ABOUT US
Join us – make a difference in our communities as a Valuation & Estates Manager at West Sussex County Council.
The Valuation and Estates Team within the Property and Assets Directorate provides a value for money, high quality and professional service delivering all West Sussex County Council’s estate’s needs. Our team manages the complete life cycle of property ownership of the County Council, providing a one-stop shop for the Council’s services’ property needs. This includes all transactional matters, ranging from the acquisition of land and buildings and their subsequent management, through to disposal, and involves liaison with other teams and external parties concerning the use and occupation of our properties.
The Valuation and Estates Manager is responsible for the leadership and senior management of the Valuations and Estates Team, comprising up to 8 members of staff, the majority of whom will be professionally RICS qualified general practice surveyors, including the Principal Surveyor/Lead Professional. You will be part of the property senior management team responsible for driving forward service improvements to deliver the Council’s aspiration for a cost effective asset management function to maximise (and where necessary rationalise) financial and other benefits from a portfolio of property interests valued in excess of £1.6 billion in the Council’s financial accounts.
About the role
Salary: £64,682 to £68,330 per annum.
Location: Your office base will be County Hall, Chichester, A typical week will combine homeworking with attendance at the office at least once a week and site visits. This is led by the needs of the service.
Working pattern: Full-time, 37 hours per week. Flexible working options available, to be agreed with your line manager.
Interview date: 14th July
You will need to be able to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Pool cars and pool bikes are available.
JOB DETAILS
About the Role
This role leads on the complicated and skilled cases, such as collaboration with external stakeholder and development opportunities and requires significant and high-level post qualification experience, also dealing with the Corporate investment portfolio and landlord and tenant matters.
As part of the role, you will be the leading specialist in the valuation and estates professional field, offering advice and acting as an expert in all matters relating to property to include both leasehold and freehold disposals and acquisitions, development projects, the granting of leases, licenses, easements, and other property transactions such as option and promotion agreements. You will be responsible for overseeing the County’s asset valuation and rating contracts, insurance valuations, managing and delivering an estate and valuation service across a broad range of property assets.
Duties will include operational resource planning, ensuring that recommendations for future resource needs are captured and mobilised. A knowledge of property law and planning regulations is crucial to the role and some local authority experience related to Education and Highway matters (in particular sec 106 planning agreements) would be desirable.
Maximising income generation and the provision of capital receipts is an important part of the role, although the team also manages a range of community focused assets.
As a technical specialist, you will need sound commercial knowledge and you will be instrumental in managing complex property projects, either working alongside internal service teams, senior management of partner organisations or through direct project management of externally appointed consultants. You will also be a key client contact in respect of the Valuation and Estate service, managing externally appointed consultants and surveyors to meet objectives and deliver an effective client focussed service, working with clients to give high level authoritative advice and information.
You will manage staff and advise and train other team members on aspects of their role and their professional development as a surveyor. The postholder supports the Head of Assets in relation to the whole service and deputises for the Head of Assets on board meetings and when they are absent. They support junior members of the team to secure RICS qualification and through their apprenticeships.
Job Reference: EIE01547
