Head of Property

Head of Property

ROLE PURPOSE

The purpose of this role is to lead and support the Retail & Property Director to provide a comprehensive property service for the Oak Furniture land Group Limited, comprising retail showrooms, and non-retail facilities across the UK, developing the estate with new showrooms, building strong relationships with landlords, delivering best terms through proactive management of lease events and assisting with the development of the property strategy as required to meet the business needs.

The role will be based full-time from our Swindon Head Office. There may be the opportunity to work remotely as agreed with the line manager.

• Reporting directly to the Retail and Property Director, with line management responsibility for the Estates administrator, F&M manager and working alongside other roles.
• Overall management of the current property portfolio including 70 showrooms and 14 non-retail properties, including the Head Office with a rent roll of approx. £17.5m per annum and rates, service charge and insurance of approx. £10.3m per annum.
• Showroom opening programme of circa 3-5 per annum, including potential management of relocations and old property closures.
• Managing and protecting the business through proactive key lease event management, including rent reviews, lease renewals and break clauses in a flexible short leasehold estate.
• Managing and evolving the business property policies ensuring they are fit for purpose from a regulatory, effectiveness and efficiency perspective.
• Building sustainable relationships with landlords, managing agents and external advisers, plus the management of a network of external professional advisors including surveyors and solicitors.
• Engaging with senior stakeholders across the business to understand evolving requirements from the service.
• UK nationwide network including Northern Ireland, the role requires ability to build knowledge, awareness and relationships at local levels and travel across the UK to secure the needs of the business.
• Development and management of a clear property strategy, aligned to the needs of the business, and with well-articulated plans for delivery.
• Effectively manage the current property portfolio, managing key lease events to time, budget and commercial outcomes, ensuring relationships with landlords and their managing agents is well managed, and using external networks to further the needs of the business from a property perspective.
• Effectively maintain the Estates Plan, ensuring it accurately reflects the occupational terms of the business, and manage the approach and outcome to key lease events well ahead of time and efficiently to budget to meet the needs of the business.
• Identify and appraise potential sites as locations for new showroom openings in close co-operation with key business stakeholders and external network planning partners.
• Assess new potential sites with commercial regard for property outgoings, statutory planning, condition, configuration, delivery vehicle accessibility, proximity to nearby showrooms and other local operational requirements.
• Strong and effective communication on all property matters across stakeholders, peers, colleagues and suppliers.
• Foster solid working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to develop and instigate property projects, including negotiating effectively with landlords, external consultants and suppliers and influencing internal operational colleagues and other relevant senior managers.
• Monitor, review and analyse all aspects of completed projects to implement improvements in future projects as applicable in terms of programme time, budget and operational requirements.
• Maintaining a commercial, economic and flexible environment for the existing property portfolio against rising costs and an improving landlord’s market.
• Maintaining a commercially viable property acquisition programme in accordance with the company's strategic requirements against an environment of reduced property availability and hostile competing interests.
• Developing strong external relationships with the landlords, managing agents and property…