Global Director of Estates & Facilities

Role: Global Director of Estates & Facilities (Edinburgh based)

Grade and Salary range: Grade 10, Competitive

FTE and Working Pattern: Full Time, Open Ended

Organisation Name: University Executive (Professional Services) – Estates & Facilities Directorate

Enabling a global university through resilient, future-focused estates and facilities. Heriot‑Watt University is a distinctive, research‑led institution with a truly global footprint, operating campuses in the UK, Dubai and Malaysia, and a growing portfolio of international partnerships. Its complex academic, regulatory and commercial landscape requires strong estates leadership to support academic excellence, international growth and long‑term sustainability.

You are the executive lead for the University’s Global Estates and Facilities Directorate, overseeing operational excellence, capital projects, commercial real estate management, and campus strategy. In the first year you will drive change across operational, commercial and transformational priorities while maintaining high‑standard delivery of current services.

• Line reporting to the Executive Director of University Global Operations and line management of a global team of ~400 Estates and Facilities colleagues across five campuses, valuing approximately £100m, with full budget and P&L accountability.
• Lead and transform the directorate into a world‑class, high‑performing global estates capability, establishing clear priorities, SMART goals and performance management.
• Develop the strategic transformation and transition to a virtual campus over the next decade while safeguarding core missions of flexible education, student experience, research, and operational excellence.
• Own the University’s net‑zero pathway across all estates, embedding sustainability into every commercial and operational decision, with student experience at the centre.
• Commercialise the University’s real‑estate assets and partner with development partners to maximise economic value.
• Assess readiness for Strategy 2035 implementation from an Estates & Facilities perspective, design a flexible operating model, and model subject‑matter expertise in core operating model design.
• Act as an ambassador for Operations globally and contribute to the Strategy 2035 Operational Excellence steering group.
• Partner with third‑party strategic consultants to implement Strategy 2035 and influence commercial models.
• Credible leader of cultural change, modelling University purpose, values, risk, accountability, commerciality and innovation.
• Transform operational management to data‑ and digital‑based service management, standards, and performance tracking.
• Ensure sound investment and commercial decision‑making for strategic estates projects, achieving ROI and value tracking.
• Advance the University’s space‑planning approach, adopting technology solutions to make student‑centred, evidence‑based decisions aligned with academic priorities.
• Lead a multi‑union relationship and engagement model, securing trust of union representatives and those in a partially unionised workforce.
• Maintain and enhance asset value through efficient, compliant procurement and purchasing aligned with public funding and charitable obligations.
• Lead organisational change for Strategy 2035, managing stakeholder expectations and prioritising team needs.
• Cultivate open, transparent, proactive partnerships across the University.

Education, Qualifications &

Experience:

• Highly experienced Estates & Facilities executive leader (10–20+ years) with a record of large‑scale operations transformation.
• Proven ability to design and implement organisational change, sell vision and secure stakeholder buy‑in.
• Experience recruiting senior management with a focus on people, commercial and transformation leadership.
• Demonstrated success in building trust with union‑represented work forces during change.
• Deep knowledge of flexible service delivery models, balancing in‑house and partner delivery for quality, resilience and value.
• Senior client or Executive sponsor experience on major construction or…