Estates Manager

Salary: £62,500 per annum

Contractual hours: 37.5, Full Time

Closing Date: 24/6/25

United Learning is a large, and growing, group of schools aiming to offer a life changing education to children and young people across England. Central Office staff work closely with schools, offering a wealth of expertise to underpin schools' own knowledge.

Our specialist departments, including HR, finance, technology, strategy and performance, estates, and marketing, work alongside dedicated school improvement teams. By joining us, you will provide ongoing support to schools, ultimately improving the outcomes of our pupils.

The Role

To liaise with Heads, Business Managers and Facilities Managers to identify priorities and oversee estates capital investment and major maintenance plans for our Academy Schools in the North of England, including the allocation and monitoring of centrally provided funding and to ensure that schemes are briefed, designed, developed and built within strict budgetary constraints.

You are likely to be based within travelling distance of the majority of our Northern Schools. You will be home based, but office support will be available based in our London or Peterborough offices and you will work on site at Schools as necessary. You will work closely with the Schools and Central Office to provide effective oversight on the entire capital and maintenance programme of works across the schools.

About You

You will have a background in capital programme and facilities management, preferably from within an education environment. It is likely that you will be RICS, CIBSE, APM or RIBA qualified (or working towards qualification).

Responsibilities:

Your role will be a mix of early-stage planning and development work together with active management of projects on site. Amongst the key responsibilities will be:

• To manage the capital scheme programme in terms of time, cost and quality for the Northern Academies.
• To ensure that the school’s and United Learning’s project requirements are translated into coherent, achievable and agreed briefs.
• Advise on technical, pragmatic and practical solutions to end user requirements.
• Understand and interpret the implications of planning, building and listed building legislation.
• Liaise with the academies on all capital expenditure.
• Manage procurement processes for professional services, construction activities and equipment/goods to comply with Group procedures and procurement law.
• Check that all work has been properly planned and is in accordance with the 5-year plans.
• Visit each school to check on progress/completion of works.
• Liaise with external bodies for the deployment of Capital.
• Review existing maintenance procedures and records, developing plans and budgets for local management and central monitoring.
• Contribute to developing plans for new and expanding schools.
• Challenge the requirements, proposed solutions and methodologies to ensure innovative best fit and cost advantageous outcomes.
• Review and advise on the impact of evolving educational premises legislation. Represent and contribute to relevant interest or policy groups on behalf of United Learning where appropriate.

Rewards and Benefits:

• Competitive salary.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• 26 days holiday
• Occupational sick pay, protecting you and your family.
• Competitive maternity, paternity, and adoption benefits.
• Group Life Insurance Scheme
• Westfield Health cash plan and Extensive range of employee benefits for eligible staff
• Continuous Professional Development options that will be tailored to your needs.
• A supportive team across the country.
• We are open to requests for flexible or part-time working; and we encourage open and regular conversations about work-life balance.

Further information

We will consider applications on a rolling basis, and you are advised to apply as early as possible.

For a confidential discussion about this role or the process, please contact: [email protected]

United Learning is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All positions are subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and shortlisted candidates will be subject to an online check.

We always appoint on merit, and we are open to discussing flexible working options.