Director of Development & Estates

Director of Development & Estates

£83,615.00 - £90,960.00 per annum including London Weighting Allowance

Who we are

United Colleges Group provides education to over 11,000 learners a year, including 16–18-year-olds, adults, apprentices, and students with high needs, across our five campuses and two colleges; City of Westminster College and College of North West London. The Cockpit Theatre also forms part of the Group.

With an annual turnover of over £50m, we are one of the top 20 largest college groups in the UK. We offer education and training in almost all vocational areas at a variety of levels for a wide range of learners of all ages and starting points.

Our mission is to provide all our learners with the very best knowledge and to break down any barriers to learning. We pride ourselves on enabling our learners to meet their individual needs and aspirations and we deliver a learning experience that is unique, enjoyable and rewarding.

The Role

This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for shaping, developing and delivering the College’s Estates Strategy, major capital programme and wider estates and facilities services. You will ensure the College’s estate is safe, compliant, sustainable and aligned to current and future curriculum delivery, providing an outstanding environment for both learners and staff.

You will lead the planning and delivery of complex, large-scale capital projects, taking responsibility for the full project lifecycle from feasibility and business case development through to procurement, delivery, handover and post-project evaluation. This includes ensuring robust governance arrangements, effective risk management, and clear reporting to the Executive and Board.

Working closely with the CEO, CFO and wider Strategic Leadership Team, you will align estates development with organisational priorities, including curriculum growth, student experience and financial sustainability. You will play a key role in long-term estate planning, leading condition surveys, feasibility studies and investment decisions to ensure the estate remains fit for purpose and able to respond to changing educational and operational needs.

The role also involves oversight of estates, facilities, health and safety and project management functions, ensuring that systems, infrastructure and processes are efficient, compliant and continuously improving. You will embed a culture of innovation and high performance across estates services, identifying opportunities to enhance sustainability, improve utilisation of space and develop income-generating activity where appropriate.

You will be responsible for managing significant capital and revenue budgets, ensuring strong financial control, value for money and effective procurement and contract management. You will also oversee outsourced services and supplier relationships, ensuring high standards of performance and delivery.

Externally, you will act as a key ambassador for the College, building and maintaining strong relationships with local authorities, funding bodies, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders to support investment, partnership working and the successful delivery of estates initiatives.

About you

You will be an experienced and credible senior leader with a strong track record of delivering large-scale estates and capital programmes, ideally within further education, public sector or similarly complex multi-site environments.

You will bring significant experience of strategic estates planning, construction project delivery and facilities management, with a thorough understanding of procurement regulations, contract management, risk management and health and safety compliance. You will be confident overseeing complex programmes with multiple stakeholders, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget and to the highest standards.

You will have experience of leading and developing multi-disciplinary teams, including estates, facilities and project management professionals, as well as managing outsourced service providers and contractor relationships. A strong commercial awareness is essential, with the ability to identify opportunities to maximise value, improve efficiency and support income generation through the estate.

You will be comfortable operating at both a strategic and operational level, able to translate long-term vision into clear, deliverable plans and measurable outcomes. You will also have experience of working with senior leaders and boards, providing assurance through clear reporting, data and insight.

A strong communicator and relationship builder, you will be able to influence and engage a wide range of stakeholders, both internally and externally. Experience of working collaboratively with local authorities, funding bodies and external partners will be important.

You will be a values-led leader, committed to inclusion, sustainability and continuous improvement. You will lead with integrity, resilience and professionalism, creating a positive, collaborative environment where teams are empowered to deliver high-quality outcomes.

Above all, you will share a commitment to putting students first, ensuring that every estates decision supports high-quality teaching, learning and student support.

How to Apply

If you’re ready to join a Group that has the resources to develop the talents of both students and staff, you can find more information on this role and details on how to apply by visiting our dedicated recruitment microsite https://ucgjobs.com/

Alternatively, you can e-mail us on hr@ucg.ac.uk for more information, quoting the job reference.

Please note that we may close the application prior to the listed date should sufficient applicants be received.

The College is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be subject to full-vetting procedures including an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services Check.

United Colleges Group is committed to fostering a culture of respect, inclusion and belonging, where everyone is valued and supported. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.