Gower College Swansea – Head of Operational Estates

Do you have experience of Estate Management and are looking for a new challenge? Gower College Swansea are recruiting! Gower College Swansea is a £60m college for Further Education providing high-quality education and training to communities across Swansea from currently seven locations across the city and county.

But as a college we have big ambitions. In addition to a £21m new build/refurbishment programme which is already underway on our Gorseinon Project, we currently have four other capital projects (£6m-£40m) in different stages of development and which, once approval has been received, will hopefully all kick off during this year. To help deliver on these, we will need to both move some resources around and appoint new staff and, as a result, we are looking to recruit a new Head of Operational Estates.

Leading and managing our estates and facilities operations, the successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring our facilities are safe, sustainable and conducive to learning. This role requires a proactive individual with a strong background in estates management and maintenance operations with excellent communication skills. This is a key leadership position responsible for ensuring that our college estates are maintained to the highest standards, supporting the learning experience of students and the working environment of staff.

Dear candidate,

Head of Operational Estates

Thank you for your interest in the role of Head of Operational Estates at Gower College Swansea. I very much hope that the information we have provided gives you a good sense of the college, the role and what we are looking for.

Gower College Swansea is a large, further education college with over 4,500 full-time and 8,000 part-time learners, including 3,000 apprentices, from across Swansea and neighbouring counties studying each year. Today, the college operates from seven locations across Swansea, including campuses at Tycoch and Gorseinon and is one of the largest employers in the region with over 1,000 staff with an annual turnover of just under £60m.

The college works within a very mixed economy of providers of post-16 education and training. Of the 14 secondary schools in Swansea, seven have sixth forms and whilst there is a competitive environment for post-16 learners, no fewer than 60% of Year 11 pupils will progress to us.

Within Swansea, there are two universities with whom the college works closely – Swansea University and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and also two neighbouring further education colleges, both of whom have campuses based within Swansea.

The delivery of our vision, mission and strategic plan is underpinned by a strong, positive culture and our core values:

• Resilience
• Innovation
• Respect
• Integrity
• Collaboration

We are seeking an experienced individual to manage all of the College’s estate, its related resources and facilities. The successful candidate will have a thorough understanding of general management in an organisation of similar size and complexity, ensuring our facilities are safe, sustainable and conducive to learning.

We have appointed FE Associates to support us with this important appointment. Interested parties are encouraged to contact our recruitment partner, Claire.Gehlig@fea.co.uk, prior to making an application and before the closing date.

If you feel your skills, professional experiences and values are aligned to ours, we look forward to receiving your application.

Kelly Fountain
Principal