Working with the Head and Deputy Head of Corporate Services, the Estates and Procurement Manager (EPM) is a busy and varied job with two distinct but interlocking sides:

• Estates – A fit for purpose office and residential estate is critical to the work of the British High Commission in Sierra Leone.  The estate currently comprises the main office at Spur Road, the satellite office at Bah Drive, the High Commissioner’s Residence and 30+ units of residential accommodation spread accross two other compounds.  The BHC maintains several workshops and other facilities on site to support these properties.    
  The EPM will lead the wide ranging BHC estates team, ensuring that the estate is properly maintained and furnished to appropriate standards.  This will be achieved through a team of technical and non-technical colleagues, contractors and suppliers in Freetown and overseas.  The EPM will ensure that relevant electronic and paper records are kept and are ready for inspection by visiting regional managers.  The EPM will be responsible for financial management of the estate’s budget, including accurate forecasting and monitoring of spend.
• Procurement Manager –  The High Commission buys goods and services to maintain and support the BHC estate and other areas of corporate services activity, including for the transport team.  These procurement activities are strictly regulated to ensure that the BHC is achieving the greatest value for money, buying the right things for the right price.  Working with the regional procurement hub, the EPM will lead the wider CS team towards better practice of both compliant procurement and contract management processes in Post.

Estates Management

• Being the primary contact point for all estates issues on the BHC platform, proactively engaging with platform users on all estate’s matters
• Hold responsibility for the management of the BHC’s residential and office estate:
  o    Working through the Technical Works Coordinator (TWC) and with the advice of the BHC’s technical adviser, you will ensure the office and residential estate is properly maintained. 
  o    Lead on the purchasing of furnishings and appliances which meet required quality and safety standards.
• Track and support the estates team, including the TWC to prioritise maintenance requests and seek and review  feedback from customers of the estates/maintenance service
• Residential properties are allocated by the BHC’s Post Housing Committee (PHC).  You will be the secretariat for the PHC and will ensure that housing policies and other relevant information is sent to new diplomatic staff before their arrival in Freetown.
• Be responsible for Health & Safety issues across the BHC estate and working with all parties to identify and mitigate foreseeable risks.  
• Ensure residential properties are properly prepared and fully equipped in time for the arrival of new diplomatic staff.
• Maintain oversight of all estate’s stores and assets at the BHC, ensuring that each are periodically subjected to rigorous checks.
• Maintain accurate records on all estates matters, both electronically and manually.  These records will be subjected to inspection by visiting regional experts.
• Control and be accountable for the management of the estates team budget.  This budget must fund all estates activity, both discretionary and non-discretionary, covering the cost of utilities, maintenance and the provision of services across the estate.  This will include decisions on prioritisation of work to most effectively use posts limited resources.  
• Regularly provide accurate budget forecasts and track of spend across the estate. Resources are limited and must be used effectively.
• Make significant procurement decisions on valuable furnishings and contracts for larger estates projects.
• Build knowledge of the Freetown property market.  There may be future changes to the size and shape of the BHC estate in Freetown, necessitating the sourcing of alternative properties.
• Line manage the Technical Works Coordinator and three Estates Officers
• Fire Safety Manager for the BHC.  Through a hierarchy of deputies and wardens ensure that all fire safety measures are applied and organisation of periodic fire safety drills.

Procurement Management

• Lead best practice in contract management activities across the corporate services team
• Liaise with the Pretoria procurement hub as necessary, ensure that appropriate procurement processes are followed for all purchases of goods and services.
• Advise on understanding the Freetown marketplace for the provision of goods and services for the corporate services team.
• Drive down the use of cash as payment for goods and services at BHC, including promoting alternative forms of payments with suppliers.

Level of language required: 

Good written and spoken English (minimum GCSE equivalent).  Ability to converse in Krio also important for communications with CBS staff and local suppliers

We are looking for someone with strong estates management and procurement skills and experience including:

• Strong and proven understanding and experience of property management and the Freetown commercial marketplace
• Leadership and management of a service delivery team
• Excellent communication skills, with ability to clearly explain estates and procurement challenges to non-specialist audiences; and identify the implications for effective delivery of operational and strategic goals around the BHC estate.
• An understanding of technical aspects of estates management to interact with estates maintenance personnel and contractors
• Strong financial planning and budget management, ability to prioritise and justify spending
• Ability to look ahead to identify issues and pinch points ahead of time and propose solutions and/or mitigations
• Experience of procurement processes and contract management, and an ability to cascade this to others to upskill them
• A proactive approach and a focus on continuous improvement of self and service delivery, with an appetite to work with others to simplify processes and improve efficiency.