As the leading conservation charity in the UK, with a workforce of over 14,000 employees and volunteers across all 4 countries of the UK, the RSPB has an ambitious programme of work transforming its approach to saving nature. Recognising that people are the heart of delivering this we have an exciting and new opportunity for a talented individual to join the RSPB's workplace, facilities & logistics team.

We are looking for a driven professional to initially lead a programme of change and improvements across our workforce workplaces. At first focussing on our leased office estate, our owned offices and then other workforce facilities such as residential volunteers accommodation. We want our workplaces to enable our workforce to be their best whilst complimenting the increase of working at home and the changing role (post Covid lockdown) our offices need to play to support this in the long term.

This is a new permanent post reporting to the Head of Workplace, Facilities & Logistics playing a leading role in shaping and delivering this exciting new workplace change programme. We are passionate about our workplaces needed to be at a consistent standard to support talent attraction and retention, contributing to workforce  engagement, productivity and well-being whilst improving accessibility, inclusivity and diversity through the built environment.

The successful candidate will be highly proficient at collaborative working with others; being able to influence and work with senior leaders, built and maintain positive and constructive relationships with individuals and remote teams outside of their direct management control and champion team work and leadership at all levels. With demonstrable experience of programmatic working around estate management, facilities management, workplace change management and maintenance and improvement project management. As well as taking the lead in the day to day operational delivery of Facilities Management and Maintenance at our UKHQ at The Lodge, Sandy, Beds. Including the commercialising of the built assets realising potential initially around meetings and conference hire and the sites ongoing development.

As well as working closely with other senior leaders across all four UK countries to deliver workplace change you will have responsibility for two teams at RSPB’s UKHQ, the Facilities Management and Maintenance teams supported by the site Facilities lead, Maintenance Manager and a dedicated Facilities Project Manager to support the UK wide change programme.

Key Result Areas will include

• Leading, developing and coordinating the implementation of the RSPB office and wider workforce estate improvement programme in order to deliver the recommendations of the RSPB Office Estate Review in all four UK countries
• Managing and leading the Facilities and Maintenance functions at UKHQ (The Lodge at Sandy), further developing the site facilities preventive maintenance, continual improvement and facilities services programmes, in order to ensure the ongoing provision of a safe, legally compliant and fit for purpose workplace
• Developing and implementing a programme to commercialise the meeting and venue hire opportunities and associated marketing at The Lodge at Sandy in order to generate unrestricted income
• Develop collaborative and highly effective internal relationships with key stakeholders to ensure that the workplace change and improvement programme aims are delivered
• Contribute to preparing papers and reports for the RSPB's governance and oversee timely reporting of section business metrics in order to enable oversight of section and programmes
• Accountable for the provision of expertise of the section, develop the skills and capabilities of self and the section towards high performance.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Demonstrable experience of delivering workforce change programmes 
• Ability to positively influence change and demonstrate credibility both internally and externally
• Sound knowledge and demonstrable experience of facilities management, workplace estate maintenance, improvements & compliance and of leading commercially driven projects
• Demonstrable experience of programme and project management principles and application including reporting
• A strong commitment to, and an understanding of, how equality, diversity and inclusion enables an organisation to be successful
• Leadership and people management skills, able to develop team members for high performance and build a positive culture
• Ability to make pragmatic, reasoned and practical decisions/recommendations/alternative solutions based upon sound analysis and reason
• Ability to understand and interpret technical reports, design briefs and works contracts particularly related to building and infrastructure projects
• IWFM or equivalent qualifications are desirable

This is a permanent role working 37.5 hours per week and may include (by exception) some out of hours working or call-outs.  The role will be based at RSPB UK headquarters in Sandy Bedfordshire and the successful applicant will need to be able to spend a minimum of 2 days per week on site with flexible working for the remaining time. 

As part of this application process you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete a full application including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience requested.

For further information please contact Bryan Bland at bryan.bland@rspb.org.uk.

We are actively looking to fill this role and shall be reviewing applications and inviting to interview as they are received, as such we reserve the right to close this advert early.

This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Before applying for this role, we recommend reading through the candidate guidance notes attached to the top of this advert. Previous applicants need not apply.