The role

What we value at Westminster

Strategy Development – Provide leadership for the development of corporate strategic asset management plans and services asset strategies to ensure that the property estate is aligned with service priorities and supports the Council’s Fairer Westminster objectives.

Lead and constantly refine the property service to enable the Council to meet its future challenges, fostering a culture of collaboration, customer focus, professionalism and continuous improvement.

Lead, develop and ensure the implementation of corporate strategies to reduce carbon emissions from the property estate in line with the Council’s Climate Change commitment

Resources / Financial Management – Ensure tight budgetary control and prioritise use of resources and assets to support the delivery of the Council’s Fairer Westminster vison and help ensure that the Council receives value for money from its expenditure.

Drive and/or support the development of outcome-based commissioning models to better ensure strong price competition and transfer of risks through contracts with third parties.

Champion and drive the development of commercial opportunities.

Partners and Stakeholders – Actively engage, communicate and influence within the Council, across partners and with the wider local and central government community to champion the Council’s approach to unified public services. Foster the bringing together of local services and decisions across agencies to reduce demand and help communities more independently support themselves.

Business Change – Lead, develop and ensure implementation and review of change management programmes to deliver continual improvement. Assist the Chief Executive and Executive Directors in developing a single Council-wide corporate culture to engender a strong and shared approach to delivering services and provide better support for staff to deliver savings.

Specific Responsibilities:

As the Council’s principal adviser on property and estates, provide support and advice on all property matters to officers and members. Advise on legislative changes and best practice/innovative approaches to improve service delivery.
Responsible for the Council’s significant commercial property portfolio, maximising returns, making investments to diversify and grow the estate, reducing the costs of the portfolio and managing the contract and relationship with the Council’s investment property.
Pro-actively support the Executive Director of Finance and Resources to determine and realise the strategic direction of the services, influencing delivery, both internal and external, and evaluating risks and opportunities, making a leading contribution to strategies and plans including the Medium-Term Financial Planning Strategy.
Lead on the Council’s commercial investment portfolio business planning process – establishing clear financial and operational targets and taking responsibility for delivery.
Develop sustainable policies for the property estate to contribute to the Council’s aspirations of a zero-carbon city – communicate and embed these across the Council. Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders of the Council to successfully achieve this.
Develop and implement a clear strategy for the Council’s operational property estate. This should deliver high quality, fit for purpose accommodation for the Council’s services while focusing on efficiency and effectiveness. This includes consistent workplace design, accessibility and corporate standards across the operational portfolio including the development of a digital property information strategy and is shared effectively with partners and contractors where appropriate.
Develop and embed corporate arrangements for regular reviews of the property portfolio so that under-utilised or underperforming assets are identified, appraised and strategic consideration given for future use or disposal. Ensure that fair, transparent and consistent processes are in place for assessing business cases and value for money on any proposals or projects that involve disposal and/or investment.
Ensure there is effective forward planning, based on analysis of condition and investment needs to secure funding for planned preventative maintenance and capital investment for all the Council’s assets.
Ensure all Council service buildings and workplace locations are statutory compliant regarding Health and Safety; that buildings are being operated safely and that all periodic testing and maintenance is completed; that health and safety and statutory compliance responsibilities with identified responsible individuals for each property is in place.
Lead the Councils Corporate Health & Safety team and ensure that systems and compliance are working effectively across all Council services.
Ensure that buildings are inclusive and meet all disability requirements.
Oversee to successful conclusion, property projects including renovation, maintenance, decant processes and all other projects associated with the Council’s operational and investment property portfolio.
Develop a robust and comprehensive property performance monitoring process and regular reporting to the Strategic Projects Board and Property Investment Panel.
Lead and foster a high performance, collaborative and fully integrated property service, nurture and foster a best practice culture within the team.
Other duties as directed.

Budget Responsibilities:

Staffing c.£3.5m
Property commercial income c.£44m
Property non-pay costs c.£31m
Total budget of c.£217m including Capital Programme

What do we expect this role to achieve?

As a member of the Council’s senior management team, to contribute proactively to the collective leadership for the Council, working collaboratively with Members, services across the Council, partners and stakeholders to deliver the Council’s objectives and priorities.

Lead by example in modelling and embedding the Council’s values and behaviours to help build a sustainable highly effective organisation and develop our reputation as a successful Council delivering great value for its residents.

Provide outstanding leadership and direction to the service, driving service transformation and ensuring excellent joint working with Members and other stakeholders

Role details

Band/Salary range: Band 6

Work style: Agile

Your manager & team
Reports to Executive Director of Finance & Resources
Direct Reports: Head of FM and Workplace Property, Head of Sustainability and Data Insight, Head of Fund Management, Head of Corporate Landlord, Head of Corporate Health and Safety, Head of Capital Programmes, Head of Resident Services

Corporate Property Structure

Experience

Experience across the public or private sectors, evidenced by a track record of success, leading and developing a significant property function or service in a large multi-disciplined organisation with comparable scope, budgets and resources.
Professional background including specialist knowledge in one or more of the following areas: Building Services, Facilities Management, Estates and Property Management, Construction.
Demonstrable experience of establishing and building partnerships and productive working relationships within a complex policy and service environment with senior managers and councillors, and a wide range of other bodies, such as partner organisations, communities, public agencies and statutory bodies.
Evidence of successful resources management in a multi-disciplinary environment, as well as a successful track record in managing large budgets, business planning, quality and performance management.

Evidence of successfully building and leading multi-disciplinary property teams and developing leadership qualities at levels of the team.

Skills

Knowledge of the commercial and occupational property sector, including benchmark returns for asset classes, experience of operational and investment portfolio management and performance management across these sectors.
Knowledge of the issues facing local government and those relevant to service/functional responsibilities, together with the legal, financial and political context of public sector management and the statutory responsibilities of this post.
Proven ability to manage political and cultural issues and deliver project, programme and change management programmes.
Ability to translate strategic objectives into operational plans.
Ability to deploy advanced interpersonal skills to inspire, motivate, coach and develop team members to high levels of performance.
Advanced relationship and stakeholder management skills and skilled in written and verbal communication to influence and engage others effectively.
Excellent financial and budget management skills with the ability to deliver economies through creative and efficient working practices.

A commitment to equality and diversity, both as a leader and a service deliverer, with an ability to demonstrate personal leadership on the importance of diversity.

Qualifications

Relevant professional qualification in a built environment discipline, MRICS or similar
Evidence of continued professional, managerial and personal development.

Corporate standards

Resources / Financial management
We expect you to manage delegated budgets, funding and resources in line with our processes and our Westminster Way

Values and behaviours
Our values and behaviours are at the heart of everything we do. We expect you to work in this Westminster Way empowering, engaging and encouraging your teammates to deliver our corporate vision.

Compliance
We expect you to ensure legal, regulatory and policy compliance in area of your specialism, identifying opportunities and risks and escalate/report where appropriate.

Equality and diversity
We value equality and diversity as a City Council and we want you to support and promote this in your day-to-day work.

Additional values and behaviours for Managers

People and Service Management

Role model Our Westminster Way:
- Demonstrate inclusive leadership
- Take the lead in driving initiatives
- Be proactive in being forward and outward looking, by regularly investing in own development
- Delivering against the Council’s bold Equality, Diversity and Inclusion ambitions

Driving forward performance by empowering staff to take the lead. Setting high standards, encouraging continuous improvement and innovation. Supporting the team to achieve by adopting a coaching style of management
Having regular employee led conversations to develop our people – creating a safe environment for learning, taking time to understand their strengths and motivations, stretching them and coaching them to achieve.
Managing budgets responsibly – planning, monitoring and adapting budgets to respond to changing priorities.
Delivering the Medium-Term Financial Plan as approved.

Working within the democratic framework – understanding the democratic process and its role in public organisations, anticipating Member needs and responding to their feedback