Salary: £60,000-£65,000 per annum, pro-rated for the duration of the contract
Contract Type: Full-time, fixed-term - 6 month appointment
Reports to: Domestic Bursar
Location: Balliol College, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BJ
Hours: 37.5 per week
Responsible for: a team of 9 Maintenance staff
Balliol College
Situated in an historic site in central Oxford, Balliol has been a hub of learning and community since its foundation in 1263. As one of the larger colleges within the University of Oxford, it is home to roughly 860 students, with undergraduates making up just under half of the student body. The College also employs over 80 Fellows, 50 lecturers, and about 180 support staff, with Professor Seamus Perry as its current Master. While academic excellence is at the core of Balliol’s mission, visitors are often struck by the College’s informal and welcoming atmosphere. Beyond its walls, Balliol has an active and engaged global community of over 10,000 alumni and donors.
Further information about the College is available at www.balliol.ox.ac.uk
Purpose of the Post
Balliol College seeks to appoint an experienced and dynamic Head of Maintenance for a fixed-term period of approximately six months to lead and develop the College's maintenance function across its diverse estate.
This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for ensuring the College's buildings, infrastructure and residential properties are maintained to the highest standards of safety, compliance, functionality and presentation. The postholder will provide clear direction, effective leadership and professional management of the maintenance team, fostering a culture of collaboration, customer service and continuous improvement.
Balliol's estate encompasses Grade I and Grade II listed buildings dating back to the fifteenth century, modern student accommodation, and privately rented properties across multiple sites. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing maintenance and refurbishment activities across this varied portfolio, balancing immediate operational requirements with planned and preventative maintenance and the longer-term stewardship of the estate.
The Head of Maintenance will assess current operations, strengthen processes and systems where appropriate, establish clear priorities and standards, and ensure that maintenance services are delivered efficiently, professionally and to a consistently high standard. The postholder will strengthen systems and processes where required, improve planning and accountability, and ensure that resources are deployed effectively. They will lead and develop the maintenance team, fostering a professional and collaborative culture in which responsibilities and expectations are clear. The postholder will work closely with colleagues across the College and manage external contractors and specialist suppliers to ensure that works are properly specified, coordinated and delivered to the required standards.
The postholder will also play an important role in driving operational improvements, enhancing service delivery and supporting the College's long-term estate maintenance strategy. They will contribute to the development of that strategy through membership of the Buildings Working Group, comprising the Master, Finance Bursar and Domestic Bursar, providing professional advice on building condition, investment requirements and the stewardship of the College estate.
The postholder will also serve on the Hall Working Group, alongside College representatives, the external project manager and architects, contributing maintenance and operational expertise to the forthcoming multi-million-pound refurbishment of the College Hall.
The appointment is expected to last for approximately six months, although the College reserves the right to extend or make permanent the arrangement should operational requirements dictate.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership and People Management
- Provide strong, visible and decisive leadership to the maintenance team, setting clear expectations, standards and objectives, fostering a culture of professionalism and customer focus.
- Lead, manage and develop the maintenance team, ensuring that roles, responsibilities and lines of accountability are clearly understood.
- Build a cohesive, high-performing team through regular communication, coaching, training and clear management oversight.
- Ensure resources are deployed effectively and priorities are clearly understood across the department.
- Act as the senior point of contact for maintenance matters across the College estate.
Estate Maintenance
- Take overall responsibility for the effective delivery of reactive, planned, preventative and cyclical maintenance across the College estate.
- Review existing planned preventative maintenance arrangements and recommend improvements where appropriate.
- Assess current maintenance operations, systems and processes, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, responsiveness and value for money.
- Contribute to estate planning discussions through membership of the Buildings Working Group, providing professional advice on estate condition, maintenance priorities, operational risks and investment requirements.
- Ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget and to the required quality standards.
- Contribute to the Hall Working Group, supporting plans for the forthcoming multi-million-pound refurbishment of the College Hall.
Operational Management
- Establish clear service standards, performance measures and reporting mechanisms for the maintenance function.
- Ensure maintenance requests are prioritised, managed and completed efficiently and professionally.
- Lead emergency response arrangements and ensure appropriate resilience and business continuity planning is in place.
- Ensure that maintenance priorities align with the College's strategic objectives and financial plans.
- Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, sustainability and value for money.
- Prepare, manage and monitor maintenance budgets and project expenditure.
- Ensure effective financial control and value for money across all maintenance activities.
- Manage procurement, tendering and contract management processes.
- Support the College's environmental and sustainability objectives by considering energy efficiency, resource use and whole-life costs in maintenance decisions.
Compliance, Health & Safety
- Take overall responsibility for statutory compliance and maintenance-related health and safety across the estate.
- Ensure full compliance with relevant legislation, including CDM Regulations, Building Safety legislation and Health & Safety requirements.
- Lead contractor management processes and ensure robust systems of permit control, risk assessment and safe systems of work.
- Maintain oversight of all statutory testing, inspection and compliance activities.
- Ensure staff receive appropriate training, supervision and support to carry out their duties safely and effectively.
Selection Criteria – skills and experience
Essential
- Significant experience leading and managing a maintenance, facilities or estates function.
- Proven track record of leading teams through periods of change, driving operational improvement, raising standards and fostering a culture of accountability.
- Demonstrable ability to motivate, develop and performance-manage staff to deliver high-quality services.
- Experience of managing maintenance programmes, refurbishment works and capital projects.
- Recognised qualification in construction, building, engineering, facilities management or a related discipline.
- Strong financial management skills, including budget management, financial control and value-for-money assessment.
- Experience of procurement, tendering and contract management.
Desirable
- Experience of managing maintenance teams within a historic, listed or heritage estate.
- Membership of a relevant professional body (IWFM, CIOB, RICS or equivalent).
- Experience within higher education, hospitality, heritage or residential property environments.
- First Aid qualification.
- Understanding of sustainability, energy efficiency and carbon reduction initiatives within property management.
Further Particulars
Hours
The position is offered on a full-time basis (37.5 hours per week, with flexibility to work longer hours during specific periods, and also Bank Holidays if necessary, for which time in lieu can be taken). Normal hours of work will be during maintenance office hours (Monday to Friday 8.00am to 4.30pm, with an hour for lunch). However, work outside these normal hours, including weekend work, may be required at busy times. Working hours will be mutually agreed between the post-holder and line manager.
Salary
£60,000-£65,000 per annum, pro-rated for the duration of the contract
Holiday
The postholder will receive paid leave entitlement of 30 working days (in addition to Bank Holidays) during a complete holiday year, five of which are taken around Christmas and New Year. The College reserves the right to require staff to work on Bank Holidays during full term, receiving a day in lieu.
Notice
The appointment is for a fixed term of six months and will terminate automatically at the end of that period without further notice.
There will be a two-month probationary period during which either party may terminate the appointment by giving two weeks’ written notice. On successful completion of probation, the notice period will increase to one month if either party wishes to terminate the contract before the end of its fixed term period.
Employee Benefits
- Staff meals: a free two-course lunch is available in the Hall, when the kitchens are open.
- Pension: Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). This is a contributory pension scheme, with contributions from both the employee and the College. The College currently contributes 14.5% of an employee's salary.
- Travel: benefits include interest-free loans enabling the purchase of bus passes, rail season tickets to Oxford, and discounted bicycles and accessories.
- Healthcare: benefits include free eye tests, free flu jabs, free use of the College’s onsite gym and the University swimming pool, and preferential rates for other University sports facilities.
- University Club: staff are eligible for free membership of the University Club, which offers food, drink and accommodation in an exclusive space for staff, postgraduates and alumni.
- Learning and personal development: resources are available from the University in addition to training organised by the College.
- Visitor access: staff benefit from free visitor access to the 45 colleges and halls of the University and the University’s Libraries, Botanic Gardens, Arboretum and Museums.
- Employee discounts: available at local and national retailers and online services using exclusive discount codes for University staff and with a TOTUM (formerly NUS) card.
Application Procedure
Informal enquiries
Candidates wishing to have an initial conversation about the role should in the first instance contact the Acting Domestic Bursar, Keeley Mortimer, ([email protected]) to arrange a confidential discussion.
Written applications
Applications should be made by 5pm on Thursday, 17 September online at https://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/careers - by clicking 'apply now'
Interviews
Candidates selected for interview will be notified as soon as possible following the application deadline. First stage interviews will be held on Wednesday, 30 September.
Right to Work
Shortlisted candidates will be expected to supply original documentation proving that they have the right to work in the United Kingdom (UK).
Equal Opportunities
Balliol College is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants are asked to complete a separate confidential Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form to help us fulfil our duties in this regard. Applicants are encouraged to ask if they require reasonable adjustments for any part of the recruitment process.
Data Protection
Personal data is processed in accordance with Balliol College’s Privacy Policy which is available at https://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/privacy-policy
