Governance and Contract Management • Proven influencing and inclusive communication skills positively representing the University’s commercial interests with customers, clients, partners, and stakeholders. • Provide strategic oversight of all estates contracts to ensure value for money, legal compliance, and performance, working in partnership with contract leads. Financial Oversight and Commercial Performance • Work in close partnership with the university’s Procurement team to implement robust governance, contract monitoring, and risk mitigation frameworks. • Ensure effective accommodation contract management, occupancy planning, regulatory compliance, and service quality. Stakeholder and Cross-University Engagement • Develop and maintain an effective commercial reporting system to monitor income, expenditure, and profitability, working with our Finance Business Partner. • Provide regular financial and operational updates to the University Leadership Board, Chief Transformation and Resources Officer, Director of Estates and wider estates directorate. • Identify and mitigate commercial risks through planning, due diligence, and alignment with the university’s broader risk framework.
whilst mitigating risk.
• Develop commercial relationships with suppliers and partners to ensure that the University is well positioned to exploit current and emerging commercial opportunities. Ensure that the University obtains maximum value from its key suppliers and partners. • Collaborate with the Associate Director of Campus Services and Capital Project Officers to ensure commercial planning is integrated with space allocation, development projects, estate usage, and income-generating activities. • Manage and maintain estates commercial income budgets, catering, conferencing, retail, sport and leisure, accommodation, and car parking. • Manage and maintain the operating budgets for accommodation, catering, retail, conferencing, sport and leisure facilities. Operational Oversight • Lead the operational management of estates commercial functions, including accommodation, catering, retail,
Job Description
Job title: Associate Director of Commercial Services Faculty/Directorate: Estates & Facilities Directorate Grade: PSS5 Role profile: Senior Salaried Full time Permanent
conferencing, and sport and leisure facilities. In provision of services to
students ensure high standards of service delivery, continuous improvement, and alignment with the student experience and academic mission. • Provide strategic oversight for the university’s accommodation services provision, including university-managed and nominated halls • Oversee the promotion and commercial utilisation of university facilities, working collaboratively with strategic leads across faculties, professional services, the Students’ Union, and the Events and Marketing teams. • An innovative, commercial and entrepreneurial thinker able to identify new and appropriate revenue opportunities. • Commercial acumen with the skill to shape investment decisions.
Overall purpose of the role The AD of Commercial Services provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of the university’s estates commercial portfolio, driving commercial value with targeted growth in revenue and surplus for the University in support of the University’s strategic ambitions. This includes developing and delivering a university-wide commercial strategy aligned with institutional priorities and the Estates Masterplan, maximising income generation, ensuring the efficient delivery of high-quality services, and maintaining a strong focus on student and academic experience. The post holder will act as the university’s lead advisor on all estate’s commercial matters, overseeing accommodation, catering, retail, conferencing, sport and leisure facilities and car parking while driving innovation, financial resilience and sustainability.
The post holder will act as the principal adviser on these matters to the Vice Chancellor, Chief Transformation and Resources Officer, Director of Estates, and to the University Leadership Board and Board of Governors. Commercial Strategy and Planning • Create and lead the implementation of a university-wide estates commercial
strategy aligned with the Estates Masterplan and broader university
strategic priorities, focused on income diversification and long-term financial sustainability. • Fostering an entrepreneurial approach identify, launch, and manage a portfolio of estates commercial activities (e.g., accommodation, catering, conferencing, retail, sport and leisure, car parking) that generate sustainable and profitable revenue beyond tuition fees and grants,
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