chester’s financial, academic and digital planning. • Take responsibility for Estates’ budget development, approval and subsequent management, including delivering efficiencies. • Develop policy, strategy and practice to ensure an estate fit for purpose, to deliver excellence in research and teaching, providing legal and regulatory compliance and meeting priorities, including cost effectiveness, safety and environmental sustainability. • Actively promote efficiency and flexibility in the use of estate resources, improving the academic experience, aesthetics and functionality, providing staff and students with a more effective teaching, learning and research environment, and a sector- leading experience. • Ensure the Estates team delivers on institutional priorities including high quality accommodation, social and formal learning spaces and research facilities, via an exceptional customer service and experience for both students and staff. • Lead the physical delivery of capital projects, ensuring they meet sustainability goals, are of high-quality design, and are fit for purpose. • Proactively manage key external stakeholders and partners to ensure excellent customer engagement, in particular with local authorities, NHS Trusts, business and community stakeholders. • Establish, maintain and manage relationships with external suppliers, driving value for money throughout any contractual relationships and in general throughout the Estates and Facilities service, ensuring procurement is in line with best practice and compliant with statutory procedures. • Ensure that the University’s strategic priorities and policies regarding its estate remain leading edge, through continual horizon scanning and by establishing peer networks across the higher education sector and beyond. • Play a leading role in institutional risk management, including ownership of business continuity and disaster recovery in relation to Estates across the university, including the over-sight of deploying digital recovery plans. • Further develop the prolife and reputation of the University across Chester the sector.
Role purpose The Executive Director of Estates will lead the development and implementation of the University of Chester’s Estates Strategy, ensuring environmental sustainability is at its heart. They will head the Estates Directorate and related services, to include space management and optimisation, capital development, refurbishment and estates maintenance, property asset management and transport, across Chester’s sites.
As a member of the University’s Strategic Executive team reporting to the Vice-Chancellor they will work closely with academic and professional service leads, to help develop and deliver the University’s Estates strategy. Working towards a shared vision, the Executive Director of Estates will collaborate with academics and professional services to develop and drive innovation and customer focus, working towards estates optimisation and biodiversity and net zero goals.
We are seeking an outstanding candidate with significant experience overseeing a large, complex estate. Professionally qualified in the estates industry they will have a track record of delivering estates management initiatives which support organisational change and sustainability goals. in the context of an ambitious, forward-thinking organisation they will be able to demonstrate a strategic approach to whole life cycle assessment and maintenance activities across a diverse asset base. Higher education estates experience is desirable but this does not preclude applicants from other sectors. This is a professional, demanding role within a complex organisation implementing significant change. The postholder will be expected to be on site for the majority of each week and to show flexibility in working arrangements to ensure the directorate delivers the required level of service. The Person
Education/Qualifications • A degree or equivalent level qualification in estates/ property management, or a closely related field. • Graduate level CPD or specialist certification (Essential) • Up to date Health & Safety Qualification e.g. NEBOSH General Certificate (desirable) • Full membership of a relevant professional body e.g. RICS or CIOB. Knowledge/Experience (Essential) Evidence of: • Extensive experience of operating at a senior level in the strategic and operational management of estate services and development in a large complex organisation with diverse multi-site needs and customer base. • Significant experience in leading strategic transformation programmes in multi- functional operating environments involving people, infrastructure, systems and culture change. • A proven ability to deliver increased value to an organisation, in terms of service quality, efficiency, productivity and cost. • Technical knowledge of how to implement sustainability priorities. • In-depth knowledge of risk identification, management and mitigation across a complex estate. • Experience in strategic and complex estate portfolio management, development and
• The ability to build successful internal and external relationships, and to motivate and command the respect of academic and professional colleagues and students; • Experience of implementation and monitoring of sustainability initiatives against clear objectives. • A successful track record of developing and implementing strategies, regulation and guidance across estates management. • The use of key data metrics to drive real- time change and high performance. • Experience of representing an organisation to external stakeholders and partners and working on complex, multi-party projects. • Ability to demonstrate an understanding effectiveness and efficiency of the Estate in the context of a complex and dynamic working environment e.g. agile working, and changes to business practice e.g. pedagogy and research environments • Possess high level organisational, administrative and digital skills • Have the proven ability to chair University committees and groups in an inclusive, effective and efficient manner • Evidence of, and commitment to, ongoing personal and professional development and effective supervision of others. • Demonstrable commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and health, safety and wellbeing objectives • Have a commitment to the University’s values, aims and strategy and an enthusiasm for all that it is seeking to achieve of different approaches and change management required for improved
rationalisation, with strong commercial skills and financial acumen. • Experience of systems development and enhancement to enable activity monitoring and reporting against strategic objectives. • A demonstrable track record of leading and managing internal and external teams and resources to deliver innovation, continuous improvement and statutory compliance. • A knowledge and understanding of the higher education environment, nationally and internationally, and the major influences on student experience and graduate success. Attributes (Essential) • Be student-focused, discerning and empathetic • Pre-disposed to develop positive and innovative approaches to challenges and emerging issues, thriving in a dynamic environment • Possess a flexible approach to work with the ability to effectively use initiative, organise own workload and work effectively under pressure and to deadlines • Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, written and verbal and the ability to use tact, discretion and confidentiality • Have the ability to work collaboratively across boundaries both as a leader and team member, relating positively to the contributions of others to a successful outcome
Employee Benefits and Reward Package
• Competitive Salary • Annual leave entitlement of 35 days plus bank and public holidays. The University’s annual leave year runs from 1st August to 31st July. • Eligibility to participate in the University’s private health scheme, subject to the rules of the scheme. • All professional services staff are entitled to participate in one of these schemes. The University operates two pension schemes for support staff: o The default scheme is the Higher Education Defined Contribution Scheme (HEDCS), which is administered by Aviva. o The Cheshire Local Government Pension Scheme, to which the University is an admitted body. • Employee Benefits Platform: The University of Chester has partnered with Sodexo Ltd to launch a benefits platform. Employees can access a range of exclusive benefits including the Cycle2Work salary sacrifice scheme, Salary Finance financial wellbeing, plus discounts at high-street retailers, cinemas tickets, holidays and much more. • Equality and Diversity: The University is committed to the promotion of diversity and equality and the elimination of discrimination
in all its forms. The University will ensure that all job applicants and members of staff are treated as individuals, fairly and with respect. Selection decisions will be made solely on the basis of a candidate’s aptitude, competence and potential to fulfil the requirements of the role, irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital, partnership, parental or carer status, or socio-economic background. In accordance with the Disability Confident award, all applicants with a declared disability (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) and meet the essential criteria as detailed in the Person Specification will be short-listed for interview. • Family Friendly Policies - The University recognises the importance of supporting its staff. We have a range of family- friendly policies to help support work-life balance, including generous maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave entitlement, as well as carers leave and parental leave. We also have parents and carers networks, in addition to other networks, for staff to share ideas. • Flexible Working - The University has adopted a hybrid approach to working, so
work can be carried out both at home and in the office, as and when necessary, however the postholder will be expected to be on site for the majority of each week and to show flexibility in working arrangements to ensure the directorate delivers the required level of service. • Health and Wellbeing - The University of Chester aspires to become a Healthy University which is committed to “creating a learning environment and organisational culture that enhances the health, well- being and sustainability of its community and enables people to achieve their full potential’. The University’s Sport and Active
Lifestyle team offers staff and students discounted gym membership and access to its facilities. Various events are carried out for staff to attend to actively promote physical and mental wellbeing. The University also offers an Occupational Health and an Employee Assistance Programme. • Learning and Development - The University of Chester recognises that its employees are the most valuable asset and actively encourages, enables and supports staff to obtain further qualifications, training and experience in order to carry out their roles more effectively and to assist them in developing their future careers.
How to Apply Group (MRG) David Craven 07932 717438 david.craven@mrgglobal.com Michael Hewlett 07972 579938 michael.hewlett@mrgglobal.com In order to apply, please submit a The University of Chester has engaged the services of The Managment Recruitment comprehensive curriculum vitae (max 4 pg) along with a covering letter (max 2 pg) setting out your interest in the role and details of how you match the required criteria.
Please include in a separate document your current salary details and the names and addresses of three referees. Referees will not be approached until the final stages and not without prior permission from candidates. Closing date for applications: Sunday 18 th August 2024 Final panel interviews: August 2024
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