Deputy Director of Estates Management

Location: Trust-wide, multi‑site (central team office + academies)

Are you ready to play a key leadership role in shaping and maintaining exceptional learning environments across a high-performing multi academy trust? The GORSE Academies Trust is seeking a highly capable and motivated Deputy Director of Estates Management to support the strategic leadership and operational oversight of our estates portfolio. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of a dynamic central team, ensuring our academies benefit from safe, compliant and high-quality environments that support outstanding education.

Working closely with the Director of Estates Management, the successful candidate will provide professional estates advice across the trust and play a leading role in delivering strategic priorities including asset management, sustainability, compliance, estates contract management and operational estates performance. This is a varied and influential role where strategic thinking and practical problem solving go hand in hand. You will work with principals, academy leaders and estates teams to ensure that our buildings and facilities are maintained to the highest standards and continue to support the needs of pupils, staff and communities.

This role is perfect for someone who:

• Has significant estates or facilities management experience, ideally within a complex or multi-site organisation.

• Demonstrates strong leadership and the ability to influence and support teams across multiple locations.

• Has a strong understanding of compliance, health and safety, and statutory estates responsibilities.

• Is highly organised and able to manage multiple workstreams, projects and priorities.

• Is motivated by the opportunity to make a tangible difference to the environments in which young people learn and thrive.

The successful candidate will support the strategic management of the trust’s estate, ensuring it remains safe, compliant, sustainable and aligned with the trust’s educational objectives. You will provide leadership across a wide range of estates functions including compliance monitoring, asset management, sustainability initiatives and operational estates performance.

You will work closely with academy leaders and site teams to ensure effective estate management across all settings, supporting the delivery of improvement projects and resolving operational challenges. The role will also involve overseeing key estates systems and processes, ensuring accurate record keeping, effective estates contract oversight and proactive planning for maintenance and renewal.

The Deputy Director will deputise for the Director of Estates Management where required and contribute to the strategic development of the trust’s estates function as part of the wider central team.

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking an individual who can demonstrate:

• Significant experience in estates, facilities or asset management.

• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.

• Excellent knowledge of health and safety and statutory compliance requirements.

• Experience managing projects, contractors and operational estates services.

• Strong organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills.

• The ability to work strategically while maintaining a strong operational focus.

• A willingness to travel across multiple sites.

What we offer you: 

As a trust, we want to ensure that professionals at every stage in their career have the opportunity to enjoy expert support and training. We are pleased to offer a generous benefits package to our team – as we work together to create a rewarding future for all including: 

• Membership the local government pension scheme.   

• A commitment to continued investment in our professionals, supporting every member of staff throughout their career in the trust. 

• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential professional advice and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  

• £2k Cycle to work scheme. 

About Us

GORSE has a well-known reputation for changing the deal for children and young adults who come from some of the most impoverished parts of the country. Our central mission is to ensure that we play a significant role in removing the stubborn link between poverty and academic underperformance. Consequently, our students and our professionals are in the vanguard of the national drive which seeks to prove that where teaching is excellent, leadership inspiring and behaviour standards exemplary all children excel regardless of background.

Our 15 trust establishments - which include primary, secondary, and post‑16 settings - work together with our central team, LTSH (Leeds Teaching School Hub) and GORSE SCITT (School-Centred Initial Teacher Training), to form a connected network of excellence. This tight‑knit collaboration enables our students to prosper through strong partnership, where shared expertise, consistent standards and collective ambition ensure exceptional opportunities for all.

To learn more about our work and values, please visit our website at https://www.tgat.org.uk/

How to Apply

If you are excited about this opportunity, a recruitment pack and application form can be downloaded from our website at https://www.tgat.org.uk/jobs/. You can also request an application pack via email at recruitment@tgat.org.uk or by calling 0113 487 8888.

Should you wish to have an informal discussion about this role or to arrange to visit our trust then please do so through contacting Tina Dunderdale, Director of Estates Management (tina.dunderdale@tgat.org.uk).

Please note electronic applications should be submitted where possible. CVs will not be accepted.

We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to full employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and barring service check. We promote diversity and aim to establish a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds.

Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK – either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

Please note that, as a sponsor licence holder, we only provide sponsorship for teacher vacancies.