The client is seeking to appoint a Director of Estates & Commercial Services, a pivotal strategic leadership role and a member of the University Leadership Team. This position will lead the planning, stewardship, development, and commercial leadership of the client’s estate and campus services, ensuring the physical environment, infrastructure, property interests, and campus operations enable delivery of its academic mission, research ambition, student experience, financial sustainability, and long-term strategic development.
In addition to stewardship of the core academic estate, the Director will support effective management and optimisation of the commercial value of the client’s property, subsidiaries, and related campus assets and services. The role typically covers strategic leadership for a large and complex estate, including oversight of operational and development planning, and the stewardship of buildings, grounds, and campus services to support institutional priorities.
The successful candidate will bring substantial senior leadership experience in a large, complex estate, campus, infrastructure, property, or facilities environment, operating at strategic organisational level. They will demonstrate strong commercial acumen, including identifying and overseeing commercial or revenue-generating opportunities, alongside proven financial stewardship, budget management, business case development, procurement oversight, and value-for-money decision-making within a regulated or publicly accountable setting. Experience delivering sustainability and environmental initiatives (such as energy management, decarbonisation, climate action, biodiversity, or conservation programmes) is expected, as is strong digital and data literacy, with experience using systems and management information to drive decision-making; experience with smart/integrated asset management approaches may be advantageous.