Estates and Health & Safety Planning Lead (Ref: 22493)

Job summary

Job description

Role: Estates and Health & Safety Planning Lead

Business: Office of Public Guardian (OPG)

Location: National

Grade: SEO

Salary: £49,325-£53,081 London, £42,914-£46,182 National

Contract Type: Fixed Term (12 Months)

Minimum Hours: 37

Organisational Overview

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) protects people in England and Wales who may not have the mental capacity to make certain decisions for themselves, such as about their health and finance. We are an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), set up in 2007 following the introduction of the Mental Capacity Act of 2005.

OPG is responsible for registering lasting powers of attorney (LPA) and enduring powers of attorney (EPA) and supervising deputies who are appointed by the Court of Protection.

OPG is a fantastic place to work offering a range of development opportunities. The OPG is a disability confident employer and is committed to developing a supportive and inclusive environment that reflects the diverse community we serve.

OPG is currently delivering an ambitious transformation programme. This will change the way we provide services and help us meet the growing needs of our users, partners and our stakeholders. It will make sure our users experience a better level of support and will help us to respond to the changing needs of society. Transformation will ensure we can better support adults at risk and create high-quality services that are accessible and affordable.

Team Overview

The Estates team sits within the Central Services Directorate and has two separate teams present at both Embankment House in Nottingham and Victoria Square House in Birmingham.

The OPG Estates and Health & Safety functions ensure the smooth and efficient operation of facilities management duties on a day-to-day basis. We manage this at both Victoria Square House and Embankment House and deliver essential services such as maintenance, property and leasehold, cleaning, and facilities management. We also undertake Display Screen Assessments, order office equipment and ensure compliance with health and safety regulations. Many of these services are business critical and we cannot safely open our offices without them. Other duties include such things as, working with and consulting with key contractors, and suppliers, raising orders for workplace maintenance, issuing of government passes to new staff members and providing facilities information via digital channels to ensure staff are kept updated.

Purpose of the role

This role will play a key part in shaping and delivering the Office of the Public Guardian's future Estates Strategy, ensuring estates, facilities management and health and safety services are efficient, sustainable and fit for the organisation's long-term needs. Working across multiple sites, the post holder will lead strategic reviews, organisational redesign and continuous improvement initiatives to create a more integrated and flexible operating model, delivering value for money and improved service outcomes. The role will use data and insight to inform decision-making, support workforce planning beyond 2030, and work closely with senior leaders, HR, Trade Unions and other stakeholders to drive transformational change and build a high-performing estates function aligned to future business requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the review and evaluation of existing Estates, Facilities Management and Health & Safety operating models, processes and practices, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, effectiveness and service quality.
• Support the development and delivery of the organisation's long-term Estates Strategy, ensuring estates and workplace services are aligned to future business needs, workforce requirements and organisational priorities beyond 2030.
• Deliver high-quality analysis of estates operations, workforce structures and service delivery models, using evidence and insight to inform strategic decision-making and transformation activity.
• Produce and present clear, data-driven recommendations and business cases to senior leaders, demonstrating the benefits, impacts and value for money opportunities associated with service redesign, workforce restructuring and estates transformation.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across Estates, Facilities Management and Health & Safety functions, promoting innovation, best practice and operational excellence.
• Lead work to harmonise and integrate estates-related services across multiple sites, identifying opportunities to create a more flexible, multi-skilled workforce while improving resilience and reducing duplication.
• Work in partnership with Human Resources Business Partners and key stakeholders to review organisational structures, role profiles and workforce planning assumptions, supporting future workforce requirements and resource forecasting beyond 2030.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with Trade Unions, HR colleagues and other stakeholders to ensure transformation proposals align with employment legislation, organisational policies and good employee relations practices.
• Collaborate with Learning and Development teams to identify capability gaps and develop training solutions that strengthen organisational compliance with Health & Safety responsibilities and support workforce development.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to influence strategic planning, secure buy-in for change initiatives and ensure successful implementation of estates transformation programmes.
• Contribute to wider corporate priorities and undertake additional duties commensurate with the grade and responsibilities of the post.

Agreed Expectations

The successful candidate will be expected to work from their base location on a weekly basis in line with current Civil Service requirements, outside of any reasonable adjustments. The role requires travel to both Nottingham and Birmingham offices

Skills & Qualifications

Essential Skills

Essential Skills

• Property, Facilities Management and Health & Safety experience: Experience of delivering improvements within Property, Estates, Facilities Management and/or Health & Safety functions, with the ability to assess service performance, challenge existing ways of working and identify opportunities for transformation.
• Strategic Thinking and Planning: Ability to contribute to the development and delivery of long-term estates and workplace strategies, aligning services with organisational objectives, workforce requirements and future business needs.
• Business Change and Transformation: Experience of leading or supporting organisational change, service redesign and continuous improvement initiatives to deliver improved outcomes and value for money.
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: Strong ability to analyse complex information, interpret data and identify trends, risks and opportunities to support evidence-based decision-making.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Influencing: Ability to build effective relationships and influence a wide range of stakeholders, including senior leaders, operational teams, HR, Trade Unions and external partners.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information c