Inspiring the extraordinary
Head of Property Assets and Space Candidate Information Pack
Introduction
Thank you for your interest in the Head of Property Assets and Space role at Durham University. As one of the UK’s leading and world top 100 universities, Durham is also one of the most distinctive universities. It is a residential collegiate university with a welcoming community of more than 20,000 students and over 4,300 members of staff. Our academics and students are at the heart of our world-leading research and teaching capabilities, shaping the future with their ground- breaking work. Set within the historically rich City of Durham in the North East of England, which is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is an undeniably beautiful place in which to base your work and home life. The University has an incredibly diverse estate in Durham City. It comprises over 320 buildings ranging in age from 1076 A.D. through to new, state of the art buildings. Durham Castle and the buildings around Palace Green are part of World Heritage Site, 3 properties are scheduled ancient monuments, 4 properties are listed Grade 1, 79 properties are listed Grade 2 and 60 properties are within the City's conservation area. Approximately 17% of the University's estate is over 150 years old, yet we have married this with the development of new cutting edge facilities such as our Mathematical Sciences and Computer Science building and our new Teaching and Learning Centre.
The Estates and Facilities Directorate is responsible for delivering the Estate Strategy and Masterplan that ensure that Durham has an academic and College estate that is fit for purpose, affordable and supports our world-class activities in line with our 2027 Strategy. In this crucial and influential role within the Estates and Facilities Directorate the Head of Property and Assets will lead, and provide strategic direction for, the teams responsible for the management and effective utilisation of all university property and space. The role oversees the management of the University’s property interests in terms of freeholds, leases and licenses and the way space is allocated and utilised across the University’s estate. If you enjoy a challenge and would like to play a key, influential and innovative role in creating inspiring environments to support our position as a world class organisation we would be delighted to hear from you. Best wishes,
David Loudon Director of Estates and Facilities
Durham University
Durham is one of the world’s great universities and one of the most distinctive. Consistently ranked in the top six in the UK and in the top 100 across the world, we produce world-leading and world-changing research across all four of our faculties, our education is challenging, enabling, research-led and transformative and our wider student experience, delivered through our Colleges, Durham Students’ Union and Experience Durham, is among the best in the UK. Our goal is for Durham to be delivering world-leading and world-changing research across all academic departments and research institutes, an education that is challenging, difficult, enabling and transformative and a student experience to rival the best in the world. Our vision is to build on our existing success and move forward to secure our future, making significant changes where they are needed. We know that we have a strong offering but also that we can do more by further developing our partnership working. We are not complacent. Our University Strategy 2017-2027 sets ambitious targets for growth and development, to ensure that we remain at the cutting edge.
The Estate Strategy & Masterplan
The Estate Strategy and Masterplan In order to support our vision, and as part of our work on a long-term growth agenda, we have developed an Estates Strategy and Masterplan that is central to shaping how Durham University looks and feels in the future. It will ensure that we have an Academic and College estate that is fit for purpose and affordable for the foreseeable future. The Estate Masterplan identifies the potential capacity of the estate and presents possible development opportunities. It is a guide to how we could develop the estate over the long-term. It will protect Durham’s important heritage for generations to come; safeguard Durham’s position as a collegiate University at the heart of the national, regional and local economy; and create facilities to enhance the University’s reputation and support our vision to be world-leading in research, education and the wider student experience. The Masterplan seeks to build on and strengthen the relationship between City and University, by easing accommodation constraints, enhancing access and developing facilities for common use. We are committed to being closely engaged with local and regional stakeholders in the public, private and voluntary sectors, as well as local residents, thus fulfilling an important role within Durham, Stockton and the wider North East. Our goals We will: • Develop an academic estate that will allow the University to deliver world-class education, research and student experience; • Ensure the long-term availability of suitable residential accommodation; • Ensure the continuing renewal and maintenance of our estate; • Improve the environmental sustainability and ease of travel around our estate and city locations.
We are already doing well • “A purpose-built new home for John Snow College and a new college named South College, at Mount Oswald was completed in September 2020, with full College facilities and a total of 1,000 student beds”. • In September 2019, Durham University opened the doors to their brand new £40 million, 90,000sq ft Teaching and Learning development. • Our new £40 million home for our Mathematical Sciences and Computer Science departments was completed in September 2020 But there is So Much More to come By 2027, we will: • Deliver the next phase of our Estate Masterplan, including a new home for Durham University Business School and new developments for our Arts and Humanities Departments. • Future estate development will ensure our laboratory-based Science Departments have the facilities to match their international reputations. • Deliver repairs to existing buildings, both Collegiate and Academic, such that 75% of our buildings are of a very high standard • Establish and nurture future needs of Colleges.
The Estates and Facilities Directorate
The Estates and Facilities Directorate makes a positive and significant contribution to the University's shared vision by developing and maintaining the physical environment which contributes to the University's key aspiration of attracting high calibre staff and students to the University. We are a community of colleagues with a passion for excellence in everything we do; making a positive and significant contribution to the University, recognised by our stakeholders as delivering value for money services.
At the heart of our recruitment, we want to attract and secure the very best people to ensure the delivery of an estate that is both welcoming and safe for our students, staff and visitors. It is an exciting time to join the team, as the Directorate is currently refreshing its Estates Strategy and Masterplan; supporting the University’s overarching strategy.
Job Description
Job Title:
Head of Property Assets and Space
• Providing postal, delivery and security arrangements and advice to the University; and • Delivering a wide-range of customer-facing services, including contract management; estates and facilities relationships management; housekeeping and cleaning, business resilience, event management; reception helpdesk; university retail; business support; health and safety; and management information. The Head of Property Assets and Space will lead, and provide strategic direction for, the teams responsible for the management and effective utilisation of all university property and space. The post-holder will oversee the management of the University’s property interests in terms of freeholds, leases and licenses and the way space is allocated and utilised across the University’s estate. The post-holder will ensure the function has the right people, skills and ways of working to deliver effective services for the business and ensure all reporting associated with asset management and space is managed effectively and timely. Working in partnership with all other teams within the Estates and Facilities Directorate, the post- holder will ensure individuals within their teams contribute to a positive experience, ensuring the delivery of a professional, seamless and high-quality service to all customers and stakeholders. The post-holder will be the University’s expert on town planning, landlord and tenant matters, and space management. They will be required to provide clear leadership, guidance and advice, in the development of the wider strategic vision on the University’s long-term approach to town planning and specific tactical approach to particular developments requiring planning permission. They will also be required to provide strategic leadership and guidance in relation to space management within the University.
Department:
Estates and Facilities Estates Operations
Responsible to: Resposible for:
Director of Estates Operations Senior Property Assets Manager Senior Space Manager Senior Asset Information Manager
Grade:
Grade 9
Salary range: arrangements:
£53,348-£60,022
Permanent Full-time, Nominal 35 hours, Hybrid Working Arrangements
The Directorate and role purpose The Estates and Facilities Directorate provides a number of essential services to Durham University and is responsible for managing, maintaining and developing the infrastructure and building fabric of the various campuses, including: • Maintaining and regularly reviewing a maintenance programme which takes account of short, medium and long term needs of all buildings and University grounds • Implementing the works identified and funded within the various maintenance programmes and operating a system for dealing with day-to day requirements, including the provision of an out-of-hours emergency service • Providing a professional, technical service to the University for the design, construction and procurement of new buildings and adaptation works to existing buildings • Identifying and recording the use of space and advising on ways of increasing space utilisation • Property and asset management • Acquisition and disposal of built environment related assets • Procuring and managing utilities and services
The Role
Core responsibilities: • Provide professional and expert leadership at a significant operational level and contribute to strategic planning to meet organisational objectives, for all property assets and space matters. • Provide expertise and professional advice to the Director of Estates and Facilities and University Executive Committee, to ensure the strategic interest of the University is optimised, the University’s reputation is upheld, development and commercial opportunities and income are maximised, and risk is reduced, for the University’s property and land holdings portfolio. • Lead the strategic planning and management of space across the University, to meet the University’s growth aspirations. • Provide feedback on team and individual performance and identify development needs, conducting regular staff ADR and performance reviews. • Recruit, induct, train and develop new team members. • Help to shape the skills and expertise of team members and design work structures to meet operational and strategic goals. • Handle the vast majority of welfare issues within a team, referring more complex welfare issues to appropriate support services/senior management. • Provide strategic leadership and expert guidance, advice and problem-solving skills to stakeholders on all property, landlord and tenant matters. • Identify and develop innovative approaches and make recommendations for how these can be implemented within the Property Asset and Space teams. • Significant input into the planning and development of future skills and expertise within the Property Asset and Space teams, to meet organisational goals. • Responsible for the management and leadership
of people across service areas, setting operational and strategic objectives for discrete areas. • Implement change management projects across service areas in collaboration with peers and specialists to ensure a smooth and effective transition. • Lead the creation, review, design, implementation and monitoring of policy and service level standards, for the management of property assets and space. • Contribute to wider quality and regulatory audit process for stakeholder systems and services. • Influence and contribute to operational and strategic scoping and resource planning across a range of activities, developing and presenting complex business plans and strategy documents where required. • Set operational objectives for the scoping initiation, planning and implementation of significant projects in service areas. • Devolve key responsibilities to experienced team members, to ensure succession and encourage skills development. • Provide leadership and influence the governance of service activities, processes and transactions to meet regulatory and professional service and policy standards. • Build and lead an influential network of internal and external stakeholders, to influence the development of service provision. • Provide leadership within project teams to shape and determine specifications and key deliverables, problem solve and guide implementation. • Lead internal and external business meetings, working groups and committees at operational and strategic service level to influence governance, organisational policy and standards for the service. • Budget responsibility for allocating and managing expenditure of consumable and capital items.
The Role
• Accountable for operational planning and the management of service resources and budgets to meet operational and strategic priorities. • Foster and develop professional internal/ external relations, communications, contacts and networks that will underpin the exchange of knowledge and ideas and add value to the delivery of capital infrastructure projects. • Act as a specialist consultant to problem solve and shape and design the establishment of one- off or a series of infrastructure activities. • Contribute expertise with the design, delivery, analysis and documentation of recognised award and reputation generating projects. • Manage and audit safety and security processes, certification and specifications for infrastructure projects. • Provide specialist guidance and advice with the implementation of a schedule and process for managing risk. • Research new markets and opportunities, to maximise income from the estate, and advise on property investments and market demand. • Any other reasonable duties. Specific role requirements: • There may be a requirement for the post-holder to participate in local on-call arrangements, as relevant to this role. • May be required to work evenings and weekends, as business needs. • Represent the University at the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) events, as applicable to the role. • Attend all training and development, as required.
Role responsibilities: • Engage with third parties and negotiate legal property arrangements, including the preparation of draft heads of terms, together with leases and licences, in relation to property acquisitions, leases and disposals. • Demonstrate commercial acumen with property negotiations. • Coordinate the management of all University planning applications at all stages, including pre- application, submission, post application and all associated planning permission conditions/S106 agreements and obligations. • Act as the University’s strategic lead for all University town planning matters, liasing with Durham County Council, Stockton Borough Council and other external agengies, such as Highways England, local interest groups, etc. • Develop and lead the implementation of the University’s landlord and property strategy. • Using the University’s strategy and growth plans, develop, implement and maintain an overall University Space Strategy, that makes the most cost-effective use of the available property assets and space. • Ensure the University’s own occupied space is being used as effectively and efficiently as possible, employing modern working practices to improve efficiency, where possible. • Lead on space feasibilities and scenario planning, regarding future estates developments, developing and applying best practice space norms. • Develop, implement and maintain a suitable system for property asset and space management. • Delegated authority and responsibility to make decisions about the quality, level and nature of service to meet operational and strategic business objectives. • Provide leadership with stakeholder consultation and engagement in order to develop a full understanding of short-term and long-term needs across areas of service delivery.
Person Specification Essential Criteria • Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to develop excellent working relationships both internally and externally. • Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office/365. • Academic recognition at degree/masters level, in a relevant discipline, and professional recognition, such as a member of RICS (or equivalent by experience). • Professional property asset and space practitioner with expert knowledge and expertise in one or more areas of buildings, estates, services, used to influence activities within the organisation. • Demonstrable evidence of showing commercial acumen in negotiations. • Demonstrable ability to provide specialist advice and influence others at operational and strategic levels, in property asset and space matters. • Continuing professional development required to maintain professional recognition. • Experience in the establishment and management of a property terrier. • Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the law and practice relating to landlord and tenant matters, and experience in negotiating with large residential and commercial organisations. • Experience of providing specialist property asset and space advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues. • Experience of being able to network effectively and develop strong and productive working relationships. • Ability to solve problems and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions. • Experience of delivering and developing specialist services for property assets and space. • Health and safety compliance knowledge. • Extensive knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines. • Extensive knowledge of estate-related legal matters, including landlord, tenant and property matters. • Financial acumen in negotiating funding proposals, leasing and commercial terms. • Experience of managing budgets. • Experience of implementing policy and procedures and involvement with future changes for a service area. • Ability to contribute to planning at operational and strategic levels. • Track record of management and development experience and/or an enhanced management qualification applied across a large service team or cross-functional teams.
Desirable Criteria
• Knowledge of the utilisation of property and space management database systems. • Experience of leading major projects involving multi-agency working within an educational, commercial or industrial environment. • Experience of working in the higher education sector. • Experience of change management.
Benefits
When you work at Durham University, you can take advantage of a fantastic range of staff benefits including pension schemes with generous employer contributions, and salary sacrifice schemes which save you money, including childcare vouchers, nursery fees and cycle to work. Further information can be viewed below.
Childcare, facilities and attractions
We have an onsite nursery and you can enjoy access to our excellent libraries, sporting facilities, and visitor attractions such as the Botanic Garden and Oriental Museum. You are encouraged to become an active member of one of our Colleges with their varied range of social and cultural activities. All our staff enjoy up to five days volunteering time through our successful and thriving staff volunteering scheme.
Holidays, flexible working, leave and welfare
You will enjoy generous holiday entitlement, members of staff in Grades 7-10 receive a total of 42 days paid holidays each year. This is made up of 30 days holiday, eight statutory Bank holidays and four Customary days, usually taken at Christmas when the University offices are closed. We have lots of ways to help our staff maintain a healthy lifestyle and work-life balance including flexible and hybrid working arrangements, family- friendly leave, research leave and Occupational Health and Counselling services.
Charitable giving
You can choose to donate to a charity of your choice direct from your salary through payroll giving.
My Durham
Durham University offer a range of discounts and savings through their staff benefits portal, My Durham. My Durham is a central hub from which eligible staff can access a range of employment benefits, including corporate discounts, childcare vouchers and the Cycle to Work Scheme.
Relocation
The University is able to offer financial and logistical relocation support to candidates that are seeking to move to the area to take up a role with the University.
Further information and application process
For a confidential discussion to learn more about the role and opportunity please contact Durham University’s appointed recruitment partner Stephanie Howe of The Management Recruitment Group.
Stephanie Howe M: 07932 717 431 E: stephanie.howe@mrgpeople.co.uk
Applications should consist of a comprehensive CV and supporting cover letter. Applications should be sent to stephanie.howe@mrgpeople.co.uk and shoro.omotosho@mrgpeople.co.uk Closing date: 25th September Interviews will take place early October.
Inspiring the extraordinary
We are an international recruiter of senior management professionals across real estate, facilities and development. Our success is built on our people, process and expertise. Our people have unrivalled experience, our process is rigorous and designed in-house, and we have meaningful sector expertise.
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