Senior Real Estate Manager

Job summary

Senior Real Estate Manager

Natural Environment Research Council
Salary: £46,743 per annum
Band: UKRI E
NERC Transformation: Senior Real Estate Manager
Contract Type: Open Ended
Hours: Full-time
Location: Swindon - Hybrid working available

Closing Date: Monday 7th September 2026
Interview Date: Proposed dates - 16th, 22nd and 23rd September

Job description

About the role

The Senior Real Estate Manager provides high level organisation and coordination of complex real estate matters. They act as a subject matter expert for real estate and commercial property law and ensure NERC / BBSRC real estate liabilities are managed well in line with published best practice.

Reporting to the NERC Head of Real Estate, this role will suit an experienced surveyor, legal or property professional with an interest in enabling globally leading research.

You will work within a well-regarded team and input into several high-profile projects under across NERC and BBSRC. There are also opportunities to collaborate /work on projects across the wider UKRI portfolio.

You will oversee the NERC property portfolio including managing lease and licence renewals, business rate payments and licence to alter processes.

You will lead for property data collection, curation, verification and reporting including to UKRI and central government via the State of the Estate (SOFTE) return.

You will work closely with the NERC Head of Real Estate to build and maintain strong Centre & contractor relationships and to ensure executive level reporting.

You will work closely with other estates and sustainability professionals within the team and may line manage some staff members in future.

Your responsibilities

• Leading task management for the property portfolio, defining deadlines and resourcing activities and managing stakeholder requirements & expectations.
• Identifying, managing and escalating risks and opportunities arising from the property function. Taking a solutions approach to risk management.
• Developing and managing cut crossing processes and policies for commercial property real estate that translate government and UKRI requirements into NERC activities, including for document retention and document approvals.
• Leading on data and information management for real estate. Working with the Senior Estate Information Manager & Real Estate Manager to ensure database systems are effective and efficient.
• Leading on real estate annual data reporting to UKRI including data collection, curation and verification.
• Maintaining strong proactive working relationships with professional service providers and colleagues across NERC and its operational delivery partners, proactively managing communications and project updates.
• Working closely with other key programme leads, e.g. FDRI & AIMP, to identify areas of crossover, ensuring alignment and efficiency across programmes.
• Acting as a subject matter expert for property real estate including for assurance and project development processes. Ensuring NERC works within legal and contractual property requirements.
• Leading on procurement of legal and real professional services.
• Managing local project budgets including ensuring effective cost controls for professional services, financial assurance and reporting.
• Assisting senior colleagues with the preparation of briefing documents and other materials for committees & responses to external and internal queries, ensuring accurate reporting on work progress, risks and dependencies.
• Deputising for the Head of Real Estate as required at internal and external meetings.

Person specification

• Relevant experience in property real estate management (minimum 5 years).
• Professionally real estate recognised qualification (s) relevant for the role e.g. commercial property management, valuation, surveyor, legal qualifications.
• Experience of working on real estate projects.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills with the ability to independently plan, prioritise and progress multiple workstreams.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage a varied and changing workload.
• Sound understanding of UK government property standards and UK legal property frameworks.
• Understands the importance of managing and mitigating risks and issues and escalating where required.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills. Ability to effectively negotiate with and influence partners at all levels.
• Excellent numeracy skills, with experience of managing large datasets.
• Effective collaborator and team member
• A desire to progress professionally in a property-based project and programme management role.
• A willingness to travel for work – to attend project meetings at sites.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,743, UK Research and Innovation contributes £13,541 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme
• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

How to apply:

For full details, please visit our careers site. Please submit an application including your CV and a Cover Letter that showcases how your skills and experience align to the requirements of the role.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.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 Settlem