Regional Estates Manager (Oxfordshire)

Thank you for your interest in joining Anthem. We are a dynamic organisation committed to supporting thousands of children and young people to achieve great things through one of our schools.

Anthem is one of the most established school trusts in the country, serving nearly 8,000 students across primary and secondary schools in the East Midlands, London and the Thames Valley. As a multi-academy trust, Anthem is first and foremost a school improvement organisation, committed to creating ambitious and successful schools where everyone thrives, guided by our values of integrity, collaboration and excellence.

Role purpose

The Regional Estates Manager (Oxfordshire) holds regional operational accountability for a defined cluster of schools. The postholder is responsible for a defined region of 2-4 schools (primary and secondary) and is accountable on behalf of the Trust for the safe, compliant, and effective management of all estates and facilities functions across that region. The role is central to ensuring that responsibilities, accountabilities and decision-making authority for estates management, health & safety and statutory compliance are discharged effectively across the Trust.

A core element of this role is to develop an intimate understanding of each school site and the unique context it operates within to ensure robust and targeted estates support, relieving operational burden from our headteachers. The role provides a visible, local and tangible presence within our schools through routine visits, systematic application of process and clarity of communication.

Importantly, the Regional Estates Manager is the key point of contact for all estates matters raised by Headteachers and Senior Leaders. As such, they are rapid and responsive, readily able to problem solve and immediately available as Estates Incident Leads in any emergency.

Main duties and responsibilities

To provide regional operational leadership and accountability for all estates, health & safety, and statutory compliance matters across a cluster of Trust schools, ensuring all premises are safe, compliant, well-maintained, and fit for purpose in accordance with the Trust's estates strategy, policies and statutory obligations.

Working closely together, the Regional Estates Managers will ensure a comprehensive shared picture of our trust-wide estate, identifying trends and opportunities for improvement. Activities will be efficiently coordinated across the region and economies of scale maximised alongside a local knowledge of key suppliers to maximise value for money.

Health & Safety and Statutory Compliance

Take day-to-day management responsibility for health & safety and statutory compliance across the region.

Monitor and provide assurance of statutory checks across the region, including fire safety, water hygiene, asbestos management, electrical testing, and gas safety etc.

Ensure that all statutory inspections, testing schedules, and certification requirements are completed on time and that records are properly maintained and readily accessible.

Implement Trust estates policies and standards across all schools within the region.

Carry out and review risk assessments across regional sites, ensuring appropriate controls are in place and documented.

Promote and ensure the health and safety of pupils, staff and visitors in accordance with appropriate health & safety legislation at all times.

Respond to health & safety incidents, near-misses and emergencies, ensuring appropriate investigation, reporting and remedial action.

Ensure all sites within the region comply with statutory obligations relating to fire safety, including the maintenance of fire safety equipment and oversight of fire evacuation procedures.

Lead internal and external health & safety audit, developing and delivering relevant action plans in response.

Estates and Facilities Management

Maintain oversight of the physical condition of all buildings and grounds across the regional cluster, ensuring sites are safe, secure, and maintained to a high standard.

Be responsible for routine inspections of buildings and planned preventative maintenance programmes for fixtures, fittings, furniture, premises and grounds, assessing for minor works or repairs required to maintain safe and satisfactory conditions.

Ensure that building defects, maintenance needs and risks are identified promptly and addressed within appropriate timescales or escalated as necessary.

Oversee the operation and maintenance of heating plant, lighting, and mechanical and electrical systems across regional sites.

Oversee and monitor the electrical testing of portable electrical appliances and maintain appropriate records.

Coordinate planned and reactive maintenance activity across the regional cluster, ensuring value for money and minimal disruption to school operations.

Advise on matters relating to energy control and conservation.

Contractor Management

Manage the performance of regional contractors and service providers.

Monitor performance of service contracts and record performance against specified standards.

Procure works, goods and services in accordance with the Trust's financial regulations and delegation limits.

Ensure contractors working on Trust sites comply with all relevant health & safety requirements, including the maintenance of appropriate risk assessments and method statements.

Liaise with the Head of Estates regarding Trust-wide contractor frameworks and ensure regional delivery aligns with those arrangements.

Capital Projects and Estates Improvement

Deliver estates projects within delegated limits.

Support the Head of Estates in the development of capital programmes, providing regional intelligence on condition, need and prioritisation.

Contribute to capital planning and prioritisation, including School Condition Allocations (SCA), Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) applications, and Trust capital investment.

Project manage smaller capital and improvement works on behalf of the Trust, ensuring delivery on time, within budget, and to the required standard.

Maintain and update condition records and asset registers for regional schools.

Risk Management and Reporting

Manage estates-related risks across the region and escalate issues appropriately.

Maintain and update regional risk registers, ensuring all estates risks are accurately recorded and mitigated.

Ensure risk assessments are developed (with effective mitigations) and adopted by all schools consistently.

Contribute to reporting on estates risk and compliance to support the Head of Estates in reporting to Trustees and the Audit & Risk Committee.

Be responsible for maintaining rigorous and accurate records, information and data, and producing reports as required.

Ensure timely and accurate reporting of incidents, near-misses, compliance concerns and estates risks to the Head of Estates.

Ensure the requirements of our insurers are met raising and tracking any insurance claims.

Respond immediately to provide emergency support and oversight as Estates Incident Leads with delegated decision-making authority.

People Management

Provide line management to Premises Supervisors in secondary schools across the region.

Provide direct or functional management to Premises Assistants in primary schools, depending on local arrangements.

Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular one-to-one supervision, and undertake annual performance reviews for all line-managed staff.

Assist in the supervision, training and development of staff.

Identify training needs and dev