Head of Estates Operations

THE DEAN TRUST

C/o ASHTON ON MERSEY SCHOOL

Cecil Avenue

Sale

M33 5BP

Telephone

0161 973 1179

Website

https://www.thedeantrust.co.uk/

HEAD OF

ESTATES OPERATIONS - Start Date

ASAP

NJC Pay Band 12, SCP 45 48, £55,620 - £59,016 per annum FTE, plus Car Allowance (Pay Award Pending)

Full Time across Monday - Friday

Permanent

Location

Candidates’ main office base will be at one of our Dean Trust sites; this is to be agreed at interview, but will be either Huyton, Manchester or Trafford

Regular travel between all Trust sites will be required as part of the role.

The Dean Trust is one of the North West's leading multi-academy trusts, educating thousands of children and young people across our family of primary and secondary schools. We are committed to delivering outstanding education through collaboration, innovation and high-quality support services that enable our schools to thrive.

The Dean Trust is seeking an experienced and strategic Head of Estates Operations to lead the management and development of our estate across multiple school sites.

Reporting to the Chief Estates Strategy Officer (CESO), you will provide strategic and operational leadership for the Trust's estates function, leading a dedicated Estates Team and ensuring the effective delivery of planned and reactive maintenance, statutory compliance, health and safety, and capital improvement projects.

You will deputise for the Chief Estates Strategy Officer in their absence.

You will work closely with Headteachers, school leadership teams and central services to deliver a consistent, customer-focused estates service that supports educational excellence across every Trust school.

Key responsibilities include

Leading the operational delivery of estates services across all Trust sites

Ensuring statutory compliance and overseeing planned preventative maintenance programmes

Managing reactive maintenance, contractors and service providers

Leading, coaching and developing the Trust Estates Team

Supporting the delivery of capital projects and long-term asset management

Driving continuous improvement, sustainability initiatives and operational excellence

Producing strategic performance and compliance reports to inform Trust-wide decision making

We're looking for an experienced estates professional who can combine strategic thinking with strong operational leadership.

You will have

Senior leadership experience managing estates or facilities across a multi-site organisation

Extensive knowledge of statutory compliance, health and safety legislation and estates management within complex environments

Experience leading teams, managing contractors and delivering high-quality services

Excellent stakeholder management, communication and organisational skills

A full UK driving licence and the ability to travel regularly across Trust schools

Experience within education, public sector or Multi-Academy Trust environments would be advantageous.

In return, we offer comprehensive employee benefits package, including wellbeing support and professional development opportunities, please see below our Trust benefits.

Contact

For more information about the role, please contact Maria Finnigan (CESO) at mariafinnigan@thedeantrust.co.uk

Link

We are an Equal Opportunities employer committed to ensuring inclusion, diversity and equality of opportunity. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates including those from underrepresented groups, and/or with protected characteristics.

The Dean Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Check.

Application Closing Date - Thursday 17 September 2026 at 9.00 am

Interview Date - Thursday 24 September 2026 and will be held at Lord Derby Academy.