HEAD OF ASSET AND SPACE MANAGEMENT CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Thank you for your interest in the Head of Asset and Space Management position.
The University of Sussex is a remarkable institution; the distinctive ethos on which it was established more than 60 years ago is still very much at the heart of the University. We are a leading research-intensive university, highly ranked in the UK and world league tables, and recognised internationally for our research, teaching and outreach. The University has a beautiful and diverse estate located in Falmer, to the North of Brighton and Hove. It is situated in the South Downs National Park and amongst its buildings is a listed core heritage estate designed by Sir Basil Spence. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Estates, the Head of Asset and Space Management will lead on transforming our approach towards strategic estate and asset management, ensuring that we extract maximum value from our assets. The role will lead on the development of a robust estate management plan that results in a proactive approach to estate condition and functionality, space optimisation, infrastructure, compliance and environmental sustainability.
This is an exciting and challenging role for the right individual to join the team and make a difference.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ABOUT SUSSEX THE SUSSEX CAMPUS THE ROLE PERSON SPECIFICATIONS WORKING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX BRIGHTON AND THE LOCAL AREA HOW TO APPLY CONTENTS
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX
From the very start, Sussex was intended to be a new kind of university: challenging convention and fostering critical thinking. It set out to disrupt traditions, create new ‘interdisciplinary’ pathways, and redraw the map of learning. Today, our courses, research and culture aim to stimulate, excite, and challenge. So, from scientific discovery to global policy, from student welfare to career development, Sussex innovates and takes a lead. And today, in every part of society and across the world, you will find someone from Sussex making an original and valuable contribution to positive social change. Now in our 63rd year, we have grown to more than 18,500 students, and we have established a global reputation, with twelve subjects rated in the top 20 in the UK in the QS World University Rankings (2023) and the same number in the global top 200, of which six are in the top 100. We are especially proud to be ranked 1st in the world for Development Studies for the seventh consecutive year in the QS World University Rankings (2023), reflecting the radically global orientation of our research and education, and the deep-rooted commitment of the University and our on-site partner, the Institute of Development Studies, to impactful research for global social justice. More than 89 per cent of our research was recognised as world leading or internationally excellent in REF2021 and we are in the top 50 of universities globally delivering on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We particularly value our strong sense of campus community, as demonstrated by our outstanding record for student retention, and we nurture our students to give them the best life chances beyond university. We also maintain fantastic connections with our alumni from more than 150 countries, who are proudly associated with the University and who frequently tell us how their time at Sussex fundamentally shaped their lives and careers, giving them the courage to stand up for their beliefs. Their continuing support enables us to provide bursaries and scholarships for a wide range of disadvantaged students, as well as networking and mentoring opportunities. Looking to the future, we aim to build on our strengths and remain committed to Sussex providing high-quality education, excellence in academic research, and fruitful engagement with our international partners and local communities.
The University of Sussex received its Royal Charter in 1961 and immediately set about offering an alternative to the traditional higher-education landscape.
THE SUSSEX CAMPUS
Sussex has one of the most beautiful campus locations in Britain; situated on the edge of the South Downs National Park and just 9 minutes from Brighton & Hove, the campus combines award- winning architecture with green open spaces. Designed by Sir Basil Spence, the buildings that make up the heart of the campus were given listed-building status in 1993. Falmer House is one of only two post-war educational buildings in the UK to be Grade I listed in recognition of its exceptional interest. Over the past two decades, Sussex has doubled in size in terms of activity, with the University trying to accommodate
this growth within its existing constrained campus. The University has invested significantly across its estate, delivering new academic and student accommodation facilities, social and hospitality space and upgrading critical infrastructure for 5G connectivity. We are now entering a new phase of Masterplanning and crucial to this is to have in-depth knowledge of the current estate usage and condition. At the heart of our programme of building and regeneration work is a sensitively thought-through plan to enhance the unique setting of our campus within the South Downs, whilst preserving the character of the distinct architecture.
THE ROLE Job Title:
ROLE DESCRIPTION
including the selection, induction, performance management and development of all members of the team. • Set team direction and vision ensuring service and team culture are in strategic alignment with the institution. • Support the development of others, providing leadership and coaching in area of expertise. • Foster an ethos of continuous improvement. 2. Service Delivery • Working within overall University policy and procedure, ensure the effective management of responsibilities in the area of Asset and Space Management. • Plan and allocate resources to support the achievement of team targets and objectives. • Development of team/functional strategic plans. • Ensure effective service delivery within Asset and Space Management. • Provide reports and other communication media internally and externally as appropriate, undertaking analysis, interpretation and presentation of complex and conflicting information to inform decisions related to subject area. • Identify critical issues when resolving problems particularly where there is complex or competing information and use University strategy and objectives to make decisions. 3. Strategy and Planning • Based on a broad and deep set of knowledge and experience, set strategic direction in areas of responsibility, specifically Estates data management, asset management, space management and maintenance. • Shape policy development and provide guidance on strategic agenda, including masterplanning and capital planning (including but not limited to long term maintenance programmes), especially as it relates to Asset and Space Management. • With the Head of Capital Projects and Head
objectives. • Work in partnership with other internal and external stakeholders to ensure strategic alignment of service. • Co-develop relevant policies/ guidance notes, plans and processes to enable the continued realisation and future optimisation of the value that our assets provide to the organisation. • Provide leadership and guidance around the collation, maintenance and interpretation of Estates data, setting the definitions, taxonomy and policies relating to this data. • Lead the University’s drive towards better space efficiency through the implementation of agreed space principles and standards, line managing the Space Management team and establishing productive relationships with Faculty leads. • Provide leadership in the co-creation (with the Head of Capital Projects and Head of Sustainability) of a multi-year long term maintenance programme which successfully manages the University’s assets to ensure statutory compliance with relevant legislation while managing the associated risks to health & safety and business continuity. • Act as Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for identified capital projects as befitting the postholder’s skillset, thereby taking accountability for the successful delivery of these projects.
Head of Asset and Space Management
The postholder will be responsible for delivering the transformation of our approach towards our existing buildings and assets, so that we can: make better use of what we already have; operate efficiently and effectively; and make well- informed decisions based on robust asset information. The postholder will play a pivotal role in: ensuring the continued and whole life value that our assets provide to the organisation; managing risk around compliance, health & safety and business continuity; supporting our net zero ambition; ensuring that we control and optimise the operating costs of running a complex and ageing campus. The postholder will lead a programme of work to improve our data maturity, will co-create a multi-year long term maintenance programme founded on good asset information, and provide an intelligent client function to related outsourced service lines, eg Maintenance. The postholder will play a pivotal role in improving our space efficiency by implementing new space principles and through line management of the Space Management team.
Grade 9
Grade:
Estates, Facilities and Commercial Services
School/Division:
Bramber House / hybrid
Location:
Deputy Director of Estates
Responsible to:
Senior Manager, Masterplanning and Space Management
Direct reports:
Key contacts: • Director of Estates
• Head of Capital Projects • Head of Service Delivery • Head of Commercial Services • Head of Sustainability • Head of Health and Safety • Senior Project Managers (multiple) • Sussex Estates and Facilities leadership team • Executive Deans of Faculty • Faculty Heads of Professional Services
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES
• Provide direct and indirect leadership to a number of teams, promote and maintain a high quality Professional Services offer, engendering a culture of continuous improvement. • Set the standards of delivery in areas of responsibility and ensure appropriate resources are available, including through the provision of relevant design guides, specifications and other supporting materials. • Set the direction and vision for relevant services as both intelligent client (to outsourced services) and subject matter expert / senior user (to in-house teams and projects), ensuring resulting policies are in alignment with strategic
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Team Leadership • Provide leadership to the Space Management team, setting standards of service, targets and objectives. • Provide leadership (as the intelligent client) to relevant outsourced service lines, eg Maintenance, by setting standards, establishing policies, auditing performance and identifying areas for potential improvement. • Ensure the appropriate allocation of resources to achieve targets and objectives
• Engage with key stakeholders within Estates and the University’s outsourced services to ensure that asset and space management considerations are embedded in projects and delivery plans at all times. 5. Asset and data management • Lead the ongoing work to increase the level of maturity of the University’s estates data, by assembling, validating and organising the data into recognised structures and systems. • Create and deliver a long term programme to increase the sophistication of the use of data, including the development and implementation of BIM, with an end goal being the use of a digital twin to proactively manage the estate. • Ensure that the University’s asset register is dynamically updated and maintained. • Lead the quinquennial procurement and delivery of a condition survey. • Identify and procure any business systems that will aid in the management and interpretation of asset and space data as efficiently and effectively as possible.
work collaboratively across the University and with key stakeholders to deliver single team working that efficiently and effectively supports the achievement of those goals and objectives. • Support achievement of the Division’s/ Unit’s/School’s compliance with all applicable statutory and regulatory compliance obligations, including (but not limited to): UKVI, Health & Safety, the Prevent Duty, data protection, Competition and Markets Authority requirements and equal opportunities, as appropriate to the grade and role. Additionally, to promote good practice in relation to University policy, procedure and guidance in relation to those compliance matters in respect of students, staff and other relevant parties. • Balance effectiveness and cost-efficiency in the management of the budgets you are accountable for, demonstrating compliance with Value for Money and Return on Investment principles to support the University’s strategic aim to achieve a world- class standard of teaching and research by managing our resources effectively and efficiently.
of Sustainability, co-create a multi-year long term maintenance programme which successfully manages the University’s assets to create value and ensure ongoing compliance with relevant legislation. • Lead the creation, review and maintenance of design guides, principles and best practice documents relating to areas of responsibility. • Ensure appropriate governance is in place for Asset Management and Space Management, tying into existing University governance practice as far as possible. 4. Customers and Stakeholders • Proactively engage with internal and external stakeholders, colleagues or students to ensure the effective delivery of strategic objectives, initiate and develop relationships, providing analysis of data and information to inform decisions as necessary, showing appropriate sensitivity when needed. • Persuade, influence and negotiate as appropriate to further the objectives of the University.
To carry out any other duties that are within the employee’s skills and abilities whenever reasonably instructed. This Job Description sets out current duties of the post that may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or level of responsibility entailed.
INDICATIVE PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
• Leading a team of 3 staff. • Manage a budget of £50k but with influence over the development of multi-million pound programmes of capital and revenue expenditure. • The post holder reports to the Deputy Director of Estates, but enjoys a defined level of autonomy and responsibility to enable the post holder to manage their own work and that of their reporting managers to achieve their agreed objectives. The role holder also supports the senior leadership team of their Division to achieve the strategic and operational goals of the University, Professional Services & their Division. The post holder is expected to
PERSON SPECIFICATION
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA • Educated to degree level in a relevant subject or with an equivalent level of work-based experience. • Proficiency in asset management, with broad and deep knowledge and understanding of this field and its relationship with other fields, including how good asset management benefits overall estate management and planning. • Highly effective leadership skills with the ability to motivate others to achieve. • Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to present concepts, vision and strategy in a way that can be understood by the audience. • Well developed planning and organisational skills, including project management with the ability to delegate to team members. • Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively influence, persuade and negotiate in area of expertise, and to effectively contribute to team working to build and develop working relationships. • Well developed analytical skills with the ability to generate effective solutions from concepts and vision and make effective decisions to deliver vision. • Effective IT skills on MS platform. ESSENTIAL ROLE-SPECIFIC CRITERIA • Membership of a relevant professional body, ie related to an engineering or built environment discipline. • Demonstrable expertise and knowledge of the anatomy of buildings, ideally formed from a successful engineering or surveying background. • Proven ability to translate deep and broad knowledge of the built environment into policies, standards and system development. • Proven understanding of how asset management contributes towards environmental sustainability goals eg net zero carbon or climate adaptation. • Understanding of good space management principles, including proven experience of applying space principles on a large and complex estate with multiple and diverse stakeholders. • Proven ability to lead long term programmes of work to improve data quality, leading to the better use of data in decision-making. • Experience of working and complying with recognised national and international standards eg ISO55001, SFG20, PAS99 and/or other relevant ISO accreditations. • High level of awareness of Health and Safety considerations within a large, complex estate. DESIRABLE CRITERIA • Knowledge of the Higher Education sector. • Experience of procuring asset management software, including the development of user requirements. • Experience of working within complex governance structures within large organisations. • Experience of implementing emerging technologies (eg digital twin, AI) to support the best possible use of data and its application in decision-making. • Relevant Health and Safety qualification.
WORKING AT SUSSEX
There are a range of staff benefits at Sussex, including generous annual leave entitlement and pension schemes, access to world-class resources, discounted gym and sports memberships, interest-free season ticket loan and staff activities throughout the year.
SUSSEX LECTURES All staff are welcome to attend professorial lectures by Sussex academics and other talks by visiting lecturers and speakers. ATTENBOROUGH CENTRE FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS The Attenborough Centre is a state-of-the-art
birthday and sports parties from age two upwards and a full programme of sports camps and activities in the school holidays for children aged five–16 years. SUSSEX CENTRE FOR LANGUAGE STUDIES The Sussex Centre for Language Studies provides a range of courses throughout the calendar year in English Language and Modern Languages that are open to staff as well as students. You can also use the Language Learning Centre to study over 50 world languages. CATERING AND CONFERENCES Sussexfood offers extensive catering facilities in Bramber House as well as cafés across campus. There are also conference and hospitality services. You can also use the Students’ Union bars and shop.
CHILDCARE There is a nursery on campus for children aged three months to five years, operated by The Cooperative Childcare. It is open daily from7.30am–6.30pm.
RETAIL There is a supermarket and post office, the Students’ Union shop, a pharmacy and a bank on campus. In term time, there is also a weekly outdoor market. SPORT Sports facilities include sports halls, fitness rooms, a dance studio, squash courts and outdoor pitches. There is an extensive drop- in group exercise and courses programme including yoga, dance, Pilates, trapeze, circuit training and aerobics. Sussexsport holds an annual boundary walk and boundary run for staff and students around the Sussex campus. It also offers children’s
performance and display space that reopened in 2016 after extensive
LIBRARY Library facilities are available to all
refurbishment. The Attenborough Centre has a growing programme of performances and events and is a Brighton Festival venue. TEACHING AND LEARNING The University of Sussex has more than 18,500 students, of whom 4,500 are postgraduates.
members of staff. The Library is open around the clock during term time. The Library’s special collections, now housed at The Keep, include the papers of Rudyard Kipling, the New Statesman Archive, Virginia Woolf’s Monks House Papers, many of Lord Richard Attenborough’s scripts and papers, and the Mass Observation Archive.
BRIGHTON AND THE LOCAL AREA THE UNIVERSITY’S LOCATION The University campus is located at Falmer, on the outskirts of Brighton & Hove, and is just 55 miles (90 km) from London. Frequent trains from central London take as little as 50 minutes to Brighton & Hove, with a quick nine-minute connection to Falmer to reach campus. London Gatwick airport is only 30 minutes from Brighton, and London Heathrow is just over an hour’s drive away. BRIGHTON AND THE WIDER REGION The city of Brighton & Hove has much to offer students, and also offers a quality of life for young families that is hard to match. As well as a fabulous variety of shops, restaurants and pubs, the city also has a range of good schools and a very relaxed and tolerant atmosphere. Brighton has a truly diverse cultural scene with a wealth of theatres, cinemas and galleries. From pre-West End premieres at the Theatre Royal to the variety of experimental fringe productions staged throughout the year, and with the famous Brighton Festival every May, there is plenty on offer. The historic market town of Lewes is also close to campus, and many members of staff choose to live there because of its wide choice of housing and excellent schools.
HOW TO APPLY
The University is being supported on this recruitment campaign by the search consultancy The Management Recruitment Group (MRG). To arrange a confidential briefing discussion please contact:
CHARLEY MCCARTHY charley.mccarthy@mrgglobal.com 07355 093 390 NICK COPPARD nicholas.coppard@mrgglobal.com 07896 079 495
Applications should consist of a comprehensive CV (no more than four pages) and a covering letter (no more than two pages) and be submitted via our website here. Close date: Sunday 6 th October 2024 MRG Interviews (via MS Teams): W/C 7 th October 2024 University Interview: Thursday 31 st October 2024
TERMS OF APPOINTMENT The appointment will be subject to: • Confirmation of the right to work within the UK • Higher level qualifications • Satisfactory health clearance and satisfactory references.
EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY The University values diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of society. It is committed to promoting equality and diversity, providing an inclusive and supportive environment for all. The University aims to ensure that job applicants and members of staff are treated solely on the basis of abilities and potential, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, trade union membership or non-membership, socioeconomic background or any other inappropriate distinction. In order to ensure the effectiveness of this policy, it is necessary to collect information from all applicants on factors which relate to equal opportunity in employment and applicants are therefore asked to submit a completed version of the enclosed form alongside their CV and letter of application. The information provided will be handled in strictest confidence and will only be used for statistical monitoring purposes.
Page 1 Page 2-3 Page 4-5 Page 6-7 Page 8-9 Page 10-11 Page 12-13 Page 14-15 Page 16-17 Page 18Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator