View Vacancy - Estates Manager (ALB24.293)

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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)
Estates

The British Embassy Tirana 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 who will work with the Head of Corporate Services (HoCS) to establish the Estates Team as a centre of excellence serving a diverse staff base. The jobholder has responsibility for adherence to health, safety, and welfare for the benefit of all staff at the Embassy.

The Estates Manager will play a key role in delivering Estates services, providing day-to-day management of the Estates Team. The jobholder will lead estates projects, operations and supplier management to ensure a safe and compliant platform for all staff. Responsible for health and safety policy and operations.

This is a busy management role that calls for a candidate interested in customer service and operational delivery, well-organised self-starter with drive, initiative, and high-quality personal skills. The role requires someone that is customer focussed, confident and competent in decision-making, and able to access and influence the right support from the UK and elsewhere, across the services that we deliver.

What will the jobholder be expected to achieve:

Estates Management 50%

 

Set priorities 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 Estate Compliance Officer and Regional Technical Lead (RTL), develop and deliver a planned and preventative maintenance programme covering the entire estate and establish a means to triage and prioritise ad hoc or urgent requests.

Working with the Estate Compliance Officer and Technical Works Officer (TWO), maintain the new asset register and forward maintenance register (FMR). Understand how to leverage and use funding from Local Budget and from HQ to ensure estate maintenance standards are met. Taking advises from the UK-based Technical Works Supervisor and the Regional Technical Lead.

Set strategy and comply with policy on UK staff accommodation units. Working with the Post Housing Committee (PHC) and Head of Corporate services, reach decisions on allocation and use of accommodation within the guidelines and constraints of the FCDO Estates Policy, adjusting the estate holdings as required in advance.

Update Estates Accommodation handbook reflecting central policies and best prcacticies.

Member of the Post Housing Committee (PHC), ensuring that appropriate action is taken to address issues raised. Provide quarterly briefings to Health and Safety Committee (HSC) about Post’s exposure to liability and risk, recommending remedial action where appropriate.

Finance and contract management 10%

  • Overall responsibility for estates related budgets of maintenance, machinery, equipment, furniture, and utilities. Effective financial management, ensuring that budgets are monitored, profiled, and spent in accordance with estates priorities.
  • With Finance & Procurement Manager, tender, manage and oversee all estates procurement and suppliers to ensure service level agreements are met.
  • Responsible for operational management of all estates contracts, reporting back to Head of Corporate Services on delivery standards and assessment of works against KPIs set.

Communication and engagement 10%

  • Working alongside Head of Corporate Services, ensure that estate works that affect colleagues are properly planned and communicated. Work collaboratively with a range of contractors (UK and local) and understand how projects are effectively managed.
  • Engage with Embassy senior management on a regular basis, seeking feedback and demonstrating continuous improvement.
  • Seek and act on customer feedback and use this to drive continuous improvement in estates management.

Health & Safety 25%

  • Maintain a safe, compliant and supportive working environment for all staff and diplomatic families.
  • Oversee health and safety activity, owning policy, guidance and monitoring standards.
  • Act as fire safety manager.
  • Ensure that a proactive risk management approach is taken to all work, ensuring compliance with UK and local standards.
  • Prepare and respond to any audit and assessment requests, ensure compliant record keeping.

Team Support 5%

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.

Essential

  • High-level of written and spoken proficiency in both English and Albanian at a minimum of C1 level (according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages*)
  • A bachelor’s degree.
  • Relevant experience in a similar estates/ facilities management customer-facing role, ideally for at least three (3) years.
  • Highly organised and able to deal with challenging situations, confident in handling day-to-day tasks and decisions
  • Confident and clear communicator. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both verbally and in written communication.
  • Strong IT skills and literacy in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams).
  • Strong organizational, analytical and time management skills, with very good attention to detail.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

  • Knowledge of Local and UK Health and Safety legislation related to buildings and estates.
  • Management expertise and experience, motivating, and managing operational delivery teams.
  • Technical qualifications or proven experience in one or more of the following areas: operation delivery health and safety management, fire management, building management, etc.

Changing and Improving, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together
10 September 2024
Executive Officer (EO)
Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
36 hours/week
Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Albania
Tirana
British Embassy
1
ALL
159,685 All (gross monthly)
monthly
7 October 2024

This role is for a full-time employment, on a fixed term contract basis for two (2) years. The successful candidate will be subject to a 90-days probationary period (as appropriate). The appointment is subject to satisfactory local and UK security clearances. The selected candidate must have a right to live and work in Tirana.

Normal working hours at the Embassy are Monday to Thursday 08:30-17:00 and Friday 08:30-14:30.

The Embassy operates a flexible working policy that allows staff to work different hours as well as allowing staff to work from home one day a week, based on operational requirements and agreement with the line manager, and in line with FCDO and Embassy policies. The jobholder should be flexible in their approach to hours worked as these will also be dictated by operational needs and may involve working out of hours (evenings/ weekends).

The package includes a good level of health insurance and a friendly, English-speaking work environment. We offer opportunities to develop professional skills through our Learning & Development offer. Leave entitlement is 20 working days (on pro rata basis) and 26 working days after 5 years of service plus 15 public holidays.

Learning and development opportunities:

Your Line Manager will help you develop a personalised L&D plan and will share opportunities, resources, and guidance to ensure you have any necessary learning for the role with ability to achieve full potential.

You are expected to have a proactive approach to your own learning. These might include attendance at regional conferences, estates manager training, mandatory courses and formal in-house and external training. Coaching, mentoring and job shadowing opportunities. 

You will also undergo crisis training and be ready to take on the role of Deputy Logistics Manager in the event of a crisis, taking part in desk-based crisis exercises, and standing ready to support if a real crisis occurs.

No accommodation and relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.

The successful candidate must have the right to live and work in Albania.

Please note that staff members are responsible for paying any income tax required by local law.

The successful candidate will be subject to professional background check, security clearance and a probation period.

The British Embassy does not facilitate/sponsor visa applications and work permits. Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy in Albania are subject to terms and conditions service according to Albanian employment.

*Please note for more information on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment levels please click on the following link CEFR. Please bear in mind in case you are invited for an interview your language skill is going to be assessed.

Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.

We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application, since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.

Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.

Please be advised that the British Embassy will not be able to meet the travel costs incurred when travelling to the interview, nor the costs connected with relocation if offered a job.

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.