Head of Estates (Campus Development)

Job summary

NERC Head of Estates Transformation
Natural Environment Research Council
Salary: £58,589 per annum
Band: UKRI Band F
Contract Type: Open Ended
Hours: Full-time
Location: Polaris House, Swindon - Hybrid working available

Closing Date: Friday 16th October 2026

Job description

The Head of Estate Transformation provides leadership of the entire estate transformation programme, ensuring effective delivery of the NERC Estates Strategy. The role is responsible for programme governance and budgeting. strategic planning, risk management assurance, stakeholder engagement, and oversight of delivery through others. The postholder will work closely with NERC Head of Estates and Centre leads to ensure a ‘one team’ approach which ensure seamless delivery of BAU and transformation activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Providing leadership and oversight for the entire estates transformation programme ensuring clear alignment with the NERC Estates Strategy.
• Translating organisational objectives into structured programme with clear deliverables schedules, dependencies and resource requirements.
• Advocating for the programme and its benefits within UKRI and beyond. Oversight of programme governance, strategic risk management and assurance activities.
• Budgeting and close financial tracking/assurance for the programme.
• Owning and maintaining programme documentation, including plans, risk registers, dashboards, decision logs and benefits information.
• Senior level engagement and stakeholder management including across Centres and within UKRI
• Ensure all building safety information is collected, verified and handed over accurately to statutory duty holders, supporting the Golden Thread requirements.
• Harmonising project interfaces with other estate‑related workstreams to ensure alignment, avoid duplication and identify shared opportunities.
• Promoting data‑driven decision making and continuous improvement across all project activity.
• Preparing detailed executive level reports, briefing papers and updates for senior leaders and internal/external stakeholders.
• Deputising for the Associate Director for Estates and Sustainability where needed

Person specification

• Proven experience in an estates leadership role
• Experience in leading and managing complex estates or capital programmes, delivering high quality outcomes within defined time, cost and scope parameters.
• NEC, APM, RICS or IWFM accreditation.
• Strong financial oversight capability, including budget setting, cost control, forecasting and ensuring transparent financial reporting.
• Experience in producing, maintaining and governing programmes control documentation, ensuring robust planning, tracking and decision making.
• Demonstrable strength in project & programme governance, applying structured oversight, assurance processes and compliance with organisational standards.
• Proven ability to identify, assess and manage project risks and opportunities.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience of decarbonisation activity within the built environment

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,589, UK Research and Innovation contributes £16,973 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).

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.

Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:
Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

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

For full details, please visit our careers site. Please submit an application including your CV and a Cover Letter that showcases how your skills and experience align to the requirements of the role.

A well thought through application providing evidence and examples of how you meet the advertised essential and desirable criteria for the post will be considered far more favourably than a generic covering letter and CV.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.

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

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Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : UKRI Recruitment
• Email : Recruitment@ukri.org

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@ukri.org