Head of Maintenance

Head of Maintenance (fixed-term contract)

Salary: £60,000-£65,000 per annum, pro-rated for the duration of the contract

Contract Type: Full-time, fixed-term - 6 month appointment

Reports to: Domestic Bursar

Location: Balliol College, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BJ

Responsible for: a team of 9 Maintenance staff

Balliol College
Situated in an historic site in central Oxford, Balliol has been a hub of learning and community since its foundation in 1263. As one of the larger colleges within the University of Oxford, it is home to roughly 860 students, with undergraduates making up just under half of the student body. The College also employs over 80 Fellows, 50 lecturers, and about 180 support staff, with Professor Seamus Perry as its current Master.

While academic excellence is at the core of Balliol’s mission, visitors are often struck by the College’s informal and welcoming atmosphere. Beyond its walls, Balliol has an active and engaged global community of over 10,000 alumni and donors.

Balliol College seeks to appoint an experienced and dynamic Head of Maintenance for a fixed-term period of approximately six months to lead and develop the College's maintenance function across its diverse estate.

This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for ensuring the College's buildings, infrastructure and residential properties are maintained to the highest standards of safety, compliance, functionality and presentation. The postholder will provide clear direction, effective leadership and professional management of the maintenance team, fostering a culture of collaboration, customer service and continuous improvement.

Balliol's estate encompasses Grade I and Grade II listed buildings dating back to the fifteenth century, modern student accommodation, and privately rented properties across multiple sites. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing maintenance and refurbishment activities across this varied portfolio, balancing immediate operational requirements with planned and preventative maintenance and the longer-term stewardship of the estate.

The Head of Maintenance will assess current operations, strengthen processes and systems where appropriate, establish clear priorities and standards, and ensure that maintenance services are delivered efficiently, professionally and to a consistently high standard. The postholder will strengthen systems and processes where required, improve planning and accountability, and ensure that resources are deployed effectively. They will lead and develop the maintenance team, fostering a professional and collaborative culture in which responsibilities and expectations are clear.

The postholder will work closely with colleagues across the College and manage external contractors and specialist suppliers to ensure that works are properly specified, coordinated and delivered to the required standards.

The postholder will also play an important role in driving operational improvements, enhancing service delivery and supporting the College's long-term estate maintenance strategy. They will contribute to the development of that strategy through membership of the Buildings Working Group, comprising the Master, Finance Bursar and Domestic Bursar, providing professional advice on building condition, investment requirements and the stewardship of the College estate.

The postholder will also serve on the Hall Working Group, alongside College representatives, the external project manager and architects, contributing maintenance and operational expertise to the forthcoming multi-million-pound refurbishment of the College Hall.

The appointment is expected to last for approximately six months, although the College reserves the right to extend or make permanent the arrangement should operational requirements dictate.

Leadership and People Management

• Provide strong, visible and decisive leadership to the maintenance team, setting clear expectations, standards and objectives, fostering a culture of professionalism and customer focus.
• Lead, manage and develop the maintenance team, ensuring that roles, responsibilities and lines of…