Regional Head of Estates

Dukes Education  

Dukes Education is a family of nurseries, schools, and colleges across the United Kingdom. In conjunction with our schools, we offer an array of complementary education offerings including day camps, summer schools, and university application consultancies. In doing so, we create a wrap-around experience for every family that joins us, not just in school time, but beyond the classroom as well. 

Within the Dukes Education family, we foster a small, tightly knit community. We carefully curate this community to ensure harmony among our teams. This is why we place such an emphasis on our values. Being part of the Dukes family means we can all come together to share experience and expertise, supporting each other to achieve the extraordinary. We bring people together from diverse educational backgrounds, facilitating mutual learning and growth.

Our schools and nurseries 

While our schools have different characters, they are all examples of outstanding quality in their fields. For instance, Cardiff Sixth Form College is unmatched in the world for A-level results. Hampstead Fine Arts College is widely considered as London’s leading Art school. The value add in many of our schools is outstanding. For example, Rochester Independent College achieved a ranking in the Top 2% among schools in England, while Earlscliffe secured fifth place among independent schools in Kent. When considering GSCEs, Sancton Wood’s GCSE cohort achieved an impressive 100% for grades 4-9, while 50% of these results were awarded grades 7, 8, and 9 (the equivalent of the old A and above). These are just a few examples of the high calibre of our member schools. 

Our values

At Dukes Education, our values are the common thread that weaves through our family. They help us to steer through the daily challenges of the classroom and stick to what is important. All our students, teachers, and parents are different, but sharing these values binds us together and makes us stronger. 

We lead with the heart 

In our family, no-one understands their school better than the Principal or Head who runs it. And no-one cares more about it than they do. That is why we entrust them with leading on every decision, preserving the individual character and ethos of their schools. We look for leaders who are still children at heart; people who love the fun — as well as the fundamentals — of the classroom. These are the people who shaped the direction of Dukes from the very beginning and continue to shape it to this day. We do our very best to look after these people, because we know they are the most important asset we have. 

We’re a team 

Individually, we can achieve amazing things, but together we become extraordinary. While each of our schools is independent, they draw strength from being part of a family that shares resources and expertise. The best teams are made up of autonomous individuals. In our management structure, there are no more than four levels from our board of directors to the most junior members of our team. This ensures that everyone understands their role in the bigger picture, granting them the freedom and flexibility to act quickly, and make decisions for their school. 

We do it well

We recognise that to inspire excellence in young learners, we must first achieve excellence in everything we do. To accomplish this, we collaborate closely with regulatory authorities and inspection bodies to ensure everyone in the Dukes family delivers the highest possible standards. Furthermore, the Dukes Education Advisory Board convenes regularly to discuss recent and future developments across the group. Their expert support and guidance not only assists us in adhering to best–practices, it also encourages us to set newer, higher standards for all. 

We love learning

We firmly believe that education should be exciting at any stage, whether you’re just starting school, or leading one. Therefore, we are driven to instil our lifelong love of learning in our students through teaching within the classroom and our initiatives beyond its walls. We also offer extensive staff training, leadership and management programmes, so our teachers can continue their education too.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Overview  

As Regional Head of Estates, you will be primarily responsible to the Group Property Director and Regional Managing Director(s) for ensuring the effective operation, maintenance, and compliant management of the business’ growing property portfolio. The post will play a key supporting role in the planning and delivery of school capital investment projects and the implementation of standardised Group estates policy and procedures. The role demands an ability to build strong relationships with individual school leaders, external stakeholders, divisional management teams and group headquarters; while delivering positive outcomes at the local, regional, and international level. 

Main duties and responsibilities

Maintaining the estate

• Implement and review school maintenance plans in accordance with policy.  
• Ensure valuation surveys / condition survey findings are incorporated into school maintenance plans. 
• Conduct routine visits and inspections of school sites in accordance with policy.  
• Review, draft, and tender soft and hard FM contracts as required.  
• Act as the SME for the more sophisticated mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems and services across the portfolio, including alarms, air-conditioning, water heating, lighting controls and building energy management systems (BEMS).  
• Ensure a transparent and competitive tender process for external service suppliers in accordance with policy.  
• Establish and manage effective Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for facilities maintenance management.  
• Support schools with the planning of facilities maintenance budgets.  
• Establish effective procedures for managing energy efficiency, energy security and monitoring utilities.  

Capital investment planning and project management 

• Implement and review school 5 Year Infrastructure Development Plans in accordance with policy.  
• Ensure valuation surveys / condition survey findings are incorporated into school Infrastructure Development Plans. 
• Support all Principals / Heads to review and manage their annual capacity analysis survey in accordance with policy.  
• Support all Heads and Managing Directors to draft project proposals.  
• Project manage capital investment projects for the purpose of ensuring completion within established time frames, project design, qualityquality, and budget.  

Property health and safety / regulatory compliance 

• As part of the Central Team Working Group take the lead on Property H&S / Regulatory Compliance across all settings. 
• In conjunction with the Group H&S and Compliance Directors, ensure policies and procedures reflect local and regional compliance requirements.  
• Responsible for commissioning risk assessments relating to the physical infrastructure and ensure necessary actions are implemented. 
• As part of the Central Team Working Group research and implement safe systems of work across all settings. 
• Manage the core compliance service, monitoring KPIs and escalating performance issues. 
• Ensure that schools are periodically audited to ensure local legal compliance and compliance with policies and application notes. Use appropriate technology to enhance the efficiency of the audit process.  
• Review any facility related H&S issues arising in settings, provide guidance and propose solutions as necessary. Provide follow up training and support where required.  
• Ensure that policies and application notes are updated for changes in local laws and regulations. 
• Set up Regional Working Groups for H&S and Regulatory Compliance to share and implement best practice and ideas across settings. 
• Liaise with the Group H&S and Compliance Directors as necessary. 

Lead and support staff 

• Provide leadership, direction, and guidance to in-house setting facilities staff and external contractors / suppliers.  
• Support appraisal processes as required.  
• Assist in supporting the recruiting process by, drafting job descriptions, conducting interviews, and appointing staff as required. 
• Through dynamic leadership ensure that best practice is shared between schools.  
• Establish training requirements for in-house setting facilities staff. 

Support and advise 

• Report to and guide ExComs, Governor’s meetings and other corporate and public groups as required.  
• Support and advise School Principals / Heads, Bursars / Business Manager and Estate staff in delivering world class facilities management and capital investment projects.  
• Ensure Group Estates policy, process and procedures are implemented across all settings.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Skills and experience

• Professionally qualification in Facility Management/Asset Management or the built environment.  
• Health and Safety qualification.  
• Extensive Facilities/Estates Management experience, preferably in a multi-site environment.  
• Capital Project Management experience. 
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).  
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships at all levels of the organisation and influence key stakeholders.  
• A methodical, highly organised approach to the execution of assigned tasks and responsibilities. 
• Attention to detail, strong writing, interpersonal and communication skills.  
• Positive, proactive, passionate, personable, results orientated, ambitious professional who is keen to progress within a global organization.  
• Cross-functional teamwork experience and ability to work in a matrix organisation.   
• Diplomacy and consensus building skills to establish trust and credibility.  
• Capacity to take initiative and solve problems with minimal supervision.  

The closing date for applications is noon, Monday 18 December 2023.