About The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is an independent membership organisation dedicated to the education, training and advancement of surgeons, dental surgeons, doctors, and various individuals throughout healthcare who are involved in the surgical care of patients. The College has a current membership approaching 32,000 and growing, with members spanning over 100 countries around the world.
From our founding in 1505, the College has been committed to the advancement of surgery and driving patient safety standards worldwide. In our 520-year history, there has never been a better time to join the College than now.
Working with us
At the College we aim to embrace views from across the organisation, sharing common goals and values for the betterment of healthcare through the advancement of surgical and dental professionals. We aim to develop teams that are reflective of the needs of our members and maximise the potential of every employee.
To reflect the varying needs across the organisation, we offer a range of policies and benefits for our workforce including a generous 42 days annual leave, flexible working practices, enhanced employer pensions contribution and various discounts throughout the College including the Ten Hill Place Hotel, 1505 Café and free entry to Surgeons’ Hall Museums.
If you’d like more information about this role, please contact recruitment@rcsed.ac.uk
The Head of Property Operations plays a critical leadership role in the operational management of the College’s estate. Reporting to the Director of Heritage and Estates, the postholder is responsible for the day-to-day delivery of property and facilities services, ensuring that buildings are safe, compliant, well maintained, and fit for purpose.
The role provides operational leadership across maintenance, facilities management, housekeeping, reception, security, and Health and Safety implementation. Working closely with internal teams and external contractors, the postholder will ensure high standards of service delivery, statutory compliance, and business continuity across a complex and mixed-use estate that includes historic and listed buildings.
The postholder will also lead the operational coordination of Health and Safety across the estate, working with external specialist advisers, while strategic oversight and statutory accountability remain with the Director of Heritage and Estates and the College.
This role requires visible leadership, strong operational judgement, and the ability to balance compliance, service delivery, and stakeholder expectations in a dynamic environment. Occasional evening or weekend working and travel may be required.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced property or facilities professional with strong leadership capability and a practical, solution-focused approach.
You will have a recognised qualification in facilities or property management or equivalent relevant experience, along with a recognised Health and Safety qualification such as NEBOSH. You will bring demonstrable experience managing complex property or facilities operations, ideally within heritage, mixed-use, or multi-stakeholder environments.
You will have experience leading and developing operational teams, managing budgets and procurement, and overseeing contractors and service providers. A strong working knowledge of building compliance, facilities management practice, and Health and Safety systems is essential, as are excellent communication, organisational, and problem-solving skills.
Experience supporting sustainability or energy efficiency initiatives, working with external Health and Safety advisers, or contributing operational insight to longer-term estate planning would be advantageous.
Additional Information
Please note that we do not accept CVs and agencies need not apply.
If you would like further information about the role, please contact recruitment@rcsed.ac.uk.
Interviews will be held on Wednesday 25 March 2026. Candidates who have been shortlisted for interview will be contacted in the first instance by email.
The application is a tool for helping us to shortlist candidates for interview and as a basis for the interview itself. Any decision to shortlist you for interview will be based solely upon the information you supply on your application.
If you have any difficulty in completing the forms or require the forms in an alternative format, please contact the Recruitment Department by e-mail: recruitment@rcsed.ac.uk
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is an equal opportunities employer. If you consider you have a disability (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) and have any specific requirements, or require assistance or reasonable adjustments (for example, information in larger font) to be made for you during the selection process, we will do our best to assist you. You are given the opportunity to express your needs by attaching a separate sheet to your application form or by contacting the HR Department on +44 (0) 131 527 1587 or by e-mail: recruitment@rcsed.ac.uk
The Equal Opportunities Monitoring form can be returned with your application. It will be retained within the HR Department and used solely for monitoring purposes; it will not be made available to the short-listing panel.
Thank you for your interest in the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. We look forward to receiving your completed application by 9am on Wednesday 11 March 2026. If you need any further information, do not hesitate to contact us.