Senior Head of Estates Operations

Job summary

Can you lead high-performing teams through complex operational change, delivering excellent workplace and facilities management services across a large and diverse estate?

Have you successfully managed complex supplier contracts and stakeholder relationships, using performance data and innovation to drive continuous improvement and exceptional customer service?

Are you a strategic and visionary leader with a background in hard services and the drive to shape the future workplace, ensuring safe, sustainable and compliant estate operations while supporting organisational transformation?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Estates Management Group has a wide remit of responsibility covering all Estates operational services, Health, Safety & Compliance, Sustainability and Business Continuity and Incident Management. We strive to create and maintain a safe, efficient and welcoming environment that supports the organisation’s people, services and visitors. As the department continues its transformation and evolves its approach to managing workplace and facilities services, the team plays a central role in delivering high-quality operational outcomes across a diverse estate.

Working collaboratively with colleagues, suppliers and key stakeholders, the team oversees a broad range of services that enable the estate to operate effectively and sustainably. With a strong focus on innovation, customer experience and continuous improvement, the department is driving positive change to meet the needs of a modern, hybrid-working organisation. The team combines strategic thinking with operational excellence, ensuring services are compliant, resilient and aligned to future business requirements while delivering value for money and supporting organisational objectives.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at DVLA:

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Job description

This is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing estates operations across the DVLA, ensuring the delivery of safe, sustainable and customer-focused workplace services whilst also sitting within the DVLA’s wider Senior Leadership Team. Leading teams, suppliers and key stakeholders, the postholder will drive service excellence, continuous improvement and operational efficiency. The role spans Hard and Soft FM, Project Management, Travel and Security services, helping to shape the future workplace and deliver an exceptional environment for colleagues, visitors and partners.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

1. Lead a team of workplace specialists who are responsible for estates contract management (hard and soft services) and project delivery across the DVLA.
2. Working with the Head of Health & Safety to ensure a fully compliant approach to all estates related activities and projects to maintain a fully compliant estate.
3. Instigate and deliver an improved culture of customer service throughout the Estates Management team, ensuring a continuous improvement, culture development and a positive approach to change across all Department’s operations and activities
4. Ensuring all Estates strategic contracts deliver to the standards set, and provide innovation and added value, enabling quality services across the estate. Includes facilities management services for Hard FM (including M&E and building maintenance, grounds maintenance and projects) and Soft FM (including cleaning, catering, waste management and pest control) and an Estates Helpdesk. Using performance data and statistics to drive operational improvements.
5. Support the team in the delivery of a comprehensive annual programme of varied lifecycle replacement and major works projects.
6. Advance and support the Department’s organisational and cultural change programmes by, for example:

• Promoting changes and leading teams through the change process
• Delivering and monitoring the benefits brought by change
• Building team and management capability to be fit for the future
• Creating a culture that supports an environment of accountability and future proofs the workforce.

7. Support the Deputy Director, Estates Management Group, in developing and delivering a robust Estates Strategy and other areas of strategic estates management as required.

8. Ensure colleagues and contractors adhere to Data Protection, Security, Health & Safety policies and understand relevant contractual requirements.

9. To promote and maintain good working relationships with a broad range of key stakeholders internally and externally including the Department for Transport, the Government Property Agency and the TUS.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile.Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

1. Demonstrate significant experience of leading and developing high-performing teams, managing operational activities across a complex estate or facilities management environment, and delivering results through others while fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and customer service excellence.
2. Provide evidence of successfully managing complex Hard and Soft Facilities Management contracts, supplier relationships and service providers, using performance data and stakeholder feedback to drive operational improvements, whilst leading large-scale service transitions, mobilisation programmes or organisational change initiatives.
3. Demonstrate experience of developing and implementing estates or workplace strategies, building effective relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, and influencing senior leaders, contractors and partner organisations to achieve business objectives.
4. Provide examples of ensuring compliance with Health & Safety, security, data protection and statutory requirements within a complex operational environment, while leading organisational change, developing capability within teams and supporting the delivery of long-term strategic objectives

Additional Information

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 35 hours per week, over 5 days.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, w