Holiday: 31 days holiday inclusive of bank holidays (+1 day per year of service)
Based in: Observer Building, Cambridge Road, Hastings TN34 1DT
About us
We take derelict and difficult buildings around the White Rock area of Hastings into community custody, transforming them into social spaces, homes and workspaces that will always be affordable and open to all.
We celebrate people’s ideas and energy and together we shape the places and share the stories of this special, historic neighbourhood. See more at www.hastingscommons.com.
Purpose of the role
We are looking for an experienced and forward‑thinking Estate Manager to oversee the strategic development, operation and optimisation of our estate. This is a pivotal role responsible for creating a safe, sustainable, high‑quality and service‑driven environment that underpins our charitable strategic objectives.
The Candidate
The ideal candidate will be a credible team leader with substantial experience managing hard FM, soft FM, Health & Safety and large‑scale mixed use property operations within a urban environment. You will be confident operating at a senior level, able to balance long‑term strategic planning with the demands of day‑to‑day operational leadership. You will bring integrity, strong judgement, and the ability to motivate teams through change. A commitment to sustainability, service excellence, safety and continuous improvement will be core to your approach. You will also be collaborative, approachable, and skilled at building strong relationships.
CORE ROLE
- Lead the day‑to‑day operations across 11 mixed‑use buildings (residential and commercial)
- Manage and motivate a team of 8 staff, including facilities, maintenance, and tenant liaison teams
- Ensure compliance with health & safety, building regulations, Building Safety Act and legal requirements including being the Responsible Person for fire safety and the Accountable Person supporting the Principal Accountable Person for our two high rise buildings (7 storeys and 9 storeys)
- Develop and implement strategic plans for estate improvement and sustainability
- Manage budgets, contracts, and service providers to ensure cost‑effective operations
- Build strong relationships with tenants, commercial partners, and other statutory bodies
- Oversee refurbishment, maintenance, and small capital improvement projects
OPERATIONS
- Establish and maintain effective processes and systems to be utilised throughout all our operations
- Procure and manage company assets such as IT and telecoms equipment
- Provide technical support and advice across the staff team utilising our technical support contractors where appropriate
- Provide technical building support alongside the Facilities Manager for tenants that operate our food and beverage offering
BUILDING MANAGEMENT
- Line manage and closely liaise with the Facilities Manager and ensure statutory compliance is achieved across all our buildings
- Work with the Facilities Manager and Caretaker Supervisor to ensure maintenance issues are dealt with in a timely and professional manner
- Work with contractors and engineers to deliver small scale projects such as data infrastructure upgrades, space development and building fabric changes
- Liaise with security contractors, IT, and CCTV network support teams to ensure our buildings are kept safe
- Manage an on‑call rota to ensure we provide an out of hour emergency response
TENANCY MANAGEMENT
- Line manage the Tenants & Spaces coordinator
- Manage the on‑boarding process of the more complex tenancies alongside the Tenants & Spaces Coordinator
- Be commercially astute whilst supporting the organisations’ community / social enterprise objectives and ambitions
Person Specification
We are looking for the following skills, experience and aptitude.
Knowledge / Skills / Qualities
ESSENTIAL
- Understanding of Hastings Commons’ vision, mission and goals, and ability to stand up for those in a range of environments
- Proven experience in estates or property management across mixed‑use developments including residential, preferably including high rise buildings
- Excellent knowledge of building compliance, health & safety, and facilities operations
- Strong leadership skills with experience managing teams
- Financial acumen with experience managing budgets and contracts
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
- Must be willing to be flexible to work occasional evenings and weekends
DESIRABLE
- Knowledge of Registered Provider housing
- Experience working in urban environments or large residential/commercial estates
- Experience of developing and delivering strategic plans for estate maintenance and improvement
- Relevant qualifications in property, facilities management, or a related field
Benefits
- Make a real contribution to the community around you and have a hand in investing in the future of Hastings
- Our culture and mission is to invest in our staff to build on their existing skills through bespoke development and training opportunities
- We are a kind and compassionate employer with a mental health first approach to work
- No pension contribution deductions have to come from your salary, we contribute 100% (you can add more to the pension if you choose)
- 23 day holiday + bank holidays (increases by one day per year of service)
- Extra‑special day off on your birthday
Hastings Commons is committed to creating diverse, inclusive environments. We will not discriminate unfairly on the grounds of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership (all of which are ‘protected characteristics’ under the law); nor will we discriminate unfairly on the grounds of class, financial status, or any other unjustifiable cause. We seek to recognise and overcome involuntary bias so that nobody with a protected characteristic is discriminated against directly or indirectly, or is victimised or harassed in relation to a relevant protected characteristic.
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