Role: Global Director of Estates & Facilities (Edinburgh based)
Grade and Salary range: Grade 10, Competitive
FTE and Working Pattern: Full Time, Open Ended
Organisation Name: University Executive (Professional Services) – Estates & Facilities Directorate
About Our School/Directorate And Team
Enabling a global university through resilient, future-focused estates and facilities. Heriot‑Watt University is a distinctive, research‑led institution with a truly global footprint, operating campuses in the UK, Dubai and Malaysia, and a growing portfolio of international partnerships. Its complex academic, regulatory and commercial landscape requires strong estates leadership to support academic excellence, international growth and long‑term sustainability.
Purpose of Role
You are the executive lead for the University’s Global Estates and Facilities Directorate, overseeing operational excellence, capital projects, commercial real estate management, and campus strategy. In the first year you will drive change across operational, commercial and transformational priorities while maintaining high‑standard delivery of current services.
Summary Of Key Duties And Responsibilities
- Line reporting to the Executive Director of University Global Operations and line management of a global team of ~400 Estates and Facilities colleagues across five campuses, valuing approximately £100m, with full budget and P&L accountability.
- Lead and transform the directorate into a world‑class, high‑performing global estates capability, establishing clear priorities, SMART goals and performance management.
- Develop the strategic transformation and transition to a virtual campus over the next decade while safeguarding core missions of flexible education, student experience, research, and operational excellence.
- Own the University’s net‑zero pathway across all estates, embedding sustainability into every commercial and operational decision, with student experience at the centre.
- Commercialise the University’s real‑estate assets and partner with development partners to maximise economic value.
- Assess readiness for Strategy 2035 implementation from an Estates & Facilities perspective, design a flexible operating model, and model subject‑matter expertise in core operating model design.
- Act as an ambassador for Operations globally and contribute to the Strategy 2035 Operational Excellence steering group.
- Partner with third‑party strategic consultants to implement Strategy 2035 and influence commercial models.
- Credible leader of cultural change, modelling University purpose, values, risk, accountability, commerciality and innovation.
- Transform operational management to data‑ and digital‑based service management, standards, and performance tracking.
- Ensure sound investment and commercial decision‑making for strategic estates projects, achieving ROI and value tracking.
- Advance the University’s space‑planning approach, adopting technology solutions to make student‑centred, evidence‑based decisions aligned with academic priorities.
- Lead a multi‑union relationship and engagement model, securing trust of union representatives and those in a partially unionised workforce.
- Maintain and enhance asset value through efficient, compliant procurement and purchasing aligned with public funding and charitable obligations.
- Lead organisational change for Strategy 2035, managing stakeholder expectations and prioritising team needs.
- Cultivate open, transparent, proactive partnerships across the University.
Essential Criteria
Education, Qualifications & Experience:
- Highly experienced Estates & Facilities executive leader (10–20+ years) with a record of large‑scale operations transformation.
- Proven ability to design and implement organisational change, sell vision and secure stakeholder buy‑in.
- Experience recruiting senior management with a focus on people, commercial and transformation leadership.
- Demonstrated success in building trust with union‑represented workforces during change.
- Deep knowledge of flexible service delivery models, balancing in‑house and partner delivery for quality, resilience and value.
- Senior client or Executive sponsor experience on major construction or infrastructure projects, delivering on time and commercial targets.
- Proficiency in legislation and operational compliance (Health & Safety, regulatory requirements) within higher education or a comparable sector.
- Experience commercialising property or facilities assets and extracting value from income‑generating strategies.
- Experience leading decarbonisation or net‑zero programmes across built environments with measurable outcomes.
- Credibility to advise at Court (Board) or executive level, translating technical complexity for non‑specialists.
- Ability to formulate and execute long‑horizon strategy while maintaining focus on daily operational delivery.
- Experience managing outsourced FM contracts, major public procurement and relevant best practice.
- Collaborative experience with Operations, HR, Finance and external partners, integrating technology and business strategy.
- Strong understanding of organisational change and operating model transformation.
- Experience working in a complex global environment, managing matrix structures at a global level.
- Strategic and operational planning at organisational level.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience in higher education or similarly complex public‑sector environments with knowledge of regulatory, governance and funding frameworks.
- Professional membership (e.g., MRICS, MCIBSE, CIOB, CIWFM, RIBA) or postgraduate management qualification.
- Knowledge of digital estate technologies and smart campus solutions for operational efficiency.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Heriot‑Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to creating an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.
