Estates & Site Services Manager

Queen Marys College is seeking to appoint a dynamic problem-solving suitably qualified and experienced individual as Head of Estates and Site Services. Having won the Best Place to Work award in 2025 we are proud of the employee experience we offer. The site is set on a beautiful multi-use area in the heart of Basingstoke covering approximately 23 acres. Its educational facilities range from state-of-the art teaching facilities built in the last few years to buildings that were original to the Shrubbery School first established in the 1950s. The College operates a commercial theatre; Central Studio and Sports Centre. We also attract room bookings/lettings from a vast range of users from the local community and further afield. The college site is open seven days a week for most the year and usually operates from 5.30am through to midnight but on occasion later. Over the last few years through having attracted grants and additional funding we have spent over 22 million in updating improving and maintaining our site therefore understandably we are extremely proud of Queen Marys College Campus.

The ideal applicant for this role is someone who can demonstrate a willingness to find workable practical and financially viable solutions. Working in this environment requires thinking on your feet good organisation skills clear and strong communication approaches a positive can-do attitude a good and appropriate sense of humour and the ability to work flexibly. The suitable applicant is a person who can work as part of a team and enthuse others around them to complete tasks and deliver excellent customer service. They will be someone who understands the crucial role that premises plays in a young persons experience of education as well that of staff and external users. We are looking for someone who can demonstrate a strong track record of professionalism and experience in this field.

Purpose of Job:

To maintain and improve the Colleges built environment equipment services and grounds in the short medium and longer-term and advise leadership regarding priorities and business continuity essentials.

To lead in Health & Safety and ensure compliance with best practice and statutory requirements and act as the Competent Person.

To ensure a safe and secure site.

To lead by example and be a fully contributing member of the site services security and cleaning teams.

Accountable to: Head of Commercial Operations

Line Responsibility: Site services comprising maintenance grounds security caretaking (including out of hours) and cleaning team.

Key Outcomes:

To keep the Senior Leadership Team fully informed regarding all areas of responsibility.

To ensure the College site is safe appropriate clean and pleasant for all users.

To lead a motivated engaged and effective site services team.

To act as the College Health & Safety Officer to ensure that all practices and procedures are conducted in a way that meets all the relevant requirements for the wellbeing of all.

To ensure full support and encouragement for all external income generation projects undertaken by the College particularly those relating to weekend caretaking the Sports Centre and Central Studio.

To ensure full compliance with the Colleges financial regulations ensuring effective budget management and best value/quality from contractors and service providers.

To attend and actively participate in Operational Support Services Group meetings weekly to exchange information with regards to college needs and events planning and support

Specific Responsibilities:

Personal and line management:

To co-ordinate detailed tasks carried out by self and other members of the site service teams using a ticketing system.

To co-ordinate caretaking rotas (including weekend and evening rotas) site security and maintenance

To ensure quality standards are identified agreed and maintained.

To exercise key holder and call out responsibilities.

To carry out routine replacement repairs and maintenance.

To contribute to setting of and adherence to budgets.

To ensure appropriate training is assigned and carried out by all members of the site services team with particular emphasis on safeguarding and legislative compliance.

Liaison with suppliers and contractors:

To identify select audit manage and liaise with external contractors for planned as well as emergency responses.

To obtain quotations from approved contractors and recommend course of action.

To supervise all maintenance contracts ensure compliance manage deviations.

To keep records of requests for work and monitor work carried out.

Health & safety and emergency procedures:

To act as the site Health & Safety Officer (ideally NEBOSH trained).

To take a leading role in the Colleges emergency procedures including maintaining and developing policies and procedures using lessons learned from regular practices.

To ensure all major projects and routine works carried out on site are planned executed and maintained in line with best practice with safety paramount.

To ensure that the procedures for the maintenance of minibuses as required by legislation lease agreements and QMC practices are adhered to.

To ensure the procedures concerning traffic on site arrangements are adhered to and that the roads and external circulation areas are safe properly maintained and regularly monitored.

To review all Site Services department risk assessments and remind Department heads to review risk assessments at least annually.

Site management:

To maintain and further develop the existing planned maintenance programme agreed at a strategic level in the College through approved contractors or the onsite team as appropriate.

To deliver changes that have been agreed at a strategic level to the site and built environment in the College ensure all building legislation is complied with.

To ensure that heating systems function effectively and are regularly maintained.

To carry out any other duties that may be reasonably required within the scope of the post.

Grounds management:

To co-ordinate grounds maintenance.

To ensure the external spaces are well maintained and safe.

To implement suitable maintenance schedules to secure the playing quality of grass 3G and astro-pitch surfaces.

Person Specification:

The person appointed will be able to demonstrate some or all of the following:

Experience:

Knowledge of estates management the built environment grounds security roads and parking (essential)

Awareness of health and safety issues (ideally NEBOSH qualified or willing to train for this qualification) (essential)

Experience and/or qualifications within the building or allied trades (desirable)

Experience in maintaining a vehicle fleet (desirable)

First aid qualified/or willing to train (desirable)

Personal Qualities/Leadership:

Experience of team working and leadership/management

Ability to take responsibility and show initiative whilst working flexibly under own initiative as well as working as part of a team

Excellent verbal communication skills

Effective and responsible decision making

Well organised with efficient time management skills

An awareness of the issues potential conflicts and pressures that exist in maintaining a site that is fit foremost for its educational purpose and in addition its income generation areas

Good administrative skills (written record-keeping budgeting)

Excellent customer service standards

The post holder should expect the job to involve a level of first hand physical and hands-on involvement. The post holder and team members will regularly work outdoors and will sometimes be exposed to a range of weather conditions in doing so.

For further information please see the job description.