Your newpany
Hays are delighted to be supporting one of our key clients within the defence sector in recruiting a Facilities & Estate Manager to join their team on a permanent basis. You will be joining a leading provider of facilities management and estate services supporting a secure, high-profile defence estate. Operating within a regulated environment, the organisation delivers critical maintenance, infrastructure, and property services to support operational readiness and the needs of service personnel and their families.
Your new role
As Facilities & Estate Manager, you will lead the delivery of maintenance and estate management services across a multi-site defence portfolio. This is a highly visible leadership role where operational excellence, statutorypliance, and stakeholder engagement are critical to success. You will operate within a Ministry of Defence (MoD) framework, ensuring all works are delivered in line with strict regulatory, contractual, and health & safety requirements. Working closely with Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) representatives and key stakeholders, you will coordinate priorities, manage delivery programmes, and ensure all activities meet required standards and handover expectations. Your role will have a strong focus onpliance, safety, and service delivery.
Key responsibilities include:
1. Leading planned and reactive maintenance across the built estate within an MoD-regulated environment
2. Ensuring fullpliance with statutory legislation, MoD requirements, and HSE standards
3. Acting as the technical authority onpliance risks, including chairing Site Risk Meetings where required
4. Managing estate documentation and asset data, including systems and key planning tools such as ESTS and FASP
5. Overseeing operational planning, resource allocation, and budget management to meet evolving priorities
6. Building strong, effective relationships with DIO representatives, military stakeholders, and end users
7. Leading, developing, and motivating teams to deliver high-performance oues against KPIs
8. Drivingmercial performance through cost control, supply chain management, and P&L oversight
9. Embedding sustainability initiatives and supporting carbon reduction targets across the estate
This role offers a unique opportunity to influence estate performance in a secure and mission-critical environment, where quality, reliability, andpliance are essential.
What you'll need to succeed
You will be an experienced Facilities Manager, Estate Manager, or Hard Services professional with a strong understanding of operating within regulated or defence environments.You will bring:
10. Proven experience in facilities management, estate maintenance, or property operations, ideally within an MoD or similarly regulated environment.
11. Strong knowledge of statutorypliance, health & safety legislation, and risk management practices.
12. Experience working with defence stakeholders, frameworks, or organisations such as the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) (desirable).
13. A track record of delivering operational performance, managing teams, and achieving KPIs.Experience managing budgets, resources, andmercial performance.Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence and build trusted relationships.Excellent organisational and IT skills, including experience working with estate and asset management systems.
Desirable qualifications and experience:
14. HND or equivalent in Building, Civil, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering (or relevant experience).
15. Health & Safety qualification such as SMSTS or NEBOSH.
16. Knowledge of CDM regulations, asbestos management, disability accesspliance, and energy performance standards.
What you'll get in return
In return you will receive an excellent basic salary of up to £48,000 per annum, plus other benefits including:
17. 25 days annual leave
18. 6% matched pension contribution
19. Private medical cover
20. Life assurance
21. Professional membership support
22. Ongoing career development within a specialist and regulated sector