View Vacancy - Estates and Procurement Manager EO - (23/25 PTA)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow. The FCDO operates an agile workforce and to facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time, as we may reasonably require.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)
Estate Operations

Main purpose of job:

Reporting to Head of Estates, to work in Pretoria as an Estates and Procurement Manager to oversee day-to-day facilities operations while leading procurement for a large multilocation department. Assist in the management and maintenance of a large portfolio of owned and rented properties including the British High Commission (BHC) offices in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town, the High Commissioner’s Residence in Pretoria and Cape Town, several residential compounds in Pretoria and standalone residential properties in all three locations, ensuring that all diplomatic staff are housed in safe, secure accommodation in line with UK Government policy.

This role also ensures all purchasing aligns with UK government procurement policy, maintains compliance, and delivers value for money. The postholder will manage central procurement logs, conduct spot audits, and ensure accurate documentation of all processes. They will coach and train staff on procurement procedures, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Working closely with internal teams and suppliers, the manager will ensure efficient service delivery, uphold standards, and support strategic estates planning through robust procurement management and operational oversight.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Procurement 40%

  • Lead all procurement activities within the Estates team, ensuring compliance with UK Government Public Procurement guidelines and the Purchase to Pay (P2P) process
  • Collaborating with the technical works team in drafting of scope of works and specifications to be contracted
  • Review and edit procurement documentation for accuracy, consistency, and compliance prior to submission and approval
  • Act as the central point of contact for completing and submitting Supplier Maintenance Forms (SMFs), reviewing and approving supporting documentation for new supplier requests to be added to the FCDO procurement system
  • Attend monthly meetings with the Regional Procurement Hub to track contract pipelines and follow up on required actions
  • Monitor contract lifecycles, ensuring timely KPI meetings, and initiate procurement processes or contract variations as needed
  • Oversee Government Procurement Card (GPC) spend, ensuring policy compliance, proper benchmarking, and adherence to financial thresholds
  • Analyse procurement data to ensure value for money, including verification of three-quote requirements and supplier benchmarking
  • Provide training and guidance to Estates staff on procurement procedures, conduct spot audits, and manage central logs of procurement processes

Operational Management 30%

  • Assist the Estates team in the implementation of the Post Estate Strategy, including forecasting housing needs, ensuring timely preparation of staff accommodation, and maintaining compliance with FCDO housing policy
  • Oversee estates projects and maintenance activities engaging with the Planned Preventative Maintenance schedule, ensuring properties and offices meet health, safety, and compliance standards
  • Maintain accurate estate records and inventories, and manage estates stores, assets, and stock controls efficiently
  • Coordinate and support official event setups in collaboration with internal teams and contractors.
  • Manage relationships with landlords, contractors, and suppliers, ensuring quality service delivery and value for money
  • Monitor and report on estates performance to senior leadership, using data insights to drive improvements
  • Assist Head of Estates on budget planning and expenditure, ensuring compliance with procurement policies and approval thresholds
  • Provide stakeholder engagement and customer service, gathering feedback and ensuring transparent communication across the department

Line Management 15%

  • Ensure there is communication and coordination of works across teams
  • Line management of Estates Officers and Estates Assistants
  • Set goals, effectively performance manage, engage fully in End of Year review processes and provide coaching to the Estates team
  • Foster a collaborative and accountable team culture through coaching, mentoring, and clear communication of priorities and expectations
  • Oversee the work of contractors and outsourced service providers, ensuring compliance with service level agreements, quality standards, and health and safety requirements

General Administration 15%

  • Identifying risks within the delivery model for the estates. Mitigating against fraud risks. Ensure the team are maintaining proper records and inventories of all estates and stores/ stock related activity
  • Other general corporate service team tasks as required to assist covering absences and demanding periods

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

  • Line Management of the members of the Estate team
  • Together with the Head of Department help ensure effective spend against a maintenance budget of £2 million
  • At least 2 years hands-on procurement experience
  • Hold a qualification in procurement
  • Facilities management experience
  • Strong emphasis on accuracy and detail
  • Effective oral and written communication skills
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously to meet goals and deadlines
  • Proficient to intermediate in MS Excel, MS Teams and Microsoft Outlook
  • Good time management and organizational skills
  • Contract Management Experience
  • Qualification from other Professional Procurement Organisations
  • Project Management and property maintenance experience
Changing and Improving, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together
1 July 2025
Executive Officer (EO)
Permanent
36.5 hours
Africa
South Africa
Pretoria
British High Commission
1
R 411 391,66
yearly
1 August 2025

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

  • UK Government Foundation level Contract Management accreditation

Working patterns:

The job holder will need to maintain a rigid working pattern so that customers know when they are available, however a certain level of flexibility around start, and finish time may be possible upon prior agreement with the Line Manager.

 

The British High Commission pays in full for the Key Care Plus option on Discovery Health for staff including spouses/partners and dependants.

  • Once you have successfully completed your probation the British High Commission will contribute 9% of your monthly salary to a Provident Fund.
  • Annual leave entitlement of 25 days
  • Working hours per week of 36.5 hours
  • Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.
  • Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.
  • The British High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.
  • Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Pretoria are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in South Africa.
  • It is essential that the applicants already have the right to live and work in South Africa without the need to apply for a work permit.
  • Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.   
  • Information about the Civil Service Success Profiles can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles. Please note:  AA=A1, AO=A2, EO=B3, HEO=C4, SEO=C5 
  • Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.
  • Please log into your profile on the application system on a regular basis to review the status of your application.
  • Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’.  If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate”
Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.