Head of Estates

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
NHS
Head of Estates

The closing date is 23 February 2026

Head of Estates – Lead Our Estates Services at MKUH

Hours: 37.5 per week, based at MK6 5LD with occasional travel to Community Sites

Milton Keynes University Hospital is growing, and so is our Estates team. We are creating a new senior leadership role to strengthen our ability to deliver safe, efficient, and high-quality estates services across a complex healthcare environment.

As Head of Estates, you will work closely with the Director of Estates & Facilities, taking responsibility for the operational and strategic management of our Estates Services.

This includes:

• Maintenance and Engineering Teams – ensuring reliability and compliance across critical systems
• Fire Safety and Compliance – managing statutory obligations and risk mitigation
• Minor Works Projects

Your Role

• Provide professional leadership to multi-disciplinary teams, including Senior Engineers, Maintenance Managers, Fire Advisors, and Compliance Officers
• Oversee service delivery across electrical systems, ventilation, water hygiene, medical gases, and other HTM-compliant areas
• Advise on long-term strategic development and capital investment programmes
• Manage budgets of over £1 million and lead on technical tenders, contracts, and performance improvement

Main duties of the job

Estates & Ancillary Staff rate MKUH highly for supporting for a healthy work life balance (NHS Staff Survey 2024.)

What We’re Looking For

• Master’s level qualification in Building Services or equivalent experience
• Proven leadership in estates management within the NHS or similar high compliance sector
• Strong technical knowledge of engineering services and statutory compliance
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels

Why Join MKUH?

• Be part of a forward thinking Trust with significant investment in infrastructure and patient care
• Shape the future of our estate and contribute to strategic development
• Join a team that values collaboration, professionalism, and continuous improvement

Apply today and help us deliver excellence in estates management. If you have pre application questions, please direct these to Tony Marsh (Director of Estates & Facilities) via the Maintenance Helpdesk on .

Find out more about our new developments: MK View

About us

Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting edge research and education. With a “Good” rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.

As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.

We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state of the art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.

Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards – a new ward block featuring two 24 bed wards – and the recently approved Women and Children’s Centre, set to open by 2030.

Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH – News – Milton Keynes University Hospital –

For further information about Milton Keynes please visit – Visit Milton Keynes

Job responsibilities

SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To advise the Director of Estates & Facilities as required, to ensure service is maintained in the absence of the post holder and undertake such duties as required of that post holder.
2. To manage the delegated leads on the following areas of work: Nominated Responsible Persons for Fire, Nominated Responsible Person for Ventilation, Nominated Responsible Person for Water Management, Nominated Responsible Person for the Management of Asbestos.
3. The post holder will be responsible for the day to day managerial/professional control of a wide range of operational services for the Estates Department as outlined in Appendix 1.
4. Advise the Director of Estates & Facilities on the management of the Trusts estate and improvement of its physical environment for patients, visitors and staff.
5. The post holder will advise on key areas of Estates Services to assist in the development of long term strategic plans and programmes of work that will impact on services and Trust assets to allow the organisation its overall objectives.
6. To be responsible for managing and implementing Estates Service Level Agreements with other Occupiers, including regular service meetings and revising contracts at regular intervals to ensure service delivery is in line with financial income to the Trust and the needs of the occupiers.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

1. Accountable for Estates Services including maintenance and services by directly employed and contract labour in excess of £1,000,000 within delegated limits.
2. Budget holder for several department budgets across Estates Services, to delegated limits.
3. To ensure expenditure is controlled across the budgets.
4. Approve purchase orders and sign off payment of invoices and expenses.
5. Responsible for production of Technical Tenders in line with Trust Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs).

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To provide managerial support and leadership to Estates Services staff.
2. To maintain effective channels of communication within the department between management, staff and other hospital departments.
3. To ensure training needs within the Department are prepared and appropriate induction and training schedules for staff are maintained and actioned including Mandatory Training, Essential for Role Technical Training and CPD.
4. Establish working relationships and methods, with Health & Safety Executive, Environmental Health Officers, Local and County Councils and Environment Agency, Fire Authority and other Agencies.

Please refer to the job description for further details.

Person Specification Qualifications and knowledge

• Master’s Level in Building Services (or a relevant Engineering discipline), or significant demonstratable experience gained from working at senior level in a complex estate with acquired knowledge and experience to the same level.
• Knowledge in NHS Engineering services
• Qualified as Authorised Person in an HTM engineering field.
• Membership of a professional engineering organisation with evidence of Continued Professional Development (CPD).

Experience

• NHS experience in a similar role or substantial experience in a similar role in an equally high compliance industry.
• Experience of leading a range of departments and disciplines within Estate Management, including Maintenance, Engineering Teams, Fire Safety and Compliance.
• Advisory Experience in the strategic development of large complex estates with regards to engineering services.

Skills

• High level communicator, Leadership skills
• High level judgements across a wide range of subject areas, often with conflicting demands and pressure from time and/or risk involved decision making.
• Contractual decisions with high levels of financial and service impacts.
• Ability to work accurately and manage large multi disciplinary departments under pressure.
• Ability to seek solutions to extremely challenging problems showing empathy with staff, visitors and patients.
• HR experience of following, implementing and managing policy across varied technical disciplines.

Personal and people development

• Maintain Authorised Person (AP) accreditation.
• Regular updates through Journals, Workshops & HEFMA.
• Appraisal of direct reports and ensure all service staff receive appraisals.

Communication

• Communicating Estates policy and highly technical information to senior management and directors.
• Negotiating large contracts.
• Dealing with a range of staff (technical & non-technical) and specialist contractors.

Specific requirements

• Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust