Head of Engineering and Maintenance Candidate Information Pack
About the University of Oxford Welcome to the University of Oxford. We aim to lead the world in research and education for the benefit of society both in the UK and globally. Oxford’s researchers engage with academic, commercial and cultural partners across the world to stimulate high-quality research and enable innovation through a broad range of social, policy and economic impacts. We believe our strengths lie both in empowering individuals and teams to address fundamental questions of global significance, while providing all our staff with a welcoming and inclusive workplace that enables everyone to develop and do their best work. Recognising that diversity is our strength, vital for innovation and creativity, we aspire to build a truly diverse community which values and respects every individual’s unique contribution. While we have long traditions of scholarship, we are also forward-looking, creative and cutting-edge. Oxford is one of Europe’s most entrepreneurial universities and we rank first in the UK for university spin- outs, and in recent years we have spun out 15-20 new companies every year. We are also recognised as leaders in support for social enterprise.
Join us and you will find a unique, democratic and international community, a great range of staff benefits and access to a vibrant array of cultural activities in the beautiful city of Oxford.
For more information, please visit www.ox.ac.uk/about/organisation.
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About the University of Oxford The University of Oxford estate Estates Services
The Context Our priorities Environmental policy, sustainability and ‘green’ travel Future development of the estate Job Description Benefits of working at the University Application Process
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Estates Services Estates Services is responsible for the management and strategic direction of Oxford University’s functional and commercial estate within Oxfordshire. This comprises some 450 buildings and the infrastructure associated with them.
Estates Services has a broad and diverse remit covering:
• Development of the University’s Estate Strategy
• Management of the University’s functional estate (which includes laboratory and teaching facilities, offices, museums, and libraries) and housing for graduate students and staff;
• Facilities Management for a growing number of University buildings
• Management of the University Parks and Wytham Woods
• Management of the University’s commercial, agricultural and residential land and property assets
• The development of all capital building projects, running at around £60m - £90m per annum
The University of Oxford estate ...comprises a significant portfolio of land and properties, with a wide range of asset types and uses:
• Repairs and maintenance of buildings and infrastructure (except IT and Telecoms)
• Programmes of refurbishment, replacement and minor works
• The University is responsible for the repair and upkeep of some of the finest buildings in the city of Oxford, including the Radcliffe Camera, Sheldonian Theatre and Old Bodleian Library of the University, including specialist research buildings, teaching laboratories and lecture halls, sports facilities, libraries and museums, administrative and ceremonial buildings • 235 buildings, providing some 590,000m2 of space, which accommodates the day-to-day activities
• A further 150 properties in and around Oxford which are managed commercially, including accommodation for graduate students, offices, warehouses and land • The estate has buildings dating from 1424. 25% of it is listed and 37% was built before 1840. It also includes a significant portfolio of state-of-theart research buildings developed over the last 10 years • The University has a series of masterplans that could provide up to an additional 250,000 m2 of space
• Reactive maintenance via the Helpdesk
• Environmental sustainability
• Space management and maintenance of space and property records
• Maintenance of a safe and secure physical environment for staff, students and visitors by Security Services.
• The estate has been growing at around 5% per annum for the last 15 years
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Oxford has specific issues:
The Context Key challenges are: a very significant change in the capital funding landscape , more emphasis on sharing and flexibility by a smaller number of centres of excellence, the changing needs of students, and carbon and energy reduction.
• A number of properties are no longer functionally suitable for their current use and their future needs to be considered in the light of their location and potential for change of use • The development of new donor-funded buildings is likely to continue as the University grows • The provision of appropriate student housing remains a challenge and will require further investment
• Ambitions to promote flexibility and sharing of both teaching and research space enjoy broad support across the University but are some way from becoming a reality
• The continued growth of research places significant demands on investment
• The UK Higher Education sector as a whole faces a significant reduction in government funding for capital • The quality of student provision has come under scrutiny following introduction of the variable fee • Research funding is increasingly dependent on promoting flexibility, interdisciplinary work and sharing between institutions • The national value-for-money agenda is promoting better use of space and more efficient servicing. Carbon reduction targets for the sector are challenging
• Research data requires very significant processing, resilience and storage facilities; investment in IT capital projects is likely to become more significant over the next five years
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Our priorities The University will balance capital spending on refurbishing and replacing the existing estate with the delivery of new buildings to meet research and education needs. It will provide an estate that meets the needs of staff and students, reduces environmental impact and is affordable to run and maintain.
Environmental policy, sustainability and ‘green’ travel
• Learning from the pandemic - Build on the experience of the pandemic and the potential shift to more environmentally sustainable working practices. • The strategy is underpinned by the following four ‘enablers’: • Governance - Embedding environmental sustainability in the University’s governance and decision making; • The Environmental Sustainability Subcommittee, established in 2021 as a subcommittee of the Planning and Resource Allocation Committee (PRAC), is chaired by Dr David Prout, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Planning and Resources) and has representatives from across the University and student body. The Subcommittee holds overall responsibility for environmental sustainability at the University. • Reporting - Developing a system of annual reporting of carbon emissions and biodiversity impact within the first twelve months, which will be published in the University of Oxford’s Annual Review and financial accounts; • Funding - Establishing the Oxford Sustainability Fund, making £200 million available for sustainability initiatives over the next 15 years, to finance the programme of action required to reach net zero carbon and biodiversity net gain by 2035; • Offsetting - Establishing a policy to guide our use of carbon offsetting and biodiversity offsetting. Visit our Environmental Sustainability Strategy Q&A page for responses to some of the key questions regarding the strategy.
Oxford University’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy was approved by Council on 15 March 2021. The strategy sets two ambitious targets: to achieve net zero carbon and to achieve biodiversity net gain, both by 2035 Through its environmental policies the University aims to:
The Estate Strategy has a number of priorities:
• To meet the changing patterns of research and teaching activity that result from changes in the size and shape of the University • To improve the utilisation of space through new buildings designed for flexibility and shared use, and the effective sharing of existing teaching and research facilities • To improve the condition and functional suitability of the estate by reviewing the use of existing buildings which are vacated when new ones are built
The strategy focuses on these ten priority areas:
• Research - Increase research and engagement in environmental sustainability. • Curriculum - Offer all students the opportunity to study environmental sustainability, either within or outside the examined curriculum. • Carbon emissions from University buildings - Reduce carbon emissions related to our energy consumption to a minimal level. • Biodiversity - Identify and address the University’s principal biodiversity impacts through its operations and supply chain, and enhance biodiversity on the University’s estate. • Sustainable food - Reduce the carbon emissions and biodiversity impact of our food. • Sustainable resource use - Reduce the environmental impacts of our consumption and supply chain. • International travel - Reduce aviation emissions from University staff and student travel and offset the balance of emissions. • Local travel - Limit transport emissions by reducing the need to travel, encouraging walking, cycling and the use of public transport and managing the demand to travel by car. • Investments - Ensure that the
• To reduce running costs and carbon emissions
A more efficient and flexible use of space and sharing of facilities will: • Reduce the resources needed to run and maintain less efficient buildings, enabling resource to be redirected for academic benefit
• Allow for new ideas to be realised in research and education through increased collaboration
University, as an investor, is part of the solution to climate change and biodiversity loss.
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Future development of the estate The University has a number of masterplans which allow for improvements in existing facilities and accommodate the demand for an increase in the size of the functional estate.
Job Description Job title: Division: Department: Location: Grade and salary: Hours: Contract type: Reporting to:
Head of Engineering and Maintenance UAS Estates Services – Operations Team The Malthouse, Tidmarsh Lane, Oxford, OX1 1NQ Grade 10: Full time Permanent Director of Operations
• The Radcliffe Observatory Quarter provides high quality modern teaching and office-based research facilities that encourage interdisciplinary and collaborative work; Humanities faculties have moved together into the former Radcliffe Infirmary Building and the purpose-built Andrew Wiles Building brings together the Mathematical Institute from three separate locations • The purchase of the Park Hospital site allows for the expansion of the Old Road Campus as a centre for developing world-leading medical research alongside operational clinical facilities • There are opportunities to redevelop and refurbish buildings in the Science Area and Keble Road Triangle to meet demand for state-of-the-art laboratory-based teaching and research
• The Begbroke Science Park offers considerable scope for expansion and growth allowing University research to develop hand-in-hand with industrial and commercial enterprise • The Iffley Road Sports Centre provides opportunities to develop new sports facilities comparable to those of other world-leading universities
The role The Head of Engineering & Maintenance is a new role reporting to the Director of Operations. The post holder will provide leadership to the teams of professional surveyors and engineers responsible for building, electrical and mechanical maintenance and for teams of onsite operatives in the Direct Labour Organisation (DLO) and gardeners maintaining University Parks and the green estate. This is an important leadership role responsible for driving forward improvements in the maintenance of the estate and providing professional expertise on estates maintenance to the University. The teams undertake maintenance activities across the Estate (approx. £25m p.a) and also provide support and advice to the Capital Projects team undertaking a programme of major new builds and refurbishments (approx. £150m p.a). The new Head of Engineering & Maintenance will be responsible for providing strategic direction to the teams under their control, each of which is led by a Head of Section; including budget and work planning, management of contractors and auditable safety compliance processes. This is a role that involves long-term planning and foresight, ability to develop working relationships across the University and beyond and a good understanding of best practice for maintenance of a diverse portfolio of University buildings. This post requires a highly motivated and enthusiastic person with considerable experience and a firm commitment to maintaining high standards for technical and safety matters throughout the University’s estate. He/she will collaborate and support the wider Estates Strategic leadership team in the development and delivery of the Estates Services vision and strategy. The post holder will have an extensive technical experience of maintaining a diverse and complex estates portfolio and ability to put into practice the objectives of the emerging Estates Strategy and Estates Services Annual Operating Plan.
For further information visit the Estate Strategy website at: www.admin.ox.ac.uk/estates
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Responsibilities
• Experience of large (£100m) capital projects.
• To provide leadership and direction to the maintenance teams; mechanical, electrical, building and conservation and DLO (Direct Labour Organisation) and Parks.
• Tangible leadership skills and experience including evidence of strategic thinking, problem solving and ability to influence and persuade others to in order achieve a positive result.
• To be a member of the Operations senior management team, supporting the development and delivery of Estates Services values and strategy
• Ability to plan and prioritise workload for self, and to effectively manage and prioritise the workload of the team.
• Provide technical expertise and advise on estates maintenance matters to the Estates Senior Management Team, committees of the University and University senior leadership
• Excellent leadership management skills and experience including: management of large technical teams, team building, setting of clear objectives and a focus on personal development.
• Develop and report on estates budgeting, manage the R&M 3 year plan process, track progress and provide supporting information to inform funding bids.
• Excellent written communication skills, and the ability to produce high quality reports which may be read and understood by a range of non-specialist audiences.
• Provide technical input and area expertise in developing the interrelationship between the R&M three year plan, Capital plan and Carbon Management plan to ensure spending is managed to maintain the estate and support the University’s carbon reduction targets and achieve best value for money across the funding streams.
• Excellent and effective inter-personal skills (both written and verbal) with the ability to communicate at all levels with tact, diplomacy and openness.
• Experience of change management and the ability to contribute to, and lead change at a senior management level, through recommending and implementing new policies and procedures.
• Research and develop benchmarking for maintenance with other comparable HE Institutions and with the commercial sector as appropriate
• Experience in developing and managing complex budgets to demonstrably achieve strategic results and best value for money
• Provide leadership and expertise on safety matters. Working closely with the Estates Compliance team and in conjunction with the University’s safety office ensure that the teams work safely, that safety critical systems, maintained by the teams, are managed to ensure auditable legislative compliance and that processes for the control of contractors are developed and managed. • Progress the development of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for the teams. Research and develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) measures and appropriate reporting dashboards to illustrate performance against targets • Ensure that all the teams comply with the Standing Orders and University’s financial regulations. Proactively manage the relationships with the embedded purchasing team and the teams to improve contractual management of suppliers and develop supply chain savings. • To be an advocate for Customer Service Excellence or any equivalent adopted by Estates Services and ensure that the levels of service provided by the teams continue to meet the standards required to meet and retain CSE Accreditation or equivalent.
Desirable selection criteria
• Experience in HE sector
• Experience of listed buildings
Essential Selection criteria
• Degree or equivalent qualification in Building Service Engineering, Architecture, Building Surveying, or other relevant professional discipline.
• An extensive track record in the design, management, operation, and maintenance of highly complex estates.
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Benefits of working at the University
Application Process
University employees enjoy 38 days’ paid holiday, generous pension schemes, travel discounts, and a variety of professional development opportunities. Our range of other employee benefits and discounts also includes free entry to the Botanic Gardens and University colleges, and discounts at University museums. See https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/staff-benefits Membership of the University Club is free for all University staff. The University Club offers social, sporting, and hospitality facilities. Staff can also use the University Sports Centre on Iffley Road at discounted rates, including a fitness centre, powerlifting room, and swimming pool. See www.club.ox.ac.uk and https://www.sport.ox.ac.uk/. If you are relocating to Oxfordshire from overseas or elsewhere in the UK, the University’s Welcome Service website includes practical information about settling in the area, including advice on relocation, accommodation, and local schools. See https://welcome.ox.ac.uk/ There is also a visa loan scheme to cover the costs of UK visa applications for staff and their dependents. See https://staffimmigration.admin.ox.ac.uk/visa- loan-scheme With one of the most generous family leave schemes in the Higher Education sector, and a range of flexible working options, Oxford aims to be a family-friendly employer. We also subscribe to the Work+Family Space, a service that provides practical advice and support for employees who have caring responsibilities. The service offers a free telephone advice line, and the ability to book emergency back- up care for children, adult dependents and elderly relatives. See https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/my-family- care
The University has excellent childcare services, including five University nurseries as well as University-supported places at many other private nurseries. For full details, including how to apply and the costs, see https://childcare.admin.ox.ac.uk/ We are committed to supporting members of staff with disabilities or long-term health conditions. For further details, including information about how to make contact, in confidence, with the University’s Staff Disability Advisor, see https://edu.admin.ox.ac.uk/disability-support The University has a number of staff networks including the Oxford Research Staff Society, BME staff network, LGBT+ staff network and a disabled staff network. You can find more information at https://edu.admin.ox.ac.uk/networks The University of Oxford Newcomers’ Club is an organisation run by volunteers that aims to assist the partners of new staff settle into Oxford, and provides them with an opportunity to meet people and make connections in the local area. See www.newcomers.ox.ac.uk.
The University is being supported on this recruitment campaign by the search consultancy The Management Recruitment Group (MRG). To arrange a confidential briefing conversation please contact our advisors Michael Hewlett or Matthew Giles. Applications should consist of a comprehensive CV (of not more than 4 pages) and a covering letter (of not more than 2 pages).
Applications should be sent to
Michael Hewlett michael.hewlett@mrgpeople.co.uk or Matthew Giles Matthew.Giles@mrgpeople.co.uk
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