Head of Estates

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Whilst not exhaustive, the following duties represent an indication of the key duties and responsibilities expected of the post holder.

Strategy & Planning Related

The post holder will:

• Take the lead on shaping the future provision of estates services at Atlas. This will include the strategic development of services to ensure they are high quality, progressive, responsive to internal and external demand and fully support the strategic direction of the company and the future operational needs of the service delivery contracts.
• Be responsible for the development and implementation of the on-going long term Atlas Estates Strategy and the associated delivery plan, ensuring that any related financial and estates management resources are correctly planned and prioritised.
• Use technical and professional building and engineering expertise advice, as necessary, to support the reconfiguration and integration of various services associated with the overall Atlas Estates Strategy.
• Support the company’s annual business planning process, including the production of appropriate estate plans, which should be flexible where possible, to allow for any potential adjustments, that may be required, to meet the changing needs of the service.
• Liaise with Senior Leadership Team (SLT) colleagues to ensure that any estates management implications, arising from business plans developed within other services, are identified and where necessary, appropriately resourced.
• Research and develop the latest estate management strategies and practices and where appropriate, implement new methods of working throughout the Company, in order to obtain the optimum return on resources.
• Ensure full liaison is undertaken with colleagues from the capital and property teams to effectively manage the interface between operational, building and engineering matters and all developments regarding capital investment projects.
• Ensure, that all minor building and engineering projects are procured, designed, and managed to comply with all Atlas Standing Orders, relevant health and Safety Guidelines, other statutes, acts, Institute guidelines, industry legislation and any related NHS guidance information.
• Take responsibility to ensure that pre and post tender documentation is evaluated using analytical specialist knowledge and criteria to interpret project submission in accordance with Atlas procedures. Maintain an historic information data base to evaluate and maintain an appropriate approved list of specialist, and non - specialist contractors.
• Plan and deliver, through the senior estates management teams in both the acute and community services, the active management of all aspects of Hard Services, making optimal use of the resources available.
• Evaluate any customer performance review reports received, relating to estates issues and where appropriate, formulate and implement action plans to improve service provision.
• Have overall responsibility for ensuring that estates division business continuity contingency plans and emergency procedures, for use in the case of estates service loss, in respect of all operational functions, are developed and available for implementation if required. In addition, ensure that all related plans are communicated to and fully understood by all estates staff.
• Contribute to and occasionally lead, on the development of selected policies and strategies in a multidisciplinary estates environment, recognising the complex integration with other departmental policies.
• Ensure that sustainable development is properly considered in all estate related decisions and liaise with the Atlas Energy Officer / Manager as appropriate.
• Have overall responsibility for the production of management plans to ensure that all areas of the estate are of an acceptable standard, utilising audits and condition surveys to support the development of a 5 year backlog maintenance strategy.
• Ensure that a robust and structured Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) programme is developed following close liaison with clients and is effectively implemented.
• Liaise with property services colleagues, service Leads and other key stakeholders for the purposes of sharing information regarding the optimum use of and any potential rationalisation of, the estate.
• Develop and present business cases where appropriate and ensure that such schemes and projects are adequately funded and resourced
• Lead the provision of a comprehensive operational risk approach, ultimately responsible for estates risk register, review, update, forward planning and reporting

Performance & Delivery

The post holder will be expected to:

• Have overall responsibility to ensure that professional standards of service delivery, workmanship and production are maintained at all times and that all estates building and engineering services are delivered in accordance with national standards, mandatory controls and regulations, the estates strategy and related policies and procedures.
• To be responsible for dealing with all estate related emergencies which may occur and for the activation and escalation of the Atlas ‘Estates Emergency Plan’, whilst operating and being part of a ‘On-Call’ system.
• Have overall responsibility for direct multidisciplinary engineering trades and contractors and specialist contractors undertaking a variety of complex and highly complex work in the estates environment. Ensure all work is appropriately planned, prioritised, sequenced and executed to the agreed programme and standard and delivered within budget.
• Ensure that any contractual disputes are managed during service / project procurement and monitor contractual performances in line with associated programmes, specification or other agreed schedules.
• Manage and chair meetings as appropriate, ensuring minutes / meeting notes and associated action plans are produced to record the progress and development of general estates, capital and ‘task and finish ‘group projects.
• Have overall management responsibility for all levels of estates staff, including the resolution of disciplinary and grievance matters when required.
• Support property and capital colleagues as appropriate to ensure the smooth delivery of projects.
• Have overall responsibility for the management of both the acute and community estates and engineering workforce and for ensuring that workload is prioritised and delivered to both fulfil statutory requirements and to meet the client’s needs.
• Participate in the Atlas's ‘On Call’ rota for out of hours estates management. Providing cover for service continuity in the event of breakdowns, essential service failures, fire and floods or estates related issues and ensuring that the ‘Estates Emergency Plan’ is implemented where appropriate. Including, acting as lead manager in the event of a major incident.
• Have overall responsibility at site level for the professional and technical management of highly specialised areas of estate management including electrical installations, medical gasses, critical patient support systems, sterilisers & washer disinfectors, fire safety, water safety, steam, drainage, theatre equipment, ventilation and lifts etc.

In addition, provide permit-to work expertise in several hazardous areas such as medical gases, electricity regulations, natural gas regulations, ladder access and others

• Have overall responsibility for the management of hard FM contracts, both internal and external, in addition to all levels of directly employed staff, to ensure the effective delivery of operational estates services.
• Act as the senior professional, with Company wide responsibility, for the oversight of the Atlas estate responsibilities in terms of reactive maintenance, backlog maintenance, refurbishments and general estate management and ensure that all required maintenance programmes, including CAT B plans are in place and safely delivered.
• Take a lead role in negotiating appropriate estates related contracts.