The Park Academies Trust is looking for an experienced person to join our central team in the role of Head of Estates and Health & Safety. This role will support the Chief FRInancial Officer in ensuring a comprehensive, robust and complaint approach to premises and estates management across the Trust.
Details of role: Permanent, full-time role (37 hours per week, and is an all year round position.
Salary: £59,317 - £65,008 gross per annum, dependent on experience
Closing date: Monday 15th September 2025 (midday)
This is a cross Trust role and will require regular travel between all schools within our Trust.
Why choose us?
The Park Academies Trust is a family of schools, both primary and secondary, that believes in 'collaboration not competition'. Together we are stronger
Formed in 2016 with the vision to make a significant contribution to improving education, we are a growing Trust with a strong academic performance and are looking to enhance our team with dedicated and passionate teachers.
Currently eight schools: Abbey Park School, Lydiard Park Academy, Highworth Warneford School, The Deanery CE Academy, Red Oaks Primary School, Orchid Vale Primary School, Bridlewood Primary School and Kingfisher CE Academy, the Trust offers a high-quality educational provision from nursery right up to Sixth Form, enabling staff and pupils alike to benefit from being part of a thriving multi-phase educational Trust.
The positive and caring ethos at all our schools is combined with a clear mission to deliver the richest possible education experience which enables young people to leave our care as responsible citizens equipped to fulfil their personal goals and career aspirations.
We are offering an exciting opportunity to develop your career by joining a Trust which truly values its staff and provides a highly supportive environment.
Do you have:
* Strong communication skills, to be able to deliver the right message to the right people, to engage with stakeholders effectively?
* Appropriate educational and professional qualification and/or experience in a relevant discipline with appropriate membership of a professional body such as IWFM?
* IOSH/NEBOSH or similar health and safety qualification?
* Full working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Microsoft Outlook and experience of CAFM systems?
* Proven ability to lead teams and deliver targets at a strategic level?
* Project management and change management experience?
What we offer:
* A positive and dynamic environment in a Trust which is growing in both size and success
* A strong pupil ethos centred on mutual respect and fulfilling potential
* Competitive salary
* Staff benefits package, including interest free affordable technology, cycle to work scheme, shopping and holiday discounts
* Staff wellbeing: access to On Line Doctor, discounted gym membership, Employee Assistance Programme
* Attractive pension scheme
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Job Description
The main purpose of this role is to introduce and then maintain a comprehensive, robust and compliant approach to premises and estates management across the Trust. This will be delivered in a customer-focused manner, aligned with the Trust's strategic objectives, vision and values. The postholder will support the DFO/CFO in managing the risks to the Trust of the estate and assets by providing current advice, guidance and support to the local management in the academies. They will also ensure trustees can be confident the Trust is meeting all statutory compliance requirements.
Key Accountabilities:
1. Provide support and guidance to, and working alongside, the local managers within the Trust academies to deliver a robust and compliant estates solution.
2. Provide robust support and management of PFI delivery including understanding the contractual requirements and supporting the local management of the contract, its service level delivery and compliance. This will include some direct identification and logging of tasks, alongside the local team, and application of the contract at all levels to ensure completion within the required timeframes or application of the PayMech.
3. Put in place systems and procedures for non-PFI schools to support effective estates management and support local teams to deliver requirements.
4. Promote the importance of safeguarding within the context of premises and estates management across the Trust, working with the appropriate specialists to ensure a consistent approach across the Trust's premises staff and contractors.
5. Support a coherent cross-Trust approach to asset management informed by the DfE published GEMS (Good Estates Management) guidance.
6. Encourage a cross-Trust team approach, sharing skills, tasks and expertise between schools.
7. Ensure suitably trained and qualified premises staff are in post across the Trust teams and support with identifying the required CPD and certifications e.g., working at height, use of access equipment, ladders etc.
Maintain thew relevant documentation
1. Introduce and manage an estates management/asset management system for the Trust that is sustainable, is scalable in line with the Trust growth and support a consistent approach to compliance and strategic asset management cross-Trust.
2. Becomes a central repository for estates and premises documentation including certification, site plans and other documentation such as Fire Risk Assessments, planning and building regulation sign offs, conditions surveys etc.
3. Provide checklists/sign off and guidance to local teams to provide relevant documentation and certification
4. Supports a proactive approach to asset lifecycle management
5. Report effectively and accurately as required to the DFO, CEO and through them to the Board
6. Support local Health and Safety management and monitoring including risk assessment, fire safety and operational systems from an estates and premises perspective ensuring a consistent and compliant approach cross-Trust.
7. Engage with the Trust Health and Safety Advisors to ensure a consistent monitoring and auditing regime across the Trust with robust action plans
8. Create long term development plans in line with the vision of the trustees for the estate including; capital management and asset replacement planning; sustainability and engaging with local stakeholders to understand the long term needs and use of the estate.
9. Support due diligence of organisations wishing to join the Trust.
10. Ensure comprehensive due diligence is applied to the estates and asset management element of organisations joining the Trust including commissioning conditions/structural and other surveys as/if required.
Engage external assistance as required; surveyors, health and safety advisors and other professionals/organisations
* Engage with the new organisation to facilitate change management and smooth integration
* Ensure estates and premises budgets are accurately devised and correctly monitored and that all appropriate stakeholders are included
* Ensure appropriate business cases, budget plans and allocations of Capital Funding
Consider priorities for SCA funds
* Returns completed as required to DfE and other parties as required including ensuring conditions of grant are applied correctly
* Ensure premises management and estates policies and procedures are current, correctly drafted and applied consistently across the Trust
* Ensure procurement processes and arrangements deliver value for money, that clear lines of communication ae in place for contract management and that there are agreed SLAs in place.
* Draft appropriate tenders and specifications alongside the appropriate stakeholders
* Monitor quality and delivery
* Ensure there is a robust, competent and cost-effective supply chain in place with supporting insurances, RAMS and other necessary documentation
* Represent the Trust at appropriate meetings and conferences as required.
* Lead on Business Continuity Planning cross-Trust, engaging with necessary stakeholders and ensuring arrangements are regularly tested and reviewed.
* Oversight of school transport/vehicles including appropriate maintenance regimes, training, insurances and licenses.
Proactively engage with other central trust functions such as HR, IT and Finance to ensure timely solutions to possible issues.
Supplementary Accountabilities:
* Comply with and assist with the procedures relating to child protection, Health and Safety, confidentiality and data protection.
* Adhere to all Trust policies and Procedures
* Contribute to the aims of the Trust
* Participate in training and other learning activities as required
* Maintain appropriate professional qualifications and undertake suitable CPD
* Develop relationships and communicate with other agencies and relevant organisations
* Share expertise and skills with others
* To undertake any other duties commensurate with this post as the Director of Finance and Operations \ CFO may from time to time decide or require.
No job description can be exhaustive and the duties may alter in practice over time. The post holder is expected to use his/her professional judgement to ensure that the role continues to evolve and develop in line with the Trust's changing requirements.
Job Scope:
* This is a cross-Trust post, requiring regular travel between schools within the Trust.
* The postholder will be expected to take on line management responsibilities in the future, either directly or through a dotted-line structure.
* Support line management of local business managers/operations managers as required.
The post holder will need to be flexible, supporting the varied requirements of estates and premises management including some out of hours working/availability.
Knowledge and Experience:
* Appropriate educational and professional qualification and/or experience in a relevant discipline with appropriate membership of a professional body such as IWFM
* IOSH/NEBOSH or similar health and safety qualification
* Full working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Microsoft Outlook and experience of CAFM systems
* Excellent working knowledge of relevant policies, codes of practice, legislation and regulations/statutory requirements
* Strong communication skills, able to deliver the right message to the right people, to engage with stakeholders effectively
* Proven ability to lead teams and deliver targets at a strategic level
* Project management and change management experience
Decision Making:
* Leading and guiding to deliver exceptional service understanding local context
* Strategic planning and focus on sustainable MAT development to mitigate risk
Contacts and Relationships:
* Academy Operation Managers/Business Managers
* Academy Senior Leadership Team
* Trust Executive Board
* Trustees and Local Governors
* Senior Management and academy employees
* PFU and LA representatives
* Other Academies and appropriate local bodies/businesses
Creativity and Innovation:
* Guidance and leadership, as the SME, assisting the local leadership team with developing solutions and maintaining standards across the Trust
* Facilitate innovation and creativity across the estates/premises functions of the Trust
In accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998, jobholders should take reasonable care to ensure that personal data is not disclosed outside the Academy procedures, or use personal data held on others for their own purposes. In accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, ensure requests for non-personal information are dealt with in accordance with the Academy's written procedures.
Safeguarding - Children & Vulnerable Adults
This organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. Staff must work in accordance with the Trust's Child Protection procedures and Child Protection/Safeguarding Policy and understand their role within that Policy.
Job Types: Permanent, Full-time
Pay: £59,317.00-£65,008.00 per year
Benefits:
* Company pension
* Cycle to work scheme
* Employee discount
* Health & wellbeing programme
* On-site parking
* Sick pay
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 15/09/2025