Director Estates

Job summary

The FCDO, formed from the merger of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development in September 2020, leads the UK's international diplomatic, development, and consular efforts. It employs around 17,000 staff across 180 countries and territories, supported by 12 agencies and public bodies. UK-based staff work in London, East Kilbride, and Milton Keynes.

The Estates Director will lead the transformation and stewardship of an estate unique to the United Kingdom. The FCDO’s £2.5bn global property estate spans 180 countries and comprises approximately 6,800 assets, including embassies, ambassadorial residences and staff accommodation.

This is a pivotal leadership role at a time of significant organisational change. The successful candidate will set the strategic direction for the FCDO estate and oversee the accelerated delivery of a major global transformation programme, ensuring the estate is secure, resilient, sustainable, and aligned with the UK’s diplomatic, development and security objectives.

The role will focus on reshaping the estate to reflect the FCDO’s global priorities and footprint in today’s challenging international context. A central element of the role will be refreshing the global estates strategy alongside the leadership of a significant, multi-year capital investment and refurbishment programme across the global estate, encompassing new builds, major renewals and complex heritage assets. The successful candidate will lead a team overseeing health and safety performance and reducing carbon emissions whilst strengthening governance, assurance and delivery capability across a highly complex international portfolio.

This is a strategic leadership role, with the successful candidate setting direction and enabling delivery through strong teams, clear governance and effective partners. While accountability for performance sits with the Estates Director, success will be measured by the establishment of a resilient operating model and sustained improvement in delivery and value for money over time.

The Estates Director will be a core member of the Chief Operating Officer’s Senior Leadership Team, working closely with the Chief People Officer, Director of Technology, Commercial Director and Finance Director.

A fundamental priority for the role is ensuring that the global estate provides a safe, secure and legally compliant environment for staff, visitors and partners, particularly in high-risk locations, and that health and safety considerations are embedded into all investment and operational decisions.

Job description

The FCDO makes the UK stronger, safer and more prosperous, by leading and integrating delivery of the Government’s objectives abroad. You can find out more about the organisation by looking at the FCDO on gov.uk.

Delivery across the global estate is achieved through a combination of in-house capability and a wide range of commercial partners operating in diverse international contexts. The Estates Director will lead a senior leadership team and work through others to ensure consistent standards, strong assurance and effective performance management across this model.

The Estates Director will be responsible for:

1. Developing and delivering the FCDO Estates Strategy to 2030 and beyond, maximising value from the global estate by optimising utilisation, prioritising investment and project delivery across purchase, lease, new build and refurbishment, and identifying surplus or under-performing assets for disposal or alternative use.

2. Providing clear and inclusive leadership to a diverse and geographically dispersed estates function, ensuring the organisation has the capability and capacity required to deliver on its priorities, and leading and developing the senior management team through clear delegation, accountability and performance expectations.

3. Designing and embedding a world-class estates operating model that reduces risk, improves efficiency and strengthens governance and assurance across a complex, internationally delivered portfolio. This will include:

a) Strategic management of portfolio-level risk, including security, resilience and business continuity in high-risk locations.

b) Establishing a best-in-class health and safety capability across the estate.

c) Delivering greening commitments and net zero pathways.

d) Ensuring full compliance with relevant legislative, regulatory and assurance requirements.

4. Providingexecutive leadership for estates programmes andoperations, including major capital projects, facilities management and life-support contracts. This will include:

a) Ensuring programmes and projects are delivered to agreed time, cost and quality expectations.

b) Working in close partnership with geographic directors and overseas missions.

c) Leading effective collaboration with internal stakeholders and external partners.

d) Setting and enforcing robust programme, project and contract management standards.

e) Overseeing development of business cases through appropriate HMG governance and assurance processes.

5. Leading the financial and commercial stewardship of the global estate, managing substantial capital and revenue budgets across a portfolio of approximately 6,800 assets, including embassies, ambassadorial residences and staff accommodation, and balancing maintenance requirements alongside a range of investment priorities. Championing the use of asset, performance and cost data to support prioritisation, assurance and long-term investment decisions across the portfolio.

6. Managing strategic relationships with OneHMG partners and other government departments across the overseas platform to ensure effective co-ordination, value for money and alignment of estates delivery.

7. Providing authoritative advice and leadership on all estates and property matters, offering timely, well-judged input to senior leaders on risk, investment, estates development, delivery and assurance. Collaborating with fellow property and project leaders across HMG to drive functional improvement, innovation and thought leadership.

Person specification

We are committed to ensuring the FCDO remains a world-leading institution, offering roles that attract and retain exceptional talent from across the UK and internationally. We aim to recruit and retain the best people; those who are delivery focused and have a strong track record in high impact outcomes. This role is suited to a senior estates or infrastructure leader with experience of leading large-scale, complex estates transformation, either within government or in highly regulated or international environments.

The Civil Service is open to talented people from any career background; we will always seek to identify transferable skills from the individual’s experience. The Essential Criteria to succeed in this role and be selected are:

• Estates leadership and strategic capability – Demonstrable credibility as a senior enterprise leader responsible for large-scale geographically dispersed estates functions, with experience setting strategy, transforming operating models, and leading end-to-end delivery across complex portfolios, balancing operational performance with long-term organisational outcomes. This includes ensuring that the global estate provides safe, secure and legally compliant environments for staff, visitors and partners, and embedding health and safety considerations into all strategic investment and operational decisions.

• Programme and project leadership at scale – Proven experience leading major, multi-year estates, infrastructure or property transformation programmes, including complex capital projects, significant planned and reactive maintenance requirements, portfolio prioritisation, risk management, and benefits realisation, ideally across multiple sites and jurisdictions.

• Financial Acumen – Demonstrable commercial leadership capability, including responsibility for substantial capital and operational budgets, contractual negotiations, proactive management of third-party supplier relationships, development and approval of major business cases, prioritisation of investment and assurance of value for money across large and complex estates and infrastructure programmes.

• Delivery in complex environments – Experience delivering estates or infrastructure outcomes in complex contexts, with a demonstrable understanding of security, resilience, safety, and assurance requirements, and the ability to adapt delivery models accordingly.

• Influence, Partnership and Stakeholder Leadership – A track record of operating at senior levels across industry and/or government, influencing Ministers or boards and executive teams, and building effective partnerships to deliver shared outcomes across organisational boundaries.

• Full (e.g. Chartered) professional membership/accreditation of a recognised property professional body, for example (but not limited to) RIBA, CIOB, RICS and/or an equivalent qualification. The individual may also be professionally qualified to a similar level.

It is important that your application provides evidence and examples that meet these criteria. A deep technical knowledge of foreign policy and wider Government priorities is not critical; however, an interest and an aptitude for learning and an alignment with the desired outcomes of HMG will be expected.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £100,000, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office contributes £28,970 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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

You must be a British Citizen at the point of application.

The recruitment process is being undertaken by Russell Reynolds Associates on behalf of the FCDO. The closing date is noon Monday 23rd March 2026.

Please click here to apply using job reference number 2601-086L. You will be asked to register your details, answer any application questions and upload your CV and Statement of Suitability (covering statement). Should you wish to speak with someone before submitting an application, or if you have difficulty in accessing the online platform, please contact responses@russellreynolds.com in the first instance, quoting reference number 2601-086L.

All applications will be acknowledged and considered by the selection panel.

Your submission should include:

• Your CV, with educational and professional qualifications and full employment history, including an explanation of any gaps in your employment history.
• A Statement of Suitability (no longer than two pages) explaining your personal skills, qualities, abilities and experience relevant to the requirements of the job in support of your application with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification. It should also describe your vision for the job and how you would propose to approach this if appointed.
• A completed Diversity Questionnaire. The FCDO is committed to equal opportunities. Our officers are recruited on merit, through fair and open competition. We seek our strength through diversity and appoint suitably qualified individuals regardless of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, social backgrounds, age or disability. To help us ensure that our recruitment activity reflects the diversity of British society, we would be grateful if you could complete the diversity monitoring form. As part of the application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be provided to the selection panel. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer. All data is reported in an anonymous and aggregate format and will not be seen by anyone assessing your application.
• A Declaration of Interest form available here.

This vacancy is part of theA Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. For further information on whether you are eligible to apply under this scheme please follow the link.

The FCDO is an accredited ‘Disability Confident Employer’ under the government's Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive commitment towards disabled people. We guarantee to interview anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the role as outlined in the Person Specification in this pack. By ‘minimum criteria’ we mean you must provide us with evidence in your application which demonstrates that you generally meet the level of competency required for each competence, as well as meeting any of the qualifications, skills, or experience defined as essential.

If you wish to claim a guaranteed interview under the Disability Confident commitment, you should select this option in your application. It is not necessary to state the nature of your disability.

Reasonable Adjustments:

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments in order to support disabled job applicants and ensure that you are not disadvantaged in the recruitment and assessment process. Reasonable adjustments could include allowing extra time during selection tests, ensuring that information is provided in an accessible format, or providing training.

If you feel that you may need a reasonable adjustment to be made, or you would like to discuss your requirements in more detail, please contact us in the first instance. If you wish to receive a hard copy of the information, or in an alternative format e.g., Audio, Braille or large font then please contact: responses@russellreynolds.com

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer in the UK. See the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy link at the end of the Pack for more information.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Russell Reynolds
• Email : responses@russellreynolds.com

Recruitment team

• Email : responses@russellreynolds.com

Further information

If you wish to make a complaint you should email HRDirectUK@fco.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the FCDO you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

FINAL Candidate Pack Estates Director Opens in new window (docx, 9MB)