Location: Edinburgh (multi-campus)
Salary: Competitive executive package including generous pension, annual leave and a comprehensive benefits offering
Reports to: Director of Finance, Strategy & Planning
Edinburgh Napier University is seeking an outstanding senior leader to shape and deliver the future of its estate, infrastructure and campus experience. This is a pivotal executive-level role with enterprise-wide impact, offering the opportunity to lead a large, multi-disciplinary function and deliver a modern, sustainable and financially resilient estate aligned to an ambitious institutional strategy.
The Role
As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will set the strategic direction for Property & Facilities and play a central role in enabling the Universitys long-term ambitions.
You will lead one of the Universitys largest professional services functions, with responsibility for estate strategy, capital investment, facilities management and a diverse portfolio of commercial services.
Operating within a complex, resource-conscious environment, you will balance ambition with pragmatism, shaping an estate that is both future-ready and financially sustainable. This includes driving innovation in how space is utilised, aligning estate strategy with operational demand, and ensuring assets are deployed to maximise both organisational and commercial value.
The role will require a thoughtful and strategic approach to estate optimisation, including the potential reshaping of the Universitys campus footprint to better reflect future teaching, working and financial models.
You will bring a strong understanding of how complex, multi-site organisations operate, including the relationship between operational delivery, space utilisation and long-term estate planning. Experience of aligning estate strategy to demand, whether in education, public services or similarly complex environments, will be highly valued.
This is a highly visible leadership role requiring credibility at executive and Board level, alongside the ability to lead complex change with clarity, pace and sensitivity.
Key Responsibilities
Set and deliver a forward-looking, financially sustainable estate strategy
Lead major capital programmes, estate optimisation and long-term asset planning
Drive innovative approaches to space utilisation, cost efficiency and service delivery
Provide executive leadership across estates, facilities, accommodation and commercial services
Lead transformation to create a more agile, efficient and insight-led operating model
Enhance commercial performance while ensuring the estate effectively supports core organisational activity and demand
Act as a trusted advisor to Executive and Court on estate investment, strategy and risk
Build strong partnerships internally and across the sector
Represent the University at senior external forums and networks
Lead and embed a high-performing, inclusive and values-led culture
About You
You will be an experienced executive leader with a strong track record in estates, property or infrastructure leadership within a complex, values-driven organisation.
We are interested in leaders who have operated in complex, multi-stakeholder environments, such as higher education, the public sector or similarly regulated settings, and who are comfortable balancing strategic ambition with financial constraint.
You will bring:
Significant experience shaping and delivering estate strategies in complex, multi-stakeholder environments
A track record of delivering impact in financially constrained or resource-sensitive settings
Experience leading estate optimisation, rationalisation or campus-wide transformation, including footprint reduction or reconfiguration
Experience aligning estate strategy with operational delivery and demand, including space utilisation, service planning or equivalent in a complex organisation
Strong commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to prioritise investment and drive value
Experience operating at, or influencing, Board and Executive level
Deep understanding of sustainability, asset lifecycle management and long-term estate planning
Outstanding stakeholder leadership, communication and influencing capability
The ability to lead organisations through change with credibility, empathy and clarity
Why Join Us?
This is a rare opportunity to shape the future footprint and experience of a modern, ambitious university. You will have the scope to lead meaningful transformation, balancing strategic ambition with financial reality, and to leave a lasting institutional legacy.
Ready to lead at this level?
We welcome applications from candidates motivated by scale, complexity and the opportunity to deliver creative, high-impact solutions in a resource-conscious environment.
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