Director of Estates & Campus Services

Keele University is seeking to appoint a Director of Estates and Campus Services to lead the university’s future approach to world-class and sustainable estate and campus services provision.

We’re Keele and we’re different. Founded almost 75 years ago to meet the demands of a new kind of society, economy and world, our principles resonate now more than ever. We are a campus university with over 12,500 students, nestled in 600 acres of Staffordshire countryside and just an hour from Manchester and Birmingham. It’s a big campus but a small and cosmopolitan community, with space to think and plenty to do.  At Keele we're leading the sector in sustainability, not just in our ambitions to become carbon neutral by 2030 but also through our teaching and our groundbreaking research into climate change and renewable technologies.

The estate, one of the most diverse and interesting in the sector, includes over 200 academic buildings across our main university campus in Staffordshire, including: a range of teaching spaces/laboratories, simulation facilities and state-of-the art research facilities; social and informal learning spaces; a Science & Innovation Park which includes a new Marriot Courtyard Hotel; university-owned halls of residences providing 2300 student study/bedrooms; 170 residential properties in mixed university and private ownership; and a state of the art energy centre.  Set in a 600-acre parkland campus of lakes and woodland, our buildings range in age from Grade II* listed Keele Hall built in 1860 to The Keele-Harper Vet School, opened in 2023.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer and working closely with other members of the university senior leadership team and Council, the Director of Estates and Campus Services is an executive level role with leadership responsibility for the university’s campus estate & services, including: masterplanning and capital development; property, asset and space management; estates operations and compliance; grounds and parkland management; sustainability and energy management; residential services; and campus and commercial services. The post holder will lead the development and delivery of a new campus masterplan and key flagship developments within it, with ambitions plans for investment (£250m in our estate, to be delivered over the next 10-15 years) and in support of our carbon neutral commitment.

We are seeking an individual that is an innovative and collaborative leader, that is aligned to the Keele mission and purpose and who is passionate about supporting Keele's commitment to sustainability.    Potential candidates will have significant experience in a leadership role across a large, complex and diverse estate portfolio, with a track record of initiating, developing and delivering integrated estates strategies to support an organisation’s institutional strategy.  

This is a rare opportunity to join a dynamic and innovative university and work with an Executive Team that is motivated to realise bold ambitions that will enable exceptional student experience and learning, ground-breaking research, staff satisfaction, enterprise and regional economic growth.  The role offers the chance to act as the custodian of a truly unique and inspiring estate portfolio.

The candidate brochure can be viewed at here

For a briefing discussion please contact our retained advisors Ben Duffill (ben.duffill@mrgglobal.com) and Michael Hewlett (michael.hewlett@mrgglobal.com) at MRG.

Closing date for applications is 15^th October 2023.  Final interviews are scheduled to take place on 24^th November 2023.

Keele University values diversity, and is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity, and to proper and fair representation across its senior decision making groups. In support of these commitments, the University particularly welcomes expressions of interest and applications from women and from individuals of Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, for this post.