Head of Estates - Permanent - Reading (2 - 3 days/week in office)
Protect coverage. Enable deployment. Maximise value from a national telecoms estates portfolio.
The Head of Estates is a senior leadership role within the Infrastructure & Estates directorate, accountable for the acquisition, retention, and in-life management of a large-scale mobile telecoms estates portfolio. Reporting directly to the Infrastructure & Estates Director and sitting on the extended leadership team, this role is critical to ensuring safety, service continuity, deployment capability, and cost efficiency across the network.
You’ll lead the development and execution of strategies that secure the right sites, in the right locations, at the right commercial terms—maximising site availability, accessibility, and long-term value.
Why this role matters:
The estates portfolio underpins the availability, resilience, and expansion of the UK’s mobile network. With increasing volumes of notices to quit and growing legislative complexity, this role ensures critical sites are retained, service disruption is minimised, and future coverage and capacity can be delivered cost effectively.
Through strong leadership, clear governance, and effective use of legislation and supplier partnerships, you’ll protect customer experience today while enabling the network of tomorrow.
What you’ll be here to do:
You’ll lead and own estates strategy and delivery across the full portfolio lifecycle, working closely with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and regulators. You will:
* Own the strategy, execution, and assurance of estates portfolio management across acquisition, retention, renewal, variation, and exit
* Ensure compliance with regulatory, statutory, safety, and quality requirements
* Apply relevant legislation and legal precedents to retain, replace, and expand the estates portfolio where needed
* Lead responses to notices to quit, notices to terminate, and relocation (lift and shift) activity to minimise service loss
* Establish and continuously improve estates management standards, processes, controls, and governance
* Proactively manage estates-related risks, issues, and interdependencies, driving corrective action where required
* Hold suppliers and partners to account for delivery, performance, and value
* Own estates-related CAPEX and OPEX planning, control, and cost optimisation
* Work with senior leaders to influence policy, legislation, and industry behaviour where change is required
Who we’re looking for:
You’re a senior estates or property leader with deep expertise in managing operational, infrastructure-based property portfolios (as distinct from corporate or facilities management). You’re comfortable operating in complex, highly regulated environments and bring strong commercial judgement, political awareness, and a track record of leading large, high-performing teams.
We welcome candidates from telecoms as well as adjacent infrastructure sectors such as utilities, transport, or rail.
You’ll have:
* Expert knowledge of best-in-class estates or property management practices
* Significant experience leading a large-scale estates or property function
* Strong experience managing suppliers and complex commercial relationships
* Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders, regulators, and policy makers
* Experience balancing customer, commercial, and technical requirements
* Strong leadership capability with a focus on culture, performance, and talent development
If you also have the following, we’re especially interested in talking to you:
* Knowledge of the Electronic Communications Code, Town and Country Planning, and relevant legal precedents in estates and property management
* Infrastructure or asset management experience