Estates Manager – HSEP
West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association
Harborne, Birmingham
The salary is £37,720, plus excellent benefits
A vacancy has arisen for an Estates Health, Safety and Environmental Protection Manager within the Estates Department at the West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association (RFCA). The post is based at the Association’s Headquarters in Harborne, Birmingham.
The West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association (RFCA) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and promoting the 2,500 tri-service Reservists and 11,500 Cadets across the six counties of the West Midlands (West Midland, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire) as well as providing support and assistance to the employers of Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers. Part of our role is management and development of the Reserve and Cadet estate across the region.
The RFCA Estates Manager (HSEP) plays a significant role in leading and supporting the management and assurance of HSEP across all RFCA activities including the Volunteer Estate (VE)
Reporting to the Senior Estate Manager, the Estates HSEP Manager will work with senior colleagues, industry partners and other stakeholders to deliver safe activities across estates and non-estate ensuring we meet legal, technical and quality standards.
As a subject matter expert with experience developed in the following sectors -
· Estates
· Property
· Hard Facilities Management
· Client side construction
· Corporate Employee safety
· Event safety
You will provide professional advice, training and support to the RFCA. You will also develop our suppliers through a process of coaching, education and professional challenge to robustly defend our requirements.
The Estates HSEP Manager will work closely with the CRFCA Head of HSEP to progress strategic and operational HSEP.
Annual leave, excluding public holidays, is 25 days per annum rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service. Previous service in the public sector will count towards qualifying years’ service. The successful applicant will be eligible to elect to join the Council of RFCAs Pension Scheme. This is a Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) Scheme.
Applications should be received no later than Monday 6th July 2026 – Noon. The shortlist of applicants called for interview will be notified as soon as possible after that date.
The date for interviews is to be confirmed but will be held at Tennal Grange, Tennal road, Birmingham B322HX
Applications should comprise:
· A current CV of no more than two pages.
· A short covering letter demonstrating how they meet the essential requirements of this job and why they consider themselves suitable for the position, indicating their interest and motivation to assume this role.
NJWalker
Nicola Walker | Head of Support Services/RSA/Office Manager
WEST MIDLAND RESERVE FORCES’ AND CADETS’ ASSOCIATIONS
JOB DESCRIPTION – Estates Manager (Health, Safety and Environmental Protection)
Background of RFCA/CRFCA and Role
The Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations (RFCAs) are central government bodies with Crown status, each with their own schemes of association, drawn up in accordance with Defence Council regulations, under the Reserve Forces Act 1996 (RFA 96). The RFCAs are arm’s-length bodies (ALB) of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The Council of RFCAs (CRFCA) constituted by the 13 individual RFCAs provides central coordination and the corporate focus to enable the Associations to fulfil the requirements of their customers, within resources. The CRFCA gives advice and assistance to the Defence Council and to the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force on matters that concern Reserve Forces and cadets.
The RFCAs, through professionally qualified staff, are responsible on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for the upkeep of some 460 tri-service reserve forces’ sites and 2,300 cadet centres. This impressive portfolio of properties provides the vital footprint and hub for all reserve and cadet activity. The RFCAs maintain the estate to the required legal standard, ensuring that all sites are kept in good condition, fit for purpose and secure. Through their estate expertise and local knowledge they aim to provide an attractive environment in which to recruit, train and ‘refresh the spirit of our volunteers. New buildings are commissioned, designed and maintained to the highest standards through good project and facilities management.
The RFCAs provide the support requirements for the delivery of the service cadet experience by providing the permanent support staff who maintain and run the army cadet county HQs, the safety assurance staff who ensure safe training , the material support through the buildings and training areas that cadets use for their activities and financial support to deliver those activities. The RFCAs provide support to reservists of all services through Defence Relationship Management (DRM). We offer advice and support on employing members of the armed forces community, and enables organisations to develop a mutually beneficial working relationship with the Ministry of Defence (MOD). By partnering with organisations throughout the UK, DRM aids them in understanding the value of signing the Armed Forces Covenant whilst also providing support on employing reservists, veterans, cadet force adult volunteers and military spouses and improving fairness for the armed forces community in the consumer market. organisation that provides the interface between the military and those employers who have reserves on their staff, those who seek more information or those who are supporting reserves whilst on operational deployment. The RFCA support the MOD by providing visibility of reserve and cadet issues and solutions. They have a statutory role to report to ministers.
The Estates Manager (HSEP) is pivotal to help the RFCA’s deliver its Health, Safety and Environmental Protection priorities across all its areas of responsibility including ensuring a safe estate as well as non-estate activities. This is a great opportunity to develop skills and knowledge across a wide area of risk. They will support the RFCA’s to mitigate the full range of traditional risks such as slips and trips, manual handling, event safety and fire safety. They will also be working on more technical areas of risk such as asbestos, legionella and contractor management.
Job Description
1. Appointment details.
a. Job title: Estates Manager (Health, Safety and Environmental protection)
b. Job grade: HEO
c. Reports to: Senior Estate Manager.
d. Location: RFCA Head Office
2. General Description of the Role
The RFCA Estates Manager (HSEP) plays a significant role in leading and supporting the management and assurance of HSEP across all RFCA activities including the Volunteer Estate (VE)
Reporting to the Senior Estate Manager, the Estates HSEP Manager will work with senior colleagues, industry partners and other stakeholders to deliver safe activities across estates and non-estate ensuring we meet legal, technical and quality standards.
As a subject matter expert with experience developed in the following sectors -
· Estates
· Property
· Hard Facilities Management
· Client side construction
· Corporate Employee safety
· Event safety
You will provide professional advice, training and support to the RFCA. You will also develop our suppliers through a process of coaching, education and professional challenge to robustly defend our requirements.
The Estates HSEP Manager will work closely with the CRFCA Head of HSEP to progress strategic and operational HSEP.
3. Principal Areas of Accountability, Tasks and Duties
· Responsible for providing professional HSEP and CDM advice in order to drive a positive safety culture
· Help implement the delivery of HSEP strategy, the Safety Management System (SMS) and associated action plans.
· Provide leadership, support, guidance and professional expertise to the RFCA to improve compliance and knowledge of HSEP requirements to improve delivery of the Safety Management System across all activities.
· Identify, assess and action HSEP and CDM risks, escalating as required.
· Develop, implement and maintain the reactive and proactive assurance programmes to identify weakness and improve performance.
· Conduct audits/inspections/investigations in accordance with RFCA/CRFCA assurance programmes.
· Help develop and deliver the HSEP training programmes.
· Craft relationships with colleagues, stakeholders and our suppliers to effectively deliver the RFCA requirements.
· Work closely with Estates leadership to deliver on defined projects and activities that allow the prioritisation of HSEP but also support the delivery of Estates specific requirements.
· Represent the RFCA at HSEP forums or equivalent.
· Manage internal RFCA H&S meetings.
· Responsible for representing the RFCA at single Service regional health and safety, environment and sustainability forums, for example those held by Army Regional Points of Command
· Running the quarterly H&S meeting, focussed on safe place, safe people and safe processes. This includes consideration of Army Cadet Force (ACF) Cadet Training Centres (CTC) and isolated detachments, in respect of the Chief Executive’s Appointed Person duty
· Ensure that rigorous risk assessment and incident management systems for the VE are in place, effective and being complied with
· Review of RAMS for SoftFM activities being delivered on the VE which have been commissioned by the RFCA
· Review of RAMS for third party activities being delivered on the VE which have been commissioned by the RFCA eg Alternative Venues
· Support the Chief Executive to deliver their appointed person duties.
4. Leadership and Management
· Demonstrate a personal commitment to the aims and objectives of the RFCA
· Proactively engage with CRFCA Head of HSEP for strategic direction and overview to allow collaborative working across the RFCA’s.
· Work collaboratively with all stakeholders including customers, other RFCAs, CRFCA and wider Defence organisations as appropriate, developing and promoting good working relationships.
· Develop wider team and self, through the exchange of knowledge and experience.
· Encourage innovation to support the development of a high performing culture through continuous improvement
5. Communication/Engagement and Stakeholder Management
· Act as point of contact for health and safety matters, proactively advising and guiding stakeholders.
· Work with CRFCA to develop written guidance to help standardise our approach and mitigate repeated failures.
· Develop and maintain open, honest and collaborative working relationships with stakeholders and suppliers.
· Engage through onsite visits and interventions to ensure both internal colleagues and suppliers are compliant with their duties.
6. Programme Management
· Work closely with the CRFCA Head of HSEP to develop and deliver a programme of proactive inspections and interventions.
· Help deliver elements of the wider estates programme in support of the RFCA estates team.
7. Performance and Contract Management/Assurance
· Help deliver the programme of KPI and performance monitoring of the hard FM contract.
· Work with the CRFCA Head of HSEP and other colleagues to deliver assurance programmes.
· Carry out the delegated performance and contract management/assurance duties and responsibilities on behalf of the Senior Estate Manager, working closely with the industry partners and Independent Auditors on the preselected Hard FM works orders and tasks, to include High Value Works Audits, Work in Progress, Retrospective Audits, PPM, Grounds Maintenance and Asset File Checks, as required under Practitioner Guide EM02.
· Ensure Health and Safety compliance of Hard FM industry partner deliverables in accordance with SFG20 and SOP19/02 reporting and escalating any instances of non-compliance to the Senior Estate Manager as necessary
· Address matters falling short of the contracted standards and escalate to Senior Estate Manager any concerns that cannot be mitigated at a local level
· Ensure customers receive regular reports on the delivery of Hard FM services to their respective area of responsibility
· Ensure opportunities for exploiting benefits of the contract, including continuous improvement and innovation in the delivery of Hard FM services, are identified
· As required, support all meetings with industry partners and/or customers as laid down in the contract to support the effective delivery of Hard FM services
8. Financial Management
· Ensure Financial Propriety for all Travel and Subsistence (T&S) transactions and other manpower associated delegations under your control is maintained, including record keeping and audit requirements
9. Staff management responsibilities
· The role has direct line manager responsibility for Estates Officer SoftFM.
· Ensure direct reports are compliant with mandatory training requirements appropriate to their role, including continuous professional development
10. Budgetary responsibilities
· N/A
Success Profile
11. Technical skills and qualifications
· NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety or equivalent RQF/CQFW level 3 qualification (SCQF Level 6 in Scotland)
12. Experience
a. Essential
We are looking for someone to show they have experience and knowledge in the following essential criteria:
· Fulfilling the competent person role in a large scale geographically dispersed property/estate environment and/or client side role on capital construction programmes, with experience of delivering compliance in CDM as well as corporate internal health and safety.
· Providing support and guidance internally and externally to ensure duty holders and their teams take ownership of health and safety responsibilities and outcomes.
· Delivering proactive and reactive work programmes/action plans to improve health and safety outcomes.
· Able to adapt communication skills to engage a variety of technical and non-technical audiences, explaining your view and standing your ground under pressure.
· Delivering health and safety training programmes to diverse audiences using a varied approach to delivery.
· NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety or equivalent RQF/CQFW level 3 qualification (equivalent to SCQF Level 6 in Scotland)
· Technical membership of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (TechIOSH).
b. Desirable
· Experience of supporting/delivering health and safety requirements at public events or large gatherings,
· Evidence of construction, property, hard facilities management training or NEBOSH Health and Safety Management for Construction or equivalent RQF/CQFW level 3 qualification (SCQF Level 6 in Scotland)
· Experience of supporting/delivering Environmental Management/Protection requirements.
· Evidence of Environmental Management/Protection training and/or Environmental professional body memberships.
13. Behaviours (Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours).
· Leadership
· Changing and Improving
· Communicating and Influencing
· Working Together
· Developing Self and Others
14. Professional Membership:
· Technical membership of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (TechIOSH)
15. Post Mandatory Training
· In accordance with induction People Learning Plan (PLP)
Additional Requirements
16. Regular travel across RFCA region with occasional overnight stays and occasionally UK wide travel for ad-hoc meetings. Job holder should be prepared to use their own vehicle with suitable business insurance, there are also pool cars available.
17. The job holder will be required to be vetted to Security Check (SC) level and DBS check.
18. This job description should be discussed with your line manager at the time of receiving your annual Personal Development Report. Occasionally, in light of changes in business need, your job description may need to change. You may be requested to undertake additional or other duties as directed by Line Management.
Privacy Notice
West Midland RFCA takes great care in ensuring that your Personal Details are appropriately handled at all times. To obtain further information, please read our Privacy Policy which can be viewed here
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £37,720.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Flexitime
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site gym
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
- Work from home
Experience:
- Health and safety: 3 years (preferred)
- Management: 3 years (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
- Tech IOSHmembership (preferred)
- Driving Licence (required)
- NEBOSH General Certificate (required)
Work Location: In person
