Flexible location in England. Defra Hubs are based in Birmingham, Bristol, York, Newcastle, Peterborough and London. This role will be contractually based in a Defra Group workplace/office. The role will require travel across England to Defra Group sites. Job Summary Message from Director General Sarah Homer This is an exciting time for the Civil Service and as Group Property Director leading Defra’s Property Team. Defra’s ambitious 25-year Environment Plan and legislative agenda is delivering sweeping changes across the Environment, Agriculture and Marine sectors as well as Animal and Plant Biosecurity. At the heart of delivery are the civil and public servants whose individual skills and commitment to public service underpin the government’s work. Our unique, integrated, Group Corporate Services model has generated significant transformational change across the Defra group. Consolidating functions has generated cost reductions, efficiencies and a strategic focus on how the business will operate better in property and Facilities Management terms. The Delivery and Group Corporate Services Group enables and supports, Defra’s policy and change agendas through capability, resources, our workplaces and technological investment. Our Group Property assets are geographically dispersed and the most diverse in Government, spanning critical national infrastructure, offices, depots, science facilities, incident response sites, inspection points, forestry and agriculture. Our estate supports recovery efforts when flood events occur, the health of our oceans, advanced science and research, the response to disease outbreaks in animals and plants, our border infrastructure as well as access to green spaces at our Nature Reserves and other green spaces. Defra Group Property has established itself as a leader across Government on the use of Land to meet policy aims. This responsibility is helping to drive better outcomes and improved collaboration with the largest UK landowners across the public, private and third sectors. Our drive is to improve data, enhance capability and improve cross departmental working. Defra Group is now a department of over 30,000 staff with a property budget of more than £275m a year, covering both management and investment across the estate. We are in year two of our new Workplace & FM Transformation Programme which incorporates a new £850m multi-year contract for services that will ignite a “one DgP” culture. This means completely changing the way we plan, deliver and run our services offering users quicker and better outcomes as we become more customer focused in our delivery. Defra’s new 2045 Location Strategy will see us deliver a smaller, greener and better estate as part of wider government ambitions. Job Description As the Group Property Director will be a critical leader in a role that spans across all our assets, leading a highly capable team of property professionals and working with colleagues across Defra, our arm’s length body partners as well as extensive supply chains. Our estate is unique and provides an exciting opportunity to develop your career and make every day interesting, engaging and challenging! As Property Director, your key responsibilities will include: : Lead the Group Property Team and be a critical leader for the role, spanning all Defra Group assets. Provide strategic oversight across policy, project delivery, and operations for a complex, diverse, multi-site property portfolio. Manage significant budgets (the property budget is over £275 million a year). Set the strategic direction for major estates and investment portfolios. Shape and deliver property and location strategies. Drive and deliver the new 2045 Location Strategy to deliver a smaller, greener, and better estate Lead the Workplace & FM Transformation Programme which includes managing the new £850 million multi-year contract for services. Transform our service delivery to improve the customer experience. Ensure compliance with a strong grasp of health and safety, security, fire safety, and policy/process implementation, operating effectively in regulated environments. Drive better outcomes, improved data, enhanced capability, and improve cross-departmental working on the use of land to meet policy aims Work with Senior Leaders across Defra, Arm’s Length Body partners, and extensive supply chains. Act as an inspiring and inclusive leader, fostering a culture of ambition, professionalism, and recognition. As the Group Property Director will be a critical leader in a role that spans across all our assets, leading a highly capable team of property professionals and working with colleagues across Defra, our arm’s length body partners as well as extensive supply chains. Our estate is unique and provides an exciting opportunity to develop your career and make every day interesting, engaging and challenging! As Property Director, your key responsibilities will include: : Lead the Group Property Team and be a critical leader for the role, spanning all Defra Group assets. Provide strategic oversight across policy, project delivery, and operations for a complex, diverse, multi-site property portfolio. Manage significant budgets (the property budget is over £275 million a year). Set the strategic direction for major estates and investment portfolios. Shape and deliver property and location strategies. Drive and deliver the new 2045 Location Strategy to deliver a smaller, greener, and better estate Lead the Workplace & FM Transformation Programme which includes managing the new £850 million multi-year contract for services. Transform our service delivery to improve the customer experience. Ensure compliance with a strong grasp of health and safety, security, fire safety, and policy/process implementation, operating effectively in regulated environments. Drive better outcomes, improved data, enhanced capability, and improve cross-departmental working on the use of land to meet policy aims Work with Senior Leaders across Defra, Arm’s Length Body partners, and extensive supply chains. Act as an inspiring and inclusive leader, fostering a culture of ambition, professionalism, and recognition. Person specification It is important that, through your CV and supporting statement, you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the selection criteria. Essential Criteria Proven track record leading a complex, diverse, multi-site property portfolio, managing significant budgets while maintaining strategic oversight across policy, project delivery, and operations, with a sharp focus on planning, user experience, quality, and change management. Expertise in shaping and delivering property and location strategies, navigating a diverse and often competing stakeholder landscape to drive informed, strategic decision-making. Track record of setting the strategic direction for major estates and investment portfolios, aligning with departmental goals and wider Civil Service priorities, including the transformation of facilities management. Deep experience operating in regulated environments, with a strong grasp of health and safety, security, fire safety, and compliance, underpinned by robust policy and process implementation and improvement. Credible and influential at the highest levels, with the confidence to challenge constructively and the experience of working closely with Boardsor C-suite executives or Ministers or other equivalent senior stakeholders. An inspiring and inclusive leader, committed to empowering property professionals and fostering a culture of ambition, professionalism, and recognition where people thrive. Memberships Current Membership of a Property Professional Body (e.g. RICS, CIOB, RIBA) with a minimum of 10 years' experience in estate management Alongside your salary of £100,000, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £28,970 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Learning and development tailored to your role An environment with flexible working options A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% Selection process details To apply for this post please follow the online application process which includes submitting the following documents no later than 23:55 Sunday 23 rd November 2025. A CV (no longer than 2 pages) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1000 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification. Applications will be sifted on CV and statement of suitability. Staff Engagement Exercise and Individual Leadership Assessment These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, it is designed to support the panel’s decision-making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview. Full details of the assessment process will be provided to shortlisted candidates at the earliest opportunity. For further information regarding the assessments please visit - https://scs-assessments.co.uk/ Discussion with the vacancy holder. Shortlisted candidates may be given the opportunity to speak to the vacancy holder, Sarah Homer, DG, Delivery and Group Chief Operating Officer prior the closing date for applications. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role before applying and is not part of the assessment process. Interviews You will be asked to attend a panel interview, in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the essential criteria for the role. As part of the interview, we may ask you to prepare and present a short presentation or undertake a practical desktop exercise. This will be confirmed in the interview invitation. Interviews will be held face to face in Birmingham. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise. As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Nationality requirements This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups UK nationals nationals of the Republic of Ireland nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job Contact Name : SCS Recruitment Team Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk