Head of Technical Services - University of Kent

Head of Technical Services - University of Kent

HEAD OFTECHNICAL SERVICES CANDIDATE BRIEFING PACK

Welcome to The University of Kent Dear Applicant Thank you for your interest in the role of Head of Technical Services at the University of Kent. This is a new role, reporting to the Assistant Director of Estates (Maintenance & Technical Services), accountable for the development and management of the University’s mechanical and electrical services, infrastructure and building fabric. Following a restructure within the Estates Department, this role will head up a new Technical Services team of professional specialists, providing consultancy and expertise for strategic planning, technical design and compliance. Working with internal customers, colleagues and external stakeholders, the role-holder will be part of a team providing a seamless service for the delivery of projects, setting standards for reactive and planned maintenance, and the long-term development of the Estate. Yours sincerely, Ron Moore Assistant Director of Estates.

About The University of Kent Established in 1965, the University of Kent – the UK’s European university – now has almost 20,000 students across campuses or study centres at Canterbury, Medway, Tonbridge, Brussels, Paris, Athens and Rome.

A consistent strong performer in the league tables, it was also awarded in 2017 a gold rating,

It has world-leading research in all subjects and 97% of its research is deemed by the REF to be of international quality. In the National Student Survey 2016, Kent achieved the fourth highest score for overall student satisfaction, out of all publicly funded, multi-faculty universities. Along with the universities of East Anglia and Essex, Kent is a member of the Eastern Arc Research Consortium (www.kent.ac.uk/about/partner- ships/eastern-arc.html).

The University is worth £0.7 billion to the economy of the south east and supports more than 7,800 jobs in the region. Student off-campus spend contributes £293.3m and 2,532 full-time-equivalent jobs to those totals. Kent has received two Queen’s Anniversary prizes for Higher and Further Education. Website: www.kent.ac.uk

the highest, in the UK Government’s Teaching

Excellence Framework (TEF). In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2015-16, Kent is in the top 10% of the world’s leading universities for international outlook and 66th in its table of the most international universities in the world. The THE also ranked the University as 20th in its ‘Table of Tables’ 2016. Kent is ranked 17th in the UK for research intensity (REF 2014).

About The City of Canterbury

The University’s main campus is in Canterbury. This world-famous cathedral city was one of medieval Europe’s great places of pilgrimage and knowledge. Today – with its international visitors and two universities – it still has a distinctly cosmopolitan feel. Less than an hour from London, it takes little more than that to visit France.

People come here from across the globe for world-class heritage, for culture and festivals, to visit and to study, to shop and visit some of the best restaurants in the region. The extraordinary Cathedral dominates the medieval streets within the city walls. Among the listed buildings, a boldly modern theatre – named after the city’s famous son Christopher Marlowe – has been built on the river bank, and an art museum has been restored and doubled in size. To the south of the city is St Augustine’s Abbey, part of the World Heritage Site, and England’s first seat of learning. Canterbury’s student population contributes to the city’s buzz and the Experian Inner City Vibrancy Report (2013) ranked Canterbury as the 3rd most vibrant city in England and Wales. However, it’s still easy to find areas of peace and quiet within the City walls. Kent is known as being the Garden of England and you will find local produce in cafes, pubs and restaurants: Romney Marsh lamb, cherries, ale from local hops and awardwinning wine from Kentish vineyards. To the woodlands, the Blean and a few miles away there is the seaside town of Whitstable, renowned for its oysters. north of the city is one of England’s largest ancient

Canterbury and its immediate area have an increasingly rich cultural offer. Turner Contemporary, the nationally-acclaimed art gallery, is within easy reach and the Canterbury Festival, the Whitstable Biennale and the Folkestone Triennial are just some of the regular events taking place in the region.

The Estates Department

OUR STRATEGIC VISION, CORE FUNCTIONS AND OBJECTIVES The Estates Department has circa 300 staff, an annual revenue budget of £26.8 million and is one of the largest Professional Services Departments in the University. Our strategic vision is: To provide, maintain and enhance the facilities, services, built environment and grounds of the University in a professional and effective manner which supports the University’s strategic plan and delivers an environment which benefits students, staff and visitors. The Department’s core values are: • Customer Focussed – we will put our customers first and deliver the best empathetic service we can with the resources we have available. • Honest – we will be honest with our staff and customers. • Ownership – we will take responsibility for our actions and behaviour and will not evade responsibility or pass it to someone else. • Inclusive – we will not exclude individuals from using our services or tolerate any discrimination in the workplace. • Competent – we will be professional, skilful, assured and polite in all our interactions. • Empowered – we feel empowered and have the confidence to solve problems, make decisions and take responsibility for our work. Our core functions are: The Estates Department provide a number of essential services to the University at both the Canterbury • management, development and maintenance of the estate • delivery of capital building projects and major refurbishments • space planning and management • acquisition and disposal of buildings and land • asset management • grounds maintenance • procurement of utilities and energy management • environmental and sustainability management and legal compliance as part of the stewardship of the estate • cleaning, waste management and recycling services • campus security • interior services and internal/external signage • travel, parking and transport management • telecom services • postal services • print and design services • an Estates Customer Service Centre. Our key objectives are: • the development and implementation of the Master Plan for the University’s Estate • to support the University’s Institutional Plan in providing suitable facilities for the delivery of teaching, research and staff and student engagement and Medway Campuses. These services include:

• to promote environmental sustainability in all aspects of the delivery of the Estates function • to procure and deliver value for money capital projects, assets services and facilities which enhance the University’s brand and the student experience • to effectively manage risk and ensure compliance with all legislative requirements • to ensure the Estates Department is the provider of choice for internal customers across the University • to explore innovative opportunities to enhance Estates services and where possible promote revenue generation • to promote and provide relevant staff development opportunities to achieve the objectives of the Estates Department • to enhance the student experience and provide stakeholder focussed services • to optimise the utilisation of teaching, research, social and office space across the estate • to work in collaboration with Schools, Professional Services Departments, the Students’ Union and other internal and external stakeholders to achieve common goals.

The Role

Job family:

Job Purpose Guardian of the development and management of the University’s mechanical and electrical services, infrastructure and building fabric, ensuring they are planned and delivered in a timely and economic manner that mitigates business risk and complies with legislation.

Administration, Professional & Managerial

Reference:

EST0021 Grade 9

Grade:

Salary Scale: Contract: School/Dept: Location: Line manager:

£50,132 to £58,089 per annum

Ongoing, Full time Estates Department

University of Kent, Canterbury campus Assistant Director of Estates (Maintenance & Technical Services) or their nominee Technical Manager, Building Services Engineers (Mechanical & Electrical), Building Surveyor

Immediate line reports:

Key accountabilities This section details the main accountabilities (or responsibilities) of the job, together with a selection of indicative duties. Other duties, commensurate with the grading of the post, may also be assigned from time to time. 1. To take responsibility for the current and future supply of high quality electrical, mechanical and site infrastructure to meet the growing needs of the University. Frequency: Daily Example duties: 1.1 Undertake long term strategic planning, including cost development, for major services infrastructure across the University to mitigate business risk. 1.2 Advise and lead on major strategic engineering infrastructure and technical change programmes, including option appraisals and life cycle costing analysis. 1.3 Lead on the production of long-term maintenance plans for all mechanical and electrical building services and infrastructure to be delivered by the Maintenance team, the Technical Services team and the Capital Projects team. 1.4 Lead on all matters electrical and mechanical including policy formulation and application, standards and philosophies and ensure these are adopted throughout the Department. 2. Ensure the Technical Services team provides an expert consultancy service in relation to mechanical and electrical services and building fabric to inform and facilitate the work of the Estates Department. Frequency: Daily Example duties: 2.1 Provision of advice and guidance to the Capital Projects team and external design teams on the specification and design of building services (mechanical & electrical), building fabric and fixtures and fittings for new constructions, refurbishments and minor works. 2.2 Custodian of the building condition survey for the Estate, ensuring it is kept up to date and can be used to inform the Long Term Maintenance Plan and estate returns to HESA. 2.3 Provision of maintenance programmes and advice for electrical and mechanical services, plant and equipment to the Head of Maintenance who is responsible for the delivery of maintenance services and the in-house maintenance team. 2.4 Failure investigation, root cause analysis and resolution of complex engineering problems.

3. Ensure statutory and regulatory compliance in relation to the University’s physical estate and engineering assets to avoid significant legal and financial costs and health and safety implications. Frequency: Daily Example duties: 3.1 Ensure compliance of all electrical and mechanical plant, equipment, infrastructure supply systems, distribution and procedures with legislative requirements. 3.2 Responsible for critical areas and services including the High Voltage power network, district heating system, laboratories, >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16

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