Head of Facilities

HEAD OF FACILITIES - FULL TIME, PERMANENT

8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, but with flexibility required to cover emergencies and on-call rota.

£50,000 - £56,000 annual salary

Closing Date - 10th January 2025

Interviews - W/C 20th January 2025

Job Purpose

The Head of Facilities reports directly to the Business Director and is responsible for:

• Ensuring the site is safe, clean and well-maintained;
• Maintaining a visible and approachable Facilities team which ensures that the needs of the School are met;
• Management of facilities operations (cleaning, maintenance and grounds, transport, room booking and major events);
• Management of Health and Safety and security across the campus;
• Securing best value and delivery through contract management (including maintenance, domestic, waste);
• Support of sustainability programmes and initiatives.

Accountable to

Business Director

Package Description

Competitive remuneration and benefits package including:

• Reduced school fees and wraparound care at St George’s School
• Pension Contribution
• Staff lunches
• Access to school buses on school bus routes for all staff (small charge payable)
• Professional learning and development opportunities
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Opportunity to benefit from the use of the many school facilities; libraries; sports facilities etc
• Death in service benefits for all staff
• Opportunity to join our community and contribute to social, music, drama and other events and activities.

Main Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Management and Policy:

• Provide dynamic, creative and effective leadership of the Facilities team, ensuring excellent customer service levels are maintained;
• Line management of the Facilities Co-ordinator, Maintenance Technicians, Head Janitor and Head Groundskeeper;
• Ensure completion of actions in the annual School Improvement Plan related to Estates and Operations;
• Ensure appropriate out of hours emergency cover and alarm monitoring is arranged, including being part of the out of hours rota;
• Provide input to the School risk register and ensure that department risks are identified and managed appropriately;
• Produce and update relevant policies, such as Major Incident, Transport, Allergies;
• Prepare papers/reports and present them to Council Property Committee;
• Attend operational SLT meetings as required.

Health and Safety:

• Liaise with external Health & Safety advisors to ensure the School complies with all current Health and Safety legislation and best practice in all areas;
• Ensure recommendations made by the Health & Safety advisors are implemented and that advice and guidance on Health and Safety matters is provided to the Head;
• Keep policies and procedures updated in conjunction with external advisors, including the Health and Safety Policy, risk assessments, Crisis Management plan;
• Arrange and minute the termly Health & Safety Committee and provide reports as required;
• Ensure that regular inspections are carried out to identify unsafe premises, plant, equipment and machinery and that appropriate working conditions, practices and procedures are in place;
• Oversee fire safety requirements, i.e. regular testing and servicing of the fire alarm system, fire extinguishers and emergency lighting, fixed wire testing and PAT testing, and fire evacuation procedures and drills. Ensure that fire risk assessments are completed and that recommendations are implemented;
• Oversee the management of asbestos, hazardous chemicals and legionella risk management;
• Ensure that a contractor permit to work system is operated, including ensuring that all visitors to site are recorded and accompanied as appropriate during school hours;
• Ensure that accident reporting is maintained and provide analysis of trends.

School Building and Grounds:

• Develop and prioritise the planned preventative maintenance plan and refurbishment plan, in conjunction with SLT and Council, and ensure this is implemented;
• Work with the Facilities Co-ordinator to ensure that maintenance issues reported by staff are addressed on a timely basis, in an efficient and effective manner;
• Manage and monitor the maintenance and capital budgets, including procurement of suppliers in line with the Procurement Policy and ensuring expenditure is approved in line with Delegated Authority;
• Oversee cleaning, maintenance and service contracts to ensure these are completed to specification, are on time and within budget;
• Monitor developments in and ensure compliance with all relevant statutory and regulatory requirements;
• Ensure that school buildings and grounds are kept safe, secure, clean and generally well presented, and manage issues relating to the site including staff and visitor parking and neighbour relations;
• Ensure that operating manuals, risk assessments, completion certificates, maintenance records and service drawings for all buildings are properly obtained and filed;
• Ensure on-site accommodation is inspected and maintained and that appropriate licence to occupy agreements are in place;
• Ensure that the School is adopting practices and implementing changes which contribute to achieving its net carbon zero target.

Events, Lettings and Room Bookings:

• Work closely with the members of SLT/marketing team coordinating the major school events, to ensure they run smoothly and professionally and that the school is well presented;
• Assist SLT with managing commercial and community engagement hire agreements, ensuring these benefit the school and that appropriate documentation, risk assessments and policies are in place;
• Manage relationships with commercial and community partners;
• Ensure systems and procedures for management of the letting of School facilities to external parties are appropriate and up to date;
• Ensure systems and procedures to manage booking of school facilities and associated equipment, IT and catering by staff and pupils are appropriate and efficient, resolving any room booking issues as required;
• Work with other staff members as needed to ensure that appropriate practical arrangements, such as caretaking, parking, access and catering are in place;
• Work with key staff to ensure that school use of facilities is complemented by and does not clash with external lettings;
• Co-ordinate invoicing for facilities hire with the Finance Department.

Transport:

• Overall responsibility for the strategic and operational delivery of the School transport service, including ensuring best value for money and review of routes;
• Ensure the Transport service is operated within the relevant legal frameworks and that the School is following best practice regarding driver training, records and policies;
• Work with the Facilities Co-ordinator to administer the operation of School transport, including managing day to day queries and requests from parents;
• Work with the Facilities team to ensure that minibuses are regularly inspected, well maintained and have current MOT certificates and insurance.
• Negotiate hire and lease agreements as required.
• Occasional minibus driving may be required.

Safeguarding:

• Adhere to school policy on safeguarding and child protection training as required and ensure all work done by external contractors operates within the school’s policies on safeguarding and child protection.

General Requirements of the Role:

• Undertake all training courses and attend industry and networking events as necessary to carry out duties and undertake any other tasks, as directed by the Business Director, which are not included in the above but are consistent with the role.
• Be a visible presence and lead by example, contributing to a culture of continuous improvement and high achievement.

The Ideal Candidate

Person Specification can be found in the attached Job Pack.

About the school/organisation

As Edinburgh’s only all-through independent school for girls aged 3-18, St George's is a place of possibilities: where everyone is clearly heard; pupils feel empowered to be themselves; and innovation is constantly encouraged.

The courage of our founding mothers, who pioneered women’s education in Victorian Scotland, still echoes defiantly through our corridors. That’s why amplifying the voice of every girl remains part of our DNA today as a loyal school community with a unique spirit of pride.

Over 90% of our girls achieve their first-choice post-school destination: leaving us as robust, empathetic change-makers, ready to take on the world…

• St George's, Edinburgh
• Garscube Terrace, Murrayfield, Edinburgh
• Midlothian
• EH12 6BG
• United Kingdom

+44 131 311 8000

St George’s School for Girls is an independent, all-through school in Edinburgh. It caters for approximately 800 girls aged between two and eighteen.

Founded in 1888 by pioneers of women’s education, St George’s is the largest all-girls school in Scotland and the only all-through girls’ school in Edinburgh. The school was named the top Scottish Independent School for Advanced Higher results by the Best-Schools website in 2014 and 2013.

Vision and values

The main vision of St George’s School for Girls is to produce women of independent mind who are equipped with the academic and life skills to succeed. The ethos is based on four values: truth, honour, freedom and courtesy. Students and staff alike are encouraged to be respectful towards one another. Pupils learn in an environment free of gender stereotypes.

St George’s nursery curriculum is based on child-led activities, involving problem-solving, creativity and role play. For the older students, the curriculum is based on GCSE and Scottish Higher and Advanced Higher examinations in eight areas: languages, maths, social studies, sciences, health and well-being, religious and moral education, expressive arts and technologies. The school also emphasises the importance of outdoor learning and physical activity as a supplement to academic learning.

Education Scotland report

“The school’s systematic approaches to tracking and monitoring children’s and young people’s performance provides staff with very helpful information about each child’s progress and development. The headteacher has a strong and clear vision for the school as a place where children and young people receive the best education to develop their ambitions and fulfil their aspirations.”