Head of Estates (Campus Development)

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

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

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)

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.