Deputy Head of Estates

Job Overview

This is a key leadership position within the Estates team, responsible for shaping long‑term strategic plans, monitoring performance and driving continuous service improvement across the department. The post holder will provide oversight and leadership for the Maintenance Team, ensuring the effective development, capacity, wellbeing and quality of the service.

You will lead and mentor all Estates personnel, supporting the efficient delivery of day‑to‑day operations while maintaining a strong focus on quality and compliance. Working collaboratively with other Estates and Facilities Managers, you will help ensure the Trust meets all regulatory requirements, including compliance with CQC essential quality and safety standards, while also supporting financial and operational objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead on the assurance of all statutory and regulatory requirements, including HTMs, ensuring the Trust’s infrastructure remains safe, compliant and operational.
• Oversee critical compliance areas such as water safety, ventilation, building fabric, electrical systems and other essential estates functions.

Work closely with the team to manage contractors, procurement processes, appointments and associated documentation to ensure robust oversight and coordination.

Provide visible leadership and support to the Maintenance Team, fostering a positive culture focused on professionalism, development and wellbeing.

Collaborate with Estates and Facilities colleagues to strengthen governance, performance and service delivery.

Deputise for the Assistant Director of Estates as required, contributing to strategic planning and senior decision‑making.

Main duties of the job

In this senior leadership role, you will provide strategic and operational direction for the Estates service, ensuring high‑quality, compliant and patient‑focused delivery across the Trust.

Leadership

You will lead the Operational Estates Team, driving the business planning process and empowering a diverse team of managers. You will champion a positive leadership culture, supporting development, accountability and high performance. A key element of the role is ensuring the Trust’s systems and infrastructure remain fully compliant and fit for purpose.

Management

You will oversee the effective recruitment, selection and development of staff, ensuring HR policies are applied consistently. The role also includes managing complex employee relations matters and supporting investigations to enable organisational learning and continuous improvement.

Financial Management

You will hold budgetary responsibility for Estates services, ensuring financial policies are adhered to and identifying opportunities for cost efficiencies and annual savings without compromising quality or compliance.

Health, Safety and Risk

Ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of the Estates team is central to the role. You will lead on the development, implementation and monitoring of Health and Safety policies, ensure full compliance with legislation, and maintain oversight of the Estates Risk Register.

Patient And Staff Experience

You will drive improvements to Estates services based on feedback, ensuring patient and staff voices inform service planning. Strong communication will be essential to respond effectively to customer needs and ensure a positive experience for all.

Compliance

You will ensure full compliance with relevant regulations and national guidance, including HTMs and CQC requirements. You will also lead the development and review of Estates policies to support robust governance.

Collaboration

Working in partnership with Estates & Facilities colleagues, clinical teams and external agencies, you will support coordinated service delivery. You will also contribute to emergency preparedness and incident response as required.

Innovation and Quality Improvement

You will foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement across the division, leading quality improvement initiatives and encouraging proactive, solution‑focused problem‑solving within the team.

Working for our organisation

At the RUH we put people at the heart of what we do, working together as one team to make a difference for our patients, each other, and our community. No matter what your role is, we value everyone’s contribution in supporting the exceptional, person-centred care we pride ourselves on.

We are proud to be in the top 20 best hospitals to work for in the country.

We are committed to creating a compassionate and inclusive environment. This can be seen in our growing community of staff networks – celebrating successes and creating opportunities to listen and learn. We value our differences, champion kindness and civility, and truly believe that diversity makes us stronger.

A culture of learning, developing and innovating is the thread that runs throughout our whole organisation. We want to support you to thrive, taking your career to its full potential.

We value staff wellbeing, with a well-established programme of support. We believe in a holistic approach spanning all aspects of living a healthy life, including physical, emotional, spiritual and financial wellbeing. We’ve even got a pool!

We are committed to supporting you and hope you want to join our team. In the meantime, find out more about living and working the beautiful historic city of Bath, learn about our extensive package of staff benefits, and read about how we’re providing healthcare fit for the future with the landmark Dyson Cancer Centre and our passion for research.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Please find attached to the vacancy a detailed person specification and job description for further information about this role.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Degree and specialist training to masters level?
• Management Qualification
• evidence of CPD

NEBOSH General Cert

member of professional body

Desirable criteria

• NHS Facility Services Management Training Programme Certificate
• Food Safety Level 4
• Internal quality auditor qualification
  
  

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• leadership and Senior Management Experience
• Facilities management within the NHS or similar large organisation
• Health and Safety Experience
  
  

Desirable criteria

• project management experience
• business planning experience
  
  

Please note - Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered unless an alternative right to work solution can be provided. Candidates requiring sponsorship (or will need sponsorship at the end of a current visa e.g. those with graduate visa's) should review the eligibility criteria on the gov.uk website before applying: Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

• JD (PDF, 384.4KB)

Join the RUH (PDF, 1.1MB)

Further details / informal visits contact

Name Neil Flint Job title Associate Director of Estates Email address neil.flint@nhs.net Telephone number 07956428979 Additional information

Please send your expressions of interest to be considered for an interview