89448 - MoJ Property Directorate - Area Property Operations Manager (East of England)

£39,868 - £43,535
4
12 Months
East of England
Bedford , Chelmsford , Hemel Hempstead , Newmarket , Norwich , Thetford , Woodbridge
HM PRISON & YOI WARREN HILL WOODBRIDGE, IP12 3BF, HM Prison Bure, NR10 5AJ, HM Prison Chelmsford, CM2 6LQ, HM Prison Highpoint, CB8 9YG, HM Prison Hollesley Bay, IP12 3JW, HM Prison Mount, HP3 0NZ, HM Prison Wayland, IP25 6RL, HMP BEDFORD BEDFORD, MK40 1HG, STIRLING HOUSE NEWMARKET, CB8 9YL
SEO
SEO
Permanent
Full Time, Flexible Working
Estates, Facilities Management, Property
No

Please note, if you are successful in the recruitment process, you will be added to the merit list for the campaign. We will then appoint candidates as Area Property Operation Manager posts become available.  This will be based on merit order and your location preference.  Your location preference will be captured during the application process. Please be advised, that being successful in the recruitment process and being placed on the merit list does not guarantee an offer of employment.

Position Area Property Operations Manager

Location East of England

Band SEO

Contract Type Permanent

Overview

The MoJ Property Directorate is a customer focused organisation that exists to enable our customers to perform to their very best. We do this by providing high quality, easy to use services, and working environments that our customers want to work in, which support them to deliver their individual outputs efficiently.  Our job is to manage one of the most diverse and complex estates in Government – hosted by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).  The MoJ Property Directorate brings together a property portfolio including Prisons, Probation, and MoJ HQ and Arm’s Length Bodies.  We also provide property services on behalf of the Home Office.

MoJ Property provides specialist services including facilities management, health and safety, fire safety and security, technical design expertise, and sustainability.  We also have business management teams who support the entire Directorate and each of our partners is supported by account management teams.  We are responsible for a great deal - our portfolio consists of properties valued at £8.5bn for the MoJ alone.  We are part of the Government Property Profession (GPP) and through active membership and engagement we will work with the Office of Government Property to develop the maturity of the profession and also encourage our people to join the GPP. We continue to build our capability through training and recruitment, aspiring to be the best that we can be as individuals and as a directorate.

We continue to deliver new ways of working across our portfolio – leading on the scale and pace of activity for central government – proposing ways to achieve, and then providing more dynamic and flexible workspace, while driving down the cost of the estate.

Team Overview

Are you looking for a high profile, unique, exciting and challenging opportunity to join an award-winning Property Services (PS) team that works in collaboration and partnership with our customers and suppliers? We work on a varied portfolio across the Ministry of Justice and Home Office estate, providing property services to HM Prison and Probation Service, Ministry of Justice headquarters and supporting the Home Office and its departments such as Border Force within the ports and airports. We provide both Hard and Soft Services across the UK, through our integrated supply chains to provide the best possible property services support.

PS is a challenging environment in which to work, with interdependencies between the customers, suppliers and users of the estate.  It requires good leadership, collaboration and excellent drive and determination. The candidate should be a self-starter, good leader, have personal resilience and excellent customer engagement skills. You will be required to deliver at pace and demonstrate effective application of service delivery management, skills, tools and techniques. If you have the passion, enthusiasm and skill to be the best Facilities Manager, then joining the Ministry of Justice Property Directorate PS Team is the place for you.

Area Property Operational Managers (APOMS) are responsible for working directly with clients and suppliers, including on regular site visits, to ensure efficient and effective delivery of hard and soft FM services for their portfolio. This is a key contract management role requiring specialist knowledge, with responsibility for overseeing the delivery of the contract and works projects, for defining projects and for technical and statutory assurance.

APOMs work alongside Property Operational Managers (POMs) and report directly to Regional Property Operational Managers (RPOMs) for their region.

The properties allocated to the role and sometimes the account it focusses on can sometimes be altered over time to meet business demand, providing excellent development opportunities for the post holder.

Job Description, Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities will include the following:

Service Management:

  • Understand your assets and deliver operational strategies, policies and processes in line with operational requirements to manage the delivery of services, payments and the audit regime
  • Manage day-to-day the contracts across a number of sites within a region through MI data and visual inspections of sites, including checking that work carried out by contractors is in accordance with the contract in terms of quality, compliance and specification and were appropriate contractors adhere to local and national security strategies.
  • Liaise with the supply chain and other MoJ Property teams to proactively understand issues across the portfolio and facilitate improvements
  • Understand the priorities of stakeholders and how they fit into plans and activities
  • Consider whether Early Warning Notices (EWNs) and compensation events are required and advise RPOM accordingly. Monitor to ensure they are being addressed and ensure mitigation plans and risk register are in place and maintained.
  • Manage issues (including requests for additional spend, elective new works and changes to scope or specification) to resolution and escalate to RPOMs where necessary
  • Follow the schedule of visits for each asset (to be agreed with RPOM) to discuss performance, issues and update on work orders
  • Engage with the PS supply chain and other MoJ Property teams to ensure legislative and statutory compliance through Health and Safety, business resilience and the provision of fit for purpose accommodation to meet customer needs
  • Ensure that you follow fire risk assessment procedures
  • Ensure that actions relating to inspections and audits are delivered through the contract.
  • Work with the technical team, MI and reporting procedures to enable audit, assurance and validation of service delivery including taking accountability for carrying out site audits to departmentally agreed frequency and managing actions that arise from these to ensure statutory, mandatory and contractual compliance
  • Where it applies, manage the transition to the delivery of services to new contracts and operating models.
  • Identify the requirement for project works, including contributing to business cases, bids and the procurement process. Oversee the delivery of works projects on sites within your portfolio.
  • Ensure that waste management/recycling, energy management and biodiversity sustainability strategies are in place and adhered to by contractors.
  • Liaise with MoJ Property on the planning and delivery of new builds, refurbishments and change of use across the sites, adhering to statutory planning and legislation.

Customer Management:

  • Act as the client’s first point of contact. Report MI data on contract performance.
  • Engage through site visits, regular communication and running or attending client engagement meetings as appropriate
  • Understand the wider strategic needs and priorities of clients and how they are incorporated into plans and activities
  • Manage supplier issues and complaints to resolution, escalating to RPOMs where necessary
  • Encourage, recognise and share innovative ideas and improvements from customers and other stakeholders
  • Where required, work with the supplier to contribute to the preparation of site contingency and emergency plans and ensure implementation. Support operational emergencies by providing technical management assistance and support.

Supplier Management:

  • Develop strong relationships with suppliers
  • Engage with the supply chain to ensure that contracts provide satisfactory delivery and to drive value for money in accordance with business targets
  • Conduct weekly interfaces with suppliers to escalate issues and scrutinise performance
  • Manage issues to resolution and escalate where necessary to RPOMs
  • Encourage, recognise and share innovative ideas and improvements from both suppliers and other stakeholders

People & Resource Management:

  • Independently monitor your progress and work towards fulfilling objectives within your own development plan
  • Ensure that you are fully compliant with your mandatory learning, competencies and skills & behaviours required to discharge your role
  • Effectively manage all delegated spend within agreed internal governance procedures
  • Adhere to the appro
  • private governance procedures in procuring and authorising spend to ensure appropriate value for money and contract delivery
  • Contribute data and information to enable the development of cyclical or ad-hoc business planning or business case development

Wider Initiative Involvement:

  • Understand why and how the wider strategic priorities of the Estates Directorate are incorporated in plans and activities
  • Proactively support the delivery of government soft landings and programmes
  • Represent the interests of the PS team and the wider Property Directorate within the Government Property Profession
  • Ensure that your behaviours reflect government and departmental requirements for diversity and inclusion
  • Play an active role in staff diversity & inclusion (D&I) networks and/or attend D&I events
  • Actively participate in client unit, estates directorate, wider MoJ and industry networks to share best-practice
  • Where required, provide data and information in relation to litigation claims.

Skills and Experience

Essential -

You should have strong experience in property and FM disciplines and be able to demonstrate compliance with statutory, regulatory and professional requirements in previous roles.

You should have experience in:

  • Commercial and financial disciplines
  • People management including mentoring, motivating and development
  • Asset management, maintenance and contract & supplier management
  • Managing complex customer relationships and stakeholder liaison
  • Managing multi-project programmes of maintenance or capital investment

Highly Desirable –

Experience with project management processes is highly desirable.

Qualifications

  • Willing to work towards associate (SEO/band B) level membership of relevant professional body, e.g., IWFM Level 4 / 5 – Member, RICS FM Pathway or MRICS, with a preference if already held OR equivalent experience.
  • Hold a NEBOSH or National Examination Board Occupational Safety Health – National Certificate in Construction Health and Safety qualification OR be willing to work towards it.
  • Completed the National Engineering and Construction Contracts Accredited Training and have OR be able to rapidly acquire excellent understanding of the TFM contract, NEC3 provisions and the associated processes.
  • You should have suitable technical compliance training, e.g. L8, HV/LV.
  • Membership of the GPP is required or candidate is expected to be working towards one.

Licences

Full UK Driving Licence is required - APOM is required to attend sites across their Portfolio Area in the course of their duties on a daily basis that would not be practical to be reached by foot or by public transport.

Government Property Profession (GPP) Technical Skills

The GPP Framework is aimed at staff working in property or property-related roles and consider property to be their career anchor profession. This usually encompasses posts where professional qualifications and experience are directly relevant to the work being undertaken. However, it is also applicable to those who are currently not qualified property practitioners but wish to make this their profession of choice. Those with a property background at any level are encouraged to register with the GPP, which exists to support property practitioners at all levels. Details of the GPP Career Framework can be found at:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-government-property-profession-career-framework--2

This role falls under Facilities Management, Practitioner, and some or all the following Technical Skills will be tested during the selection process:

  • Customer and Client Focus – Practitioner
  • Property Professional Expertise – Practitioner

Behaviours

We will assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

  • Seeing the Bigger Picture
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Communicating and Influencing

Flexible working hours

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. We are happy to accommodate any reasonable adjustments you may require during the selection process. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

The Property Directorate offers flexible working subject to local agreement.

This post is advertised as Permanent & Full Time.  The unit is supportive of and encourages flexible working and compressed hours candidates will also be considered.

Non-civil service candidates will start on the pay band minimum.

Licences
Full UK Driving Licence

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please see our Disability Confident Scheme Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Interview dates to be confirmed.
Interviews will be conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams

31/01/2025, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or email Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com Please quote job reference - 89448.
Security Clearance (SC)

To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why. 

For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).

If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:

  • You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
  • You were studying abroad
  • You were living overseas with parents

In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.


Application form stage assessments

Experience
CV
Statement of Suitability - 1000 word limit

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Behaviours
Seeing the Big Picture
Making Effective Decisions
Managing a Quality Service
Communicating and Influencing
Technical Skills
Customer and Client Focus – Practitioner
Property Professional Expertise – Practitioner
Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.
Any candidate who has been assessed as being appointable to the role they applied for may be offered a similar, lower grade role, if one is available. Furthermore, any candidate who has just missed meeting the criteria for a particular role, may be appointed to a similar role at a lower grade if such a role is available, and if they have been assessed as meeting the criteria for the lower grade role. These appointments will also be made in merit order.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

· UK nationals

· nationals of the Republic of Ireland

· nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

· individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

· Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules