The British Embassy Amman has a vacancy for the position of Estates Manager, job grade Executive Officer (EO), on a fixed term contract for two (2) years.

We are seeking an experienced candidate with leadership potential who will work with the Head of Estates and Logistics to establish the Corporate Services (CS) Team as a centre of excellence serving a diverse staff base. You will manage Estate reform, maintaining assets to statutory requirements and supervising structural improvements. You will manage the Embassy’s health, safety, and welfare standards for the benefit of all staff at the Embassy in a ‘zero harm’ culture. You will also manage reduction of the Embassy’s carbon footprint through greater use of renewable energy, reduction in waste, and the increase of sustainable practices. This role has been established following a major restructure to the Corporate Services and the candidate should be able to manage continued change with a positive attitude. 

Duties and responsibilities:

The Estates Manager will play a key role in delivering Estates services, providing day-to-day management of the Estates Teams and deputising for the Head of Estates and Logistics when they are on leave. The jobholder will assist and support the Head of Estates and Logistics to deliver Estates services, with a particular focus on the expanding office and residential estate to customers under the One HM Government (HMG) Service Level Agreement. The role is responsible for operational delivery of services, including management information reporting, keeping maintenance records, updating Planon and the asset register, assessing and improving customer satisfaction, and generating feedback on service delivery.

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

– Day-to-day operational delivery of Estates services for the Embassy. The Estate comprises an office building and a compound which includes leisure facilities (swimming pool, gym, tennis/ basketball court, football pitch, children’s play area). A major part of the estate are the leased properties for UK Based staff (around Amman) and a representational Residence for the Ambassador near 4th Circle. The Embassy and associated compound require ongoing and significant maintenance after major investment in infrastructure over the last five years.

• Set in place systems and work schedules to maintain the estate so that they meet relevant UK Health and Safety standards and enable staff to operate from, and live on, a fit for purpose platform.
• Working with the Technical Works Supervisor (UK staff) and Technical Works Officer (TWO), deliver planned and preventative maintenance to set deadlines covering the entire estate and triage and prioritise ad hoc or urgent requests. Recording as appropriate what was done and the outcomes.
• Work with a range of estates agencies in Amman to find good quality leased apartments and villas that meet Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) specifications on build, maintenance, risk, and security levels and match with current UK Based (UKB) staff numbers in areas that are designated zones. Ensure costs are within the annual beacon rent levels set by the UK and comply with space limitations.
• Seek and act on customer feedback and use this to drive continuous improvement with the Estates team.
• Work with the Embassy Climate Officer and Greening Committee to deliver agreed Climate projects to set timelines and budget parameters. Contribute to the Greening Committee with technical advice on what is possible and ideas following the Energy Audit.
• Work with Head of Corporate Services and Head of Estates and Logistics to deliver on projects which enhance or improve the office and recreational facilities to time and budget set. Working with in-house team and external contractors, as necessary.

– Health, safety, and statutory compliance

• Follow up on statutory visits with robust plans to tackle priority 1 and priority 2 recommendations, to include fire, gas and electrical inspections, seismic reports, and the annual Regional Technical Lead visit. Maintain a critical glass register.
• Ensure that H&S campaigns issued from London are checked for compliance on the Amman Estate and publicised to all, including UKB who occupy leased properties.
• Champion a ‘zero harm’ culture at BE Amman and encourage staff to use the H&S reporting portal Evotix. Follow up with Estates teams in the UK and at BE Amman with any urgent H&S requests, including repairs or short term mitigations. Understand when to raise risks higher and seek guidance on best practice.
• Work with contractors and in house staff to ensure that Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS) are written, complied with, and logged before any Estates works commence. Where necessary, coach suppliers and provide templates so that they understand the ask whilst ensuring that burden of risk lies with the supplier, and that where risks are identified, robust mitigations are in place to minimise potential impact.
• Ensure the Embassy and the Residence has enough trained Fire Wardens for everyday work and major events. Run at least two fire drills each year which are un-announced and pick up on any lessons learnt. Ensure fire equipment checks are completed to schedule set.

– Finance and contract management

• Develop and manage a range of estates suppliers that deliver improved value for money and quality of service. Have responsibility for procurement of goods and services under the value of £3k, taking into account FCDO procurement guidelines and audit requirements.
• Negotiate leases with landlords, being clear on what must be maintained by them and ensuring there is a robust system in place to follow up on any areas. Ensure all leases are recorded on Planon following Estates guidance to comply with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
• Undergo basic contract management training so that services to, and maintenance of, the British Embassy Estate is efficient, compliant, and delivers value for money. Oversee supervision of contractors on site, ensuring that the statement of requirements have been met to the agreed standard with works completed as asked.

– Communication and engagement

• Working with Head of Estates and Logistics, ensure that estate works that affect colleagues are properly planned and communicated, keeping customers up to date on progress of projects or maintenance requests and dealing with any complaints or feedback.
• Develop and leverage an effective network of contacts across other embassies in Amman and with contacts in relevant teams both in the UK and globally.

– Leadership

• Direct management of 1 x Technical Works Officer (job grade AO) and 1 x Estates Officer (job grade AO). Work closely with the Technical Works Supervisor (UK staff). Overall responsibility for an estates team of 13 staff.
• Provide leadership to the Estate team, including performance and talent management of staff. Inspire staff to deliver to the highest standards and instil a culture of continuous improvement, customer service, and professionalism.
• Design development plans to upskill the team with the required competencies to enable them carry out their duties as per the UK standard in a safe and professional manner.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible as specific responsibilities could change in the future and this would be at the discretion of the line manager/ senior management and agreed with the jobholder. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs. The jobholder may also take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any other response to a crisis. 

Key behaviours required:

• Managing a Quality Service – Work with customers to understand their needs and expectations. Create clear plans and set priorities which meet the needs of both the customer and the business. Clearly explain to customers what can be done. Keep colleagues and stakeholders fully informed of plans, possibilities and progress. Identify common problems that affect service, report them and find possible solutions. Deliver good customer service which balances quality and cost effectiveness.
• Delivering at Pace – Regularly review the success of activities in the team to identify barriers to progress or challenging objectives. Identify who and what is required to ensure success, set clear goals and areas of responsibility and continually assess workloads considering individual needs. Follow relevant policies, procedures and legislation to complete your work. Ensure colleagues have the correct tools and resources available to them to do their jobs. Have a positive and focused attitude to achieving outcomes, despite any setbacks. Regularly check performance against objectives, making suggestions for improvement or taking corrective action where necessary. Ensure that colleagues are supported where tasks are challenging.
• Making Effective Decisions – Take responsibility for making effective and fair decisions, in a timely manner. Analyse and research further information to support decisions. Talk to relevant people to get advice and information when unsure how to proceed. Explain how decisions have been reached in a clear and concise way, both verbally and in writing. Demonstrate the consideration of all options, costs, risks and wider implications, including the diverse needs of end users and any accessibility requirements.
• Changing and Improving – Regularly review own and team’s work and take the initiative to suggest ideas to make improvements. Give feedback on changes in a constructive manner. Take a positive, open approach to the possibility of change and encourage others to do the same. Help others to understand changes and the reasons they are being put in place. Identify and act on the effects changes are having on your role and that of the team. Look for ways to use technology to achieve efficient and effective results. Consider accessibility needs of the diverse range of end users.

The jobholder will also need to role model the Embassy values of:

• Integrity
• Honesty
• Objectivity
• Impartiality

Eligibility:

If you are selected for this position, we will be able to employ you as long as:

• You have the right to live and work in Jordan; and
• You receive the appropriate level of security clearance.

This is a busy management role that calls for an experienced, well-organised self-starter with drive, initiative, and high-quality personal skills. The role requires someone that can take a plan and translate this into customer focussed day-to-day operational delivery, confident and competent in decision-making, and able to access and influence the right support from senior leadership.

We are looking for a confident self-starter with proven initiative in overcoming obstacles and someone who has the ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritise with minimal supervision. The successful candidate will need to be resourceful, resilient, and have a strong track record of people management to be able to get the best of out the CS team.

As with all CS jobs, no two days are the same. This brings with it regular and unusual challenges. Your actions will matter hugely to staff and the ability to think creatively, have excellent people and resource management skills, and sound judgement are all essential qualities. Having a calm but firm approach and a sense of humour will also help!

Excellent interpersonal skills are essential, and you will be comfortable dealing with staff at all levels and be able build co-operative and productive working relationships with everyone that you come into contact with.

Essential

• Relevant experience in a similar estates/ facilities management customer-facing role, ideally for at least three (3) years.
• Technical qualifications or proven experience in one or more of the following areas: health and safety management, project management (Prince 2/ Agile or similar), fire management or building management, a clerk of works, or building surveyor.
• Management expertise and experience of working with, and motivating, and managing operational delivery teams.
• Highly organised and able to deal with challenging situations, confident in handling day-to-day tasks and decisions.
• Excellent team working skills including evidence of working collaboratively with multicultural colleagues.
• Fluent communication skills in English, both oral and written. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both verbally and in written communication.
• Holds at least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• IT skills and literacy in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).