Property Project Manager Contract: Permanent, full-time (37.5 hours) Location: Remote/Hybrid, with regular UK-wide travel and some time in our Theale offices. Reports to: Head of Property The Project Manager role plays a pivotal part in creating and maintaining safe, inspiring, and high-quality nursery environments across The Old Station Nursery Group. Reporting to the Head of Property, you will lead the delivery of our national refurbishment programme, managing around 20–25 projects per year, ensuring our settings remain compliant, safe, efficient, and aligned to our brand and operational standards. Working across a portfolio of 79 properties within the UK, you will blend practical construction expertise with strong stakeholder collaboration, ensuring every project enhances the experience for children, families, and our teams. You’ll be hands-on, forward-thinking, and deeply invested in delivering settings where both children and our people thrive Operational Excellence Lead refurbishment projects from concept to completion, ensuring high standards of quality, safety, and compliance. Develop design briefs with operational leaders, ensuring efficient layouts, FTE optimisation, and brand alignment. Review site layouts and propose improvements to space usage, flow, and the child experience. Prepare tender documents, assess contractor pricing, and value-engineer solutions to achieve best value. Administer JCT Minor Works contracts, managing prelims, consultants, and contract processes. Oversee all project stages: meetings, site visits, reporting, snagging, handover, certification, and defect reviews. Manage project finances including budgets, valuations, variations, and final accounts. Ensure full compliance with CDM regulations, the Building Safety Act, statutory requirements, and safeguarding principles. Maintain strong communication with Area Managers, Nursery Managers, and Quality leads to minimise disruption during works. Delivering Business Objectives Brand-Aligned Environments: Work with the Facilities and Marketing teams to develop property specifications that reflect statutory requirements and the TOSN brand. Build Supplier Excellence: Strengthen and expand the contractor base, ensuring quality, cost control, and performance KPIs are consistently met. Support Strategic Planning: Use cost and performance data to inform long-term budgeting and business planning. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Finance, Operations, Quality, Marketing, and Facilities to ensure seamless alignment on all projects. Team Support: Provide technical expertise and occasional cover for Facilities colleagues to maintain continuity of service. Bring Our Culture to Life: Role-model our mission, vision, values, and brand identity in all internal and external interactions. Business Growth & Continuous Improvement Optimise Layouts & Occupancy: Reconfigure spaces to maximise FTE capacity, staff efficiency, and nursery flow. Solve Problems Fast: Apply data and insight to address project challenges proactively. Drive Continuous Improvement: Identify and deliver enhancements that elevate property standards, child and parent experience, and operational outcomes. Collaborate for Impact: Work closely with internal teams to share best practice and drive innovation across the estate. Who you are: Experience, Skills & Qualifications Proven experience managing construction or refurbishment projects, ideally in education, early years, healthcare, or other regulated environments. Strong technical knowledge of refurbishment processes, CDM regulations, and the Building Safety Act. Experience delivering projects on occupied sites or coordinating out-of-hours works. Excellent communication and influencing skills, building strong relationships with colleagues, contractors, and senior stakeholders. Ability to analyse tender returns, manage project finances, and prepare business cases and reports. High attention to detail with strong organisational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities. Confident using Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Project). Good understanding of construction costs and contractor management. Desirable: Degree/diploma in Project Management, Quantity Surveying, Building Surveying, or similar, OR significant experience (10 years). Desirable: Understanding of early years operations, OFSTED expectations, and how design impacts occupancy, safety, and the learning environment. Commitment to continuous professional development across project management, cost control, CDM/H&S, or contract management. Personal Attributes Practical & Professional: Confident representing TOSN to contractors, partners, and external stakeholders. Quality-Driven: Passionate about delivering outstanding, well-designed nursery environments. Resilient & Adaptable: Thrives in a fast-paced, multi-site role with competing priorities. Solutions-Focused: Anticipates challenges early and takes decisive, clear action. Values-Led: Demonstrates integrity, confidentiality, and a strong commitment to child and colleague safety and wellbeing. The Old Station Nursery group are committed to safeguarding and the safer recruitment processes. Enhanced DBS checks and references are required in line with our Child Protection and Safeguarding policies.