About the Role We are seeking to appoint a highly effective strategic leader to the role of Director of Estates. The successful candidate will provide professional oversight and clear strategic direction, setting Trust-wide standards and ensuring consistent delivery through effective leadership of Estates Hub Leaders and the wider estates teams. The postholder will have a proven track record of leading estates programmes and teams to drive operational improvement. The Director of Estates will develop and implement the Trust’s Estates Strategy, bringing a robust approach to asset management, lifecycle planning and condition improvement. Working closely with senior leaders, the postholder will shape and maintain the Trust’s long-term investment plan, ensuring School Condition Allocation (SCA) and Devolved Formula Capital (DFC ) funding capital programmes are delivered and aligned to educational need, sustainability and long-term estate resilience. A strong focus on compliance, assurance and risk management will underpin the post. The Director of Estates will maintain oversight of estates-related risk, ensure academy sites are audit-ready, and lead estates business continuity and disaster recovery planning. The postholder will lead the Trust’s approach to contractor performance and procurement, including senior oversight of hard/soft facilities management, compliance services and any Private Finance Initiative (PFI) arrangements, ensuring safe working practices and value for money. Effective financial stewardship will be central, with responsibility for budget oversight, cost control and forecasting, and for strengthening governance and reporting across estates activity. The Director of Estates will also drive sustainability, energy reduction and operational efficiency initiatives across the estate, supporting environmentally responsible and cost-effective operations. About You The successful candidate will be… Strategic, organised and influential, able to set clear direction and deliver estates strategy across a multi-site organisation while building strong relationships with academy leaders. An empowering people leader, developing Estates Hub Leaders and the wider estates teams, setting high standards, building capability, flexibility, accountability and consistency. A clear communicator, able to translate complex estates issues into concise options, risks and recommendations. Calm and decisive under pressure, demonstrating strong judgement during escalated incidents, emergencies and high-risk situations. Commercially astute, able to secure value for money and hold contractors to account. Comfortable leading major capital programmes safely with minimal disruption to academy operations. Customer-focused and collaborative, balancing academy needs with Trust-wide consistency and compliance requirements. Flexible and mobile, with the ability to travel regularly between academies and geographical hubs, attending meetings, including out-of-hours work as required. About Place Partnership This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking and ambitious organisation, driven by a genuine passion for the wellbeing, care and education of young people. Place Partnership represents the voluntary merger of two strong and successful Trusts in South and West Yorkshire: Maltby Learning Trust, established in 2014, and Accord Multi Academy Trust, founded in 2016. Both organisations shared a clear ambition - to grow our families of schools, extend the impact of our work, and ensure more children, families and communities could benefit from high-quality education. We recognise that by coming together, we will create a larger organisation with greater capacity to deliver exceptional learning experiences, strengthen school improvement, and contribute more meaningfully to the wider education system. From 1 September 2026, we will comprise 12 academies, supporting children and young people from early years through to Post 16. We treat people with care and compassion, building belonging, and hold high expectations because everyone matters. We recognise that our people are our greatest strength, and as such, we offer a comprehensive suite of benefits as part of our commitment to wellbeing and professional growth. For full details, please see our recruitment pack. Further Information Visits are warmly welcomed and can be arranged. For further details regarding this opportunity, for an informal discussion regarding the role or to arrange a visit, please do not hesitate to contact kparker@maltbylearningtrust.com. Closing Date: Friday 5 June 2026 at 12 noon. Interviews are expected to take place between: 9 June to 12 June 2026 Place Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, further details of which can be found at www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check. Place Partnership is committed to providing a culture of inclusion, respect and equity of opportunity that attracts, supports, and retains high quality colleagues from all backgrounds and across all job roles. Candidates will always be shortlisted based on the content of application against the job description and essential criteria without access to the personal details information. Based on the quality and quantity of applications received, Place Partnership reserves the right to interview sooner than the specified dates above. Applicants will be notified of this where possible. Therefore, early applications are encouraged.