Birmingham Metropolitan College - Director of Estates

Welcome

Thank you for expressing an interesting in the Director of Estates position at BMet and I hope you find the information on this microsite helpful and informative. Introducing the College then, we are a large, multi-campus further education college, with a strong focus on raising aspirations and improving life chances for our c15,000 learners. We serve a diverse and vibrant community of students, with a mission to transform lives through education, skills, and training. We provide a broad range of courses that are closely aligned to industry, and we have developed partnerships with world leading employers and links with top universities. Our recent Ofsted outcome was ‘Good’, and we are in a financially secure position with a growing learner base. We are committed to improving the estate to enhance the learner experience and provide the very best facilities across our three main campuses, Matthew Boulton College, James Watt College and Sutton Coldfield College.

We are looking for someone who can provide strategic and operational leadership for the College’s estates and facilities functions and with our new five-year strategy, you’ll be instrumental in shaping the physical environment of our campuses, ensuring they are safe, sustainable, future-ready, and aligned with the college’s ambitions for growth, excellence, and inclusion.

We are looking for people with experience of leading estates and capital development across multi-site organisations and with the ability to give confidence to the board and bring credibility to leading a high performing team across a complex and diverse organisation.

I hope that you are excited by this opportunity to join such an impactful organisation but if you would like an informal and confidential conversation, please do get in touch with our advising consultants at Anderson Quigley, Sophie Rees (sophie.rees@andersonquigley.com) or Paul Aristides (paul.aristides@andersonquigley.com).

Pat Carvalho
CEO and Principal of BMet.

About BMet

BMet comprises four further and higher education colleges across the West Midlands, each with their own specialism and range of vocational, A-level and apprenticeship courses. Our mission is ‘Inspiring futures, realising dreams.’ and we are committed to providing the very best education with the biggest positive outcomes for all of our students and staff.

We are deeply committed to improving Birmingham and the Black Country’s economy and we’re determined to continually provide tailored and flexible learning opportunities that engage and up skill all of our local communities.

Our drive to continually improve the way we do things is rooted in the belief that further education is crucial to the future of the UK economy and our success as a nation relies on the very best education and the very best outcomes for all of our students. BMet. Inspiring futures, realising dreams.

Our 2024 – 2025 academic stats

11,672 learners
Young people aged 16-18 years: 5746
Adult learners: 4,716
Apprentices: 905
Higher Skills: 305
Over 16,000 qualifications awarded (based on predictions for 24/25)
Staff Employed: 692
Ofsted Rated: Good

Our 2025 Awards and Accolades:

NAMMS Student Services Awards – Inspirational project of the year – Student Commission for Racial Justice
NAMMS Student Services Awards – Newcomer of the Year – Francis Page
West Midlands Leadership Awards – Marketing leader of the year – Zoe Lee
FE First Awards – Events Management – Highly Commended
Training Provider of the year – Rail Engineering – Need to confirm awarding body
IT Digital at Matthew Boulton – Highly commended educator of the year – Need to confirm awarding body

Our Strategic Plan 2030

BMet 2030 sets out the strategy we have developed over the course of a year in collaboration with staff, students and stakeholders.

Our vision and values

Our Strapline

Inspiring Futures, Realising Dreams

Our Vision

We aim to provide excellent learning opportunities to serve the needs of Birmingham and the city region.

Our Values

We are passionate to see our students achieve their full potential.
We create an environment that is ready, respectful and safe.
We celebrate Equity , Diversity and Inclusion
We are inspired to continually develop our professional practice.
We are three colleges, one team.

Our strategic priorities

Our strategic priorities are to:

Be a significant contributor to skills development in Birmingham and the city region.
Provide a consistently high quality learning experience.
Equip our students for the future.
Be an inspiring place to work.
Have a strong financial base to invest in a sustainable future for the college.

Aspirational targets

To be a highly valued provider of choice by all stakeholders

View the full strategic plan here.

Our College Leadership Team

Our colleges

Our college locations offer the widest choice of courses in the Midlands including A-Levels, vocational courses (BTECs), apprenticeships, as well as full and part-time courses for adults including Access to Higher Education and university level study.

James Watt College

James Watt College, on Aldridge Road in Great Barr, is a centre of excellence for technical training and education. The college offers vocational courses (BTECs) for 16-19s, apprenticeships and trailblazers as well as full and part-time courses for adults including Access to Higher Education and university level study.

James Watt specialises in construction, engineering, games, media, health, social care and early years. The gas and electrical engineering workshops are the envy of many commercial operations.

James Watt College also offers a range of technical and support operations programmes for the rail industry, providing the technical and employability skills to be at the cutting edge of this exciting technological and growth sector.

Matthew Boulton College

Matthew Boulton College is an impressive eight storey building in the heart of Birmingham’s Learning Quarter in the city centre. The college is a short stroll away from Grand Central, New Street and the Bullring, with their shops, cafes and restaurants.

Offering vocational courses (BTECs) for 16-19s, full and part-time courses for adults including Access to Higher Education and university level study as well as apprenticeships and trailblazers for anyone over the age of 16. The college has a broad course offer and specialises in business and professional services, health and social care, dentistry, creative and digital, employability and ESOL.

Matthew Boulton is also a Career College offering courses designed by employers, for employment and is home to the Professional Services and Creative and Digital Academies with their unique links to the business and creative industries.

Sutton Coldfield College

Sutton Coldfield College is nestled among the many green spaces of north Birmingham. The multi-million pound site on Lichfield Road, just minutes from the train station and town centre with its shops, cafes and restaurants.

The college offers a broad range of A Levels, vocational courses (BTECs), professional courses, apprenticeships and trailblazers for anyone over the age of 16 and full and part-time courses for adults including Access to Higher Education and university level study.

Sutton Coldfield College specialises in art, performing arts, business and professional services, Computer Science and Esports, health and social care, sport, travel and tourism, uniformed services.

The role

Director of Estates (AQ3255)

Apply now

Director Of Estates

Reports to: Chief Financial Officer

Main Purpose

To provide strategic and operational leadership for the College’s Estates and Facilities functions, ensuring the delivery of safe, efficient, and sustainable learning and working environments. The postholder will lead the next phase of BMet’s Estates Strategy 2030, which includes the journey towards net-zero, implementation of the accessibility audit action plan, improved estate condition, and academic realignment.

The Director will oversee the development, maintenance, and optimisation of the College estate, encompassing capital development, compliance, health and safety, space utilisation, environmental performance, and service delivery.

Key Accountabilities:

Strategic Leadership

Lead the development and implementation of the College’s long-term Estates Strategy, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives, curriculum needs, and financial sustainability.
Drive the next phase of estates transformation in support of academic realignment, campus optimisation, and student experience improvement.

Capital and Project Delivery

Lead all capital projects related to the estate, from feasibility and business case development through to delivery, handover, and post-occupancy review.
Ensure projects meet funding body requirements (e.g. DfE/ESFA) are effectively procured and deliver value for money.

Sustainability and Carbon Reduction

Lead the delivery of environmental and carbon reduction priorities, embedding sustainability across capital, operational and behavioural practices.
Oversee delivery of energy efficiency measures, decarbonisation initiatives and the College’s Net Zero objectives.

Compliance and Risk Management

Ensure statutory and best-practice compliance across all estates-related matters including fire safety, asbestos, legionella, and building safety.
Contribute to the College’s organisational risk register, ensuring estates-related risks are identified, mitigated, and reported.
Maintain oversight of statutory compliance registers and ensure audit readiness.

Health, Safety and Wellbeing

Provide leadership of the College’s health and safety strategy, policy framework and operational practice.
Oversee business continuity, crisis management and emergency response procedures.

Facilities and Soft FM

Lead the delivery of high-quality facilities services including cleaning, catering, and campus safety (security), ensuring a professional, service-led approach across all sites.
Manage supplier and contract performance in outsourced service areas.

Operational Estates Management

Ensure the effective management of maintenance, space utilisation, condition improvement and asset management.
Embed a proactive, planned maintenance regime alongside responsive repair services.

Stakeholder Experience

Promote inclusive design, accessibility and wellbeing in all aspects of estate planning and operation.
Champion a positive experience for students, staff and visitors, using estates as a driver of satisfaction and engagement.

Leadership and Management

Lead and develop the Estates, Health & Safety, and Campus Safety teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture.
Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in all activities.
Commit to, promote and operate in accordance with BMet’s values and goals including but not limited to: safeguarding; health and safety; diversity and inclusion, anti-racism, trauma informed practice and High Performing Teams.
Commit to and participate in college-wide activities as required including but not limited to: enrolment; open events; development.

This list of duties is not exhaustive and outlines the main features of the post at appointment and may vary as the job evolves.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications

Educated to degree level or able to demonstrate equivalent professional experience.
Relevant professional qualification in estates/facilities management preferred (e.g. IWFM, RICS, CIOB).
Health & Safety qualification (e.g. NEBOSH) or willing to work towards.

Experience

Proven leadership of estates and capital development across a large, multi-site organisation.
Experience of leading estates functions in the education, public or commercial sectors.
Successful track record of managing capital programmes and operational estates services.
Demonstrable experience of delivering energy reduction, sustainability or carbon management strategies.
Strong working knowledge of estates-related compliance and risk management frameworks.
Experience of managing outsourced contracts and service providers.
Strategic understanding of how estates support teaching, learning and organisational performance.

Competencies

Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence at senior and Board level.
Data-literate and able to use evidence to inform estates decisions and reporting.
Collaborative and inclusive leadership style.
Ability to manage competing priorities across strategic and operational domains.
Strong financial and commercial acumen.
Commitment to continuous improvement and professional excellence.Personal credibility, integrity, and high ethical standards.
Evidence of the behaviours which underpin High Performing Teams:
- Empathetic
- Professional
- Collaborative
- Purposeful / proactive
- Accountable / responsible
- Clear / open / honest / transparent
- Supportive / encouraging / understanding
- Self-aware / reflective
- Flexible / adaptable
- Taking the initiative

Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to BMet’s vetting checks policy which includes an enhanced disclosure and barring services (DBS) check.

Apply now

Terms of appointment

c£75,000
35 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays
37 hours working week
Agile working
LGPS membership

How to apply

Anderson Quigley is acting as an advisor to the College; an executive search process is being carried out by Anderson Quigley in addition to the public advertisement.

The closing date for applications is noon on 7 July 2025.

Applications should consist of:

A full CV.
A covering letter (maximum of two pages) outlining your motivations to apply for this role, your relevant experience and how you meet the criteria of the person specification.
Please include details of two referees on your CV, though please note that we will not approach your referees without your prior consent and only should you be shortlisted.

Should you wish to discuss the role in strict confidence, please get in touch with Paul Aristides at paul.aristides@andersonquigley.com or Sophie Rees at sophie.rees@andersonquigley.com or +44 (0)7719 313 982

Timetable

Closing date	7 July
Longlist meeting	11 July
AQ Preliminary interviews	14 - 18 July
Shortlist meeting	21 July
Final Panel interviews	28 July - At the Matthew Boulton Campus

Appointment of the Director of Estates