Role: Interim Head of Property
Contract Type: FTC (24 months)
Closing date: 30/10/2025
Location: Birmingham & Sheffield
Please note there will be an element of travel to this role on an ad-hoc basis as and when required.
Our offer to you
We pride ourselves in being a great place to work, providing a supportive culture with opportunities to grow and develop your career, achieve a healthy work life balance and to be recognised for the great work you do. You will receive:
1. Competitive salary and pension scheme
2. 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays) - increasing to 38 days over 5 years
3. Hybrid, Flexible working
4. Cycle to work scheme Electric Vehicle Scheme
5. Health and Wellbeing portal – access to financial, health and wellbeing support and an Employee Assistance Programme
6. Discounts – you will have access to Blue Light and NHS Discounts as well as discounts on mobile phones, gym membership, cinema tickets, restaurants, holidays and shopping
About Us
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team of over 1,416 employees and over 31,000 volunteers, united by our goal of saving lives through essential first aid services, training and campaigning. As a charity with rich heritage and a long history of serving humanity, we are proud of our past and excited about creating a healthier, safer, more resilient future.
St John Ambulance works at the heart of communities, supporting and enabling them to access and receive physical and mental health first aid. We do this through developing and providing effective community response and outreach services (e.g. Ambulance response & Nighttime Economy) and using our longstanding expertise to empower people with vital clinical skills and the confidence to use them (e.g. our Volunteers and Community Advocates, NHS Cadets and Young Responders programmes). There is also a buoyant social enterprise network which delivers first aid training and supplies medical consumables to businesses and consumers.
Job Summary
St John Ambulance has embarked on a strategic reduction of its property portfolio and has created a project team to focus on this challenge. The Interim Head of Property role will focus on managing all aspects of the day-to-day St John estate, with a primary focus on facilities and property management activities, and the related resources and facilities in line with strategic objectives. The role will provide strategic leadership and effective management of the built estate and hard & soft facilities management through a combination of both in-house and outsourced resources. The role will ensure through, an effective strategy, policies and procedures, that the estate is financially, legally and environmentally sustainable. A key facet of the role will also be to undertake a detailed review of all operational property expenditure and drive initiatives to reduce this burden.
About You
You will be educated to degree level and/or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in Facilities & Estate Management across a large geographically spread portfolio. You’ll be a member of a relevant recognised professional body (RICS, IWFM, CIOB, CIBSE or similar) and hold a professional real estate recognised qualification. You will have strong experience of:
7. delivering strategic and practical changes across a large estate portfolio including successful delivery of facilities management services,
8. influencing Key Stakeholders and demonstrating value for money across all transactions,
9. successfully managing a complex property estates and facilities portfolio, with associated staff, outsourced contracts and budgets,
10. leading and developing an effective and well-motivated, multi-disciplinary and multi-task estates and facilities management team,
You will have the ability and flexibility to respond appropriately to user demands and expectations in a diverse and multicultural environment, and have a driven and resilient personality, with the ability to take ownership for a diverse and complex area of work. You will have a solutions delivery mindset and the ability to effectively work with and successfully lead professional project teams. You will be confident in setting and ensuring targets and milestones are met within a pressurised environment.
About the Role
11. Professionally lead the estate and facilities service to ensure the delivery of high-quality services from the resources available and in line with relevant policies, procedures and practices
12. Ensure the provision of strategic leadership for the effective management of Property by ensuring all resources (both internal and outsource) across Estates, Health and Safety and Facilities management interact appropriately and work collaboratively towards common goals
13. Be directly responsible for providing informed, timely and accurate advice to the Board and Senior Management Team on all major aspects of Estates and Facilities Management on the retained estate
14. Prepare, balance and manage the Property budgets and properly administer the budgets allocated in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Capital and Revenue budget allocations. Provide value for money and assurance on all Property related activities
15. Lead the Property team in reducing operational costs in the portfolio through individual actions and wider ranging bundling of service delivery through partners
16. Lead the Property Team to provide a first-class business partnering service to the wider community, including acting as a critical friend and offering advice where required
17. Effectively communicate with a wide range of external individuals and organisations including the Health and Safety Executive, technical contractors and architects. Chair meetings of internal and external senior staff, including technical project staff and consultants
18. Lead in managing all estates and facilities operational functions including building, electrical and mechanical services, estates contract management, statutory compliance, cyclical and minor works programs and Utilities/energy management contracts and services
19. Ensure terms of property leases are regularly reviewed and health & safety compliance is maintained and updated. This will include liaison with solicitors, surveyors, landlords and other professionals
20. Ensure robust Key Performance Indicators are developed and aimed at maximising the net financial efficiency of the services while placing a constant focus of ensuring that quality and safety are maintained to the standards set
21. Negotiate with suppliers, contractors and lessors to achieve win/win outcomes, providing contracts and leases which protect our interests and support the strategic programme delivery
22. Preparation of all property business cases for acquisitions, leases, refurbishments and disposals, ensuring appropriate input from all affected stakeholders
23. Lead on specific large departmental projects, such as high value contract tenders, and oversee the tracking of progress against plans, and transition milestones, ensuring appropriate processes are in place to flag issues, risks and concerns with the relevant stakeholders, and securing value for money throughout
24. Champion and exemplify compassionate leadership and St John values
25. Engage, involve and empower St John People in problem-solving and improving the organisation
26. Actively promote diversity and a variety of perspectives across the organisation
27. Perform any other duties commensurate with these responsibilities, the band of the post and skills and qualifications of the post-holder
Please see the job description for more detail (this can be viewed on our website or once you click apply)