Estates and Facilities Relationship Manager

Job Title:                               Estates and Facilities Relationship Manager

Department:                          Estates and Facilities Directorate

                                               Accommodation and Commercial Services

Grade:                                   Grade 7

Salary range:                        £37,099-£44,263

Working arrangements:      Full time (nominal 35 hours)

                                               Permanent

                                               Evenings and weekend working, as business needs

                                               Participation in out of hours on-call rota

                                               Hybrid working (minimum of two days per week onsite, depending on business need, following the initial induction/ training period, which will be full time onsite)

Closing date:                        Sunday 7th April 2024

The University

At Durham University we are proud of our people.  A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.

Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally.  We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University.

Further information about the University can be found here .

The Role and Department

As Estates and Facilities Relationship Manager, you will be the first point of contact, within your given area, for stakeholders and colleagues to report concerns or issues; ensuring the  Estates and Facilities Directorate consistently delivers exceptional services, to meet the operational needs of the University.

You will also be responsible for operational contract management with private student accommodation providers and other third party service providers; ensuring all operational and statutory obligations are fulfilled according to agreed timeframes.

The Estates and Facilities Directorate provides essential services to Durham University and is responsible for managing, maintaining and developing the infrastructure and building fabric of the various campuses.

Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:

·           30 days annual leave, in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year (a total of 42 days per year).

·           The University closes between Christmas and New Year.

·           We offer a generous pension scheme, as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).

·           No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered.  We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.

·           There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally.  There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University.  All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.

·           Lots of support for health and wellbeing, including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.

·           Onsite nursery is available and children’s clubs in the summer holidays.

·           Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).

·           The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community

·           Discounts are available via our benefits portal, including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema, and days out at various attractions.

·           A salary sacrifice scheme is also available, to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.

·           If you are moving to Durham, we can help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools.  If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Durham University is committed to equality diversity, inclusion and values

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.

As a University, equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct.   At Durham, we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community that is supportive and inclusive.  It is important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities, women, and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.  If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application.  If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process.  We will make adjustments to support the interview process, wherever it is reasonable to do so, and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification

When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role.  Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description.  Where criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered.

Your application should cover the following criteria:

Essential Criteria

Qualifications/Experience

1.      Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience), or relevant, equivalent experience in a similar customer-focussed environment.

2.      Hold, or working towards, a professional practitioner Facilities Management (FM) qualification, or be working towards one with specialist knowledge and expertise to influence service delivery, projects and activities within the organisation.  In some cases, relevant experience may be considered as an alternative.

3.      Experience of implementing policies and procedures and supporting change and service improvements.

4.      Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues.

5.      Experience of participating in internal or external networks to share and discuss good practice, develop strong and productive working relationships and positively influence the University’s reputation.

6.      Experience of managing and developing a team or teams, including matrix management, and/or line management qualification.

7.      Experience of managing service levels and/or key performance indicators to deliver expected standards to facilitate continual improvement.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

8.      Excellent spoken and written communication skills including the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally, challenging constructively and credibly, where required.

9.   Strong digital competence across a range digital devices and apps including digital communication tools, Microsoft 365 applications, business systems.

10.   Ability to solve problems and decide on and plan appropriate solutions.

11.   Proven track record of the ability to manage a varied workload and work to strict deadlines.

12.   Relevant proven track record of the ability to manage and deliver service activities on time and to budget.

13.   Demonstrable knowledge of excellence in hospitality services and experience of front-facing operational service management.

14.   Exceptional attention to detail.

Desirable Criteria

1.      Committed to continuing professional development to maintain professional recognition.

2.      Knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines.

3.      Relevant knowledge of health and safety.

How to Apply

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification.  It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.

Submitting your application

We prefer to receive applications online.  We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.

What you need to submit

·           A CV

·           A supporting statement or covering letter which outlines how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification

Contact details

For a chat about the role or any further information please contact Alison Rutherford, Senior Estates and Facilities Relationship Manager, [email protected] .

Typical Role Requirements

Service Delivery/Development

·           Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University’s values.

·           Review and look for ways to improve systems and procedures that are relevant to your area of work in line with the University’s frameworks and regulations.

·           Provide the best possible service by continually reviewing what is required from staff, students and others who you work with and contribute to ideas and service improvements.

·           Provide specialist knowledge and support when interpreting and analysing complex data and information sources.

·           Work with your team to look for ways to improve processes, techniques and outputs/results across all areas of your work.

·           Provide management for stakeholder service areas and/or processes ensuring a high quality and timely service to all stakeholders, including prospective, existing and past students and staff.

·           Building management responsibilities for properties/buildings within the remit of Accommodation and Commercial Services.

·           Responsible for operational contract management for contracts within the remit of Accommodation and Commercial Services, such as but not limited to PBSAs and third-party service providers.

·           Coordination of training provision for the Estates and Facilities Directorate.

Planning and Organisation

·           Manage the delivery of operational activities carried out by the Estates and Facilities Relationship Management team, for which you are responsible for.

·           Contribute to progressing the strategic and operational priorities of the Estates and Facilities Relationship Management team.

·           Review data on the level of service provided by your area to recommend areas for future improvement.

·           Manage budgets and expenditure including buying (and returning) goods and services.

Team Development

·           Act as line manager for one member of the Estates and Facilities Relationship Management team and undertake matrix management responsibilities as required by the role.

·           Manage and monitor the performance, workload and expected outcomes of the Estates and Facilities Relationship Management team and take action to respond anything that impacts on the service level provided.

·           Ensure that your team can deliver the required services by devolving and delegating responsibilities to appropriate team members.

·           Carry out regular performance reviews to provide feedback on objectives and expectations and identify any development needs.

·           Ensure that your team continues to develop by coaching and mentoring team members and delivering any training needs.

·           Support the welfare and wellbeing of your team referring more complex issues to specialist services.

Communication/Liaison

·           Provide advice and share guidance with your stakeholders to ensure that the University’s policies, procedures and regulations are complied with.

·           Use your operational expertise participate in business meetings, working groups and sub-committees.

·           Coordinate and oversee committees and other business meetings and deal with any related complaints.

·           Update policies and procedures in response to any internal or external changes.

·           Create positive working relationships, including internal and external networks, using your networks to increase your knowledge and skills and swap information with peers.

·           Any other reasonable duties.

Useful links

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement , which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.