Deputy Director of Professional Services & Estates Assurance

Job summary

The Estates & Locations Directorate is responsible for the supply, management, and maintenance of HMRC’s operational estate and the provision of associated support services. Our purpose is to ensure they are safe, secure and available. Providing great experiences for those who use them, ensuring they support the delivery of the HMRC core business objectives, whilst representing value for money for taxpayers.

We are leading the delivery of the department's future estates portfolio through our locations programme, a critical success factor for HMRCs evolving operating model and supporting Government’s wider agenda for the Places for Growth. With 13 new modern office facilities already delivered and 6 remaining within our programme, we have an estate that is mature in its delivery and performance driven by our estate's strategy. We provide space to 70,000 HMRC colleagues and 20,000 other government department colleagues.

The Deputy Director will lead the Professional Services and Estates Assurance function for the Directorate, providing strategic leadership across Estates health & safety, assurance, compliance, engineering & technical services, sustainability and property digital & data. This is a highly visible and influential SCS1 leadership role shaping and assuring key parts of our Estate. We are seeking a highly experienced and qualified senior leader to shape and drive excellence across one of the UK’s operational and office property portfolios. The role will set the standards for safety, compliance and technical assurance, embedding innovation and digital enablement to assure and transform our portfolio. The successful candidate will build a high-achieving professional services function, ensuring the estate is safe, compliant and future-ready, working across government and industry to lead new innovation.

For the right candidate, this is a diverse, demanding and rewarding role. I look forward to receiving your application and thank you in advance for your interest in joining our team.

Job description

As the Deputy Director of Professional Services & Estates Assurance, you will lead a key function within the Estates & Locations Directorate, responsible for driving assurance, standards and professional services across HMRC’s estate. You will play a central role in ensuring the estate is safe, compliant, sustainable and fit for purpose, supporting delivery of HMRC’s strategic objectives and wider Government Property ambitions.

You will be responsible for:

• Leading a multidisciplinary team of property, engineering, sustainability and data professionals, providing visible, inclusive leadership and building a high-performing culture.
• Setting the strategic direction for estates assurance, ensuring compliance across Health & Safety, Fire Safety, Sustainability and Technical/Engineering standards.
• Shaping and delivering the Digital Estate Strategy, including property data, analytics and future system integration to support decision-making.
• Acting as Line of Defence process owner for estates, establishing robust assurance frameworks and governance models across the function.
• Identifying opportunities to drive innovation, efficiency and sustainability across the estate, developing business cases and implementing improvements.
• Owning and managing key professional services contracts, ensuring effective supplier performance, delivery and value for money.
• leading the development of an integrated Information Management Framework to support estate operations and long-term capability.
• delivering key elements of the Estates Business Plan, ensuring alignment with wider Government Property Strategy priorities.
• embedding Building Information Modelling (BIM) and supporting delivery of digital twin ambitions across estate programmes and operations
• ensuring that all construction and development activity is appropriately assured, compliant with HMRC standards and aligned to contractual requirements
• working closely with legal and commercial colleagues to provide expert advice on construction and contractual matters
• overseeing operational contract management of professional services suppliers, directing delivery at project level
• ensuring effective policies, plans and Level 2 assurance are in place to support business-as-usual estate operations and statutory compliance.
• leading the development and delivery of the Estates Sustainability Strategy, including Net Zero ambitions, energy strategy and reduction plans.
• building strong relationships across HMRC, wider government and external partners to support joined-up delivery and “One Government” outcomes.

Person specification

• Professional Expertise: A strong track record of leading large-scale property, estates or construction functions within a complex organisation.
• Assurance & Governance: Experience operating at senior level in an assurance, compliance or technical leadership role, with a strong understanding of relevant legislation, particularly Health & Safety.
• Strategic Leadership: Proven experience operating at a strategic leadership level leading high-performing, multidisciplinary teams to deliver organisational objectives through.
• Complex Delivery: Experience delivering multi-site programmes or portfolios in complex, high-profile and stakeholder-rich environments.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Ability to develop strong relationships and influence at senior level across organisational and government boundaries.
• Commercial & Operational Insight: Experience managing contracts, suppliers and budgets, ensuring effective delivery and value for money.
• Data & Innovation: Understanding of digital estates, including property data, analytics, smart buildings or emerging industry trends.

Essential Professional Requirement:

• Degree (or equivalent) in a property-related field, must also have a relevant professional accreditation at level 6 or higher (e.g. RICS, CIOB, CEng, CIWFM) whilst chartered status (or working towards) would be advantageous.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £24,914 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).Please see attached Candidate Pack for Benefits

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

Please see attached Candidate Pack for Selection Process

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.

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