Head of Estates & Facilities

Location: Colchester Area
Salary: £54,000
Contract: 4–5 Months (with potential for extension or permanent opportunity)
Hours: Full-Time – 37.5 Hours per Week
Start Date: Immediate Start Required

An established and highly respected organisation is seeking an experienced Head of Estates & Facilities to lead the strategic and operational management of a diverse multi-site property portfolio across the region.

This is a senior leadership role responsible for ensuring all facilities are safe, compliant, efficient, and aligned with organisational objectives, while supporting both operational excellence and long-term growth.

The Role

Reporting into the senior leadership team, the successful candidate will oversee a varied estate portfolio including healthcare, retail, office, and operational sites. You will lead estates strategy, facilities operations, capital projects, health & safety, sustainability initiatives, and asset management across the organisation.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the Estates & Facilities function across multiple sites
• Managing maintenance, catering, health & safety, and facilities teams
• Overseeing refurbishment projects, property transactions, and capital developments
• Ensuring compliance with all statutory, regulatory, and health & safety requirements
• Developing long-term estate and asset management strategies
• Driving sustainability and environmental initiatives
• Managing budgets, KPIs, contractors, and supplier relationships
• Supporting business continuity and risk management planning
• Promoting a positive, high-performing team culture

About You

We are looking for an experienced estates and facilities professional with strong leadership skills and a proactive, solutions-focused approach.

You will ideally have:

• Previous experience within estates and facilities management
• Experience leading health & safety and compliance functions
• Strong project management and organisational skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities
• Experience managing multi-site operations
• Knowledge of building maintenance, condition reporting, and asset management
• The ability to lead teams effectively and drive continuous improvement
• A flexible and hands-on approach

Desirable:

• Professional membership within Estates, Facilities, or Health & Safety disciplines (e.g. IWFM, IOSH, RICS)
• Experience within healthcare or regulated environments
• Project management qualification

Additional Information

• Immediate start required – unfortunately, candidates on a notice period cannot be considered
• Potential for the role to become permanent
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle required due to multi-site responsibilities