AddressOverview
Senior Education Contracts and Asset Manager
Location : London
Our mission
We are determined to create a more equal Islington, where everyone who lives here has an equal chance to thrive. To do this, everyone who works at Islington Council lives by a set of values which guide us in everything that we do: collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering. They spell out ‘CARE’, which is what we think public service is all about.
Job overview
Our schools and early years settings play a key enabling role in helping us to achieve the vision set out in our Islington Together 2030 Plan of creating a more equal Islington where everyone is able to thrive and will directly contribute to one of the five key missions which underpin the vision – a child friendly Islington.
The Senior Education Contracts and Asset Manager will play an important key role in ensuring effective management of our Education Estate. We’re looking for someone who has experience in managing large scale public sector contracts such as PFI and FM agreements to ensure contractual obligations are met and to secure best value for money.
Equally important will be an ability to develop effective working relationships and to communicate effectively with a range of individuals / stakeholders such as Head teachers, Governing Bodies, Diocese Boards, Contractors and the Public.
Main duties of the job
Key responsibilities will include:
- Managing the operational services under education estate contracts including secondary school PFI and facilities management (FM) agreements entered into under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
- Assisting in holding our partners and contractors accountable for delivery against key performance indicators and social value commitments.
- Leading on performance monitoring regimes to ensure contractors are delivering in accordance with their contractual obligations at all sites and identifying remedial actions required where shortfalls are identified.
- Work with corporate finance to manage contractual affordability risks and financial implications.
- Managing the liaison between the Schools, the Authority and Contractors/sub-contractors on BSF operational matters.
You will need to be able to demonstrate experience of commercial negotiations, contract and performance management and contract dispute and resolution. You will also need knowledge of public sector management practices, including financial regulations, standing orders and procurement processes.
The role will involve managing the liaison between the Schools, the Authority and Contractors/sub-contractors on BSF and other operational matters, so excellent interpersonal, negotiating and influencing skills will be required.
Working for our organisation
The Education Asset Management team sits within the wider Corporate Asset Management function which is part of a newly created New Homes and Corporate Landlord Service. This brings together development and management of all council owned and managed assets (other than existing housing stock) into one place and supports delivery of our Corporate Landlord model. You’ll be part of the wider Community Wealth Building directorate which aims to put people at the heart of economic development, working with residents, communities and businesses to tackle economic inequality and create an economy that works for everyone.
Our assets play a key role in enabling this vision so if you want to be part of delivering our vision and have the skills and experience, we need, then we’d love to hear from you.
Closing date: Wednesday 21st February 2024 at 23:59
Interviews: week commencing 4th March 2024
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To act as client for the operational services under education estate contracts including secondary school PFI and facilities management (FM) agreements entered into under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. To assist in holding our Local Education Partner (LEP) accountable for delivery against contractual key performance indicators and the social value commitments.
- To lead on performance monitoring regimes to ensure contractors are delivering in accordance with their contractual obligations at all sites and to identify remedial actions required where shortfalls are identified.
- To work with corporate finance to manage contractual affordability risks and financial implications. In particular, to manage lifecycle maintenance, energy reconciliation, insurance reviews and the benchmarking and market testing procedures across PFI and FM agreements.
- To manage the liaison between the Schools, the Authority and Contractors/sub-contractors on BSF operational matters. To organise, attend and produce meeting notes as required for school meetings.
- To manage target setting and reconciliations in relation to energy consumption across the BSF estate, and to work with schools and the LEP to reduce consumption over time.
- To review and manage lifecycle maintenance procedures across the PFI and FM agreements, working with technical advisors, as required.
- To manage high value and strategic changes and to oversee small and medium value changes to Contracts and to support the development of associated legal deeds of variation to contracts as may be required.
- To undertake required procurement, market testing, and benchmarking exercises as set out in the PFI and FM agreements.
- To facilitate continuous service development and best value of the FM Service at our secondary schools.
- To support the strategic planning of the education asset portfolio and on the development, update and implementation of the Schools and Early Years Asset Management Plan (AMP).
- To facilitate the asset management service delivery to schools including support to individual education establishments, a statutory maintenance service offer, procurement of competent contractors and regular monitoring of service delivery to schools.
- To support the collection of property information in relation to the council’s education property portfolio and the upload of this information to the council’s asset management system. To work with schools and educational settings to ensure accurate property data and information is uploaded and maintained in the system.
- To assist in reviewing education properties and to make recommendations on rationalisation or alterations to accommodation reflecting changing needs and statutory requirements.
- To contribute towards and and undertake feasibility studies and options appraisals and reports for the department /service.
- To procure and manage external professional teams and consultants as required in accordance with Council procedures.
- To assist in monitoring of education estate projects, undertaken by the Capital Projects team, reviewing progress and achievement of objectives/activities against individual schemes and providing advice or corrective action as required. To provide highlight/status reports for the projects to the Head of Education, Asset Management & Contracts.
- To prepare and input to project documentation and communication for a variety of audiences including Councillors, Directors and senior leadership teams, Schools Forum and schools’ senior management as well as pupils and parents; and make required presentations to stakeholder groups.
- To assist the corporate asset management team with additional related activities from to time, as necessary.
- To represent the Council in national and pan-London groups relevant to the post.
- To line manage asset management officers working on the educational estate.
- To deputise for the Head of Education Asset Management and Contracts as required and in particular in relation to BSF matters.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
- Working towards suitable professional qualifications in the area of facilities and Asset management and/or Nebosh and/or contract management
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of managing large scale public sector contracts such as PFI and FM agreements to ensure contractual obligations are met and to secure best value for money.
- Experience of commercial negotiations, contract and performance management and contract dispute and resolution
- Successful Track record of managing multi disciplinary teams and functions to achieve objectives
- Experience of monitoring contract performance against Key Performance Indicators, financial arrangements and charging mechanisms
- Demonstrable awareness and understanding of, and a commitment to, the protection and safeguarding of children and young people
- Knowledge of public sector management practices, including financial regulations, standing orders and procurement processes
- Knowledge of and ability to use Asset Management monitoring systems
- Knowledge of a range of recognised Project Management assessment, audit tools and techniques applicable to single programme – multiple site activities such as PRINCE 2
Skills
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable ability to think laterally and provide innovative solutions to complex issues in consultation with others
- Ability to understand, analyse and interpret complex financial information
- Ability to develop effective working relationships with a range of individuals / stakeholders such as Head teachers, Governing Bodies, Diocese Boards, Contractors and the Public
- Ability to communicate effectively through presentations and written communications to a variety of audiences including school staff, parents, Council Committees, School Governing Bodies and senior leadership teams
- Excellent interpersonal, negotiating and influencing skills to initiate and drive forward change
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team and to work effectively in a matrix management environment with stakeholders
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Apply online now
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Deirdre Vimpany
- Job title
- Head of Education Asset Management
- Email address
- deirdre.vimpany@islington.gov.uk
