About this role
Job summary
The Group Director of Estates and Facilities is a newly created VSM Group-level role, providing senior professional leadership across estates, facilities and capital matters for Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group.
This is an opportunity to shape the first unified Estates and Facilities Strategy across three acute hospital trusts, support the development of a Group-wide estates and facilities model, and work closely alongside major capital and infrastructure priorities, including the New Hospital Programme at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn and James Paget University Hospital.
The Group Director of Estates and Facilities will be the most senior professional lead for estates, facilities and capital matters across Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group.
Main duties of the job
Reporting to the Group Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, the postholder will provide professional advice and assurance at Group Executive level and lead the development of the Group's first unified Estates and Facilities Strategy.
This is a newly created role with the opportunity to shape how estates and facilities leadership operates across three hospital sites, bringing together strategic direction, operational resilience, statutory assurance, sustainability, capital planning and service improvement.
The successful candidate will need to work across organisational boundaries, understand different site contexts, build trust with senior colleagues and create a clear Group-wide direction for estates and facilities.
About us
The newly formed Norfolk & Waveney University Hospitals Group (NWUHG) is placing people and culture at the heart of its transformation.
By working as one system, the Group is strengthening workforce development, improving staff experience and creating consistent, supportive leadership across all three hospitals. This unified approach enables better training, enhanced well-being support, and a stronger culture rooted in compassion, flexibility and continuous learning.
Together, this creates a Groupwide commitment to making NWUHG a great place to work, with clear benefits for staff including:
Flexible working hours
Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
Multi Faith prayer room at NNUH Colney Lane site
Discounted Gym memberships
Generous pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH Colney Lane site
Free 24 hour confidential counselling support
On-site Nursery at NNUH Colney Lane
On-site cafes offering staff discounts at NNUH Colney Lane
Support in career development
Flexible staff bank
Salary sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics
Job description Job responsibilities
The estates and facilities portfolio you would inherit is large, complex, and transformationally important. It spans three acute hospital sites and a growing number of community and diagnostic facilities, covering over 200,000 square metres of clinical and non-clinical space.
The NNUH is home to a first-generation PFI contract that will require expert contract stewardship through to its first break clause in 2037. At JPUH and QEH, both hospitals are among the seven nationally prioritised Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) sites in the New Hospital Programme, making this one of the most consequential estate briefs in the NHS today.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Educated to Degree level and with equivalent senior level experience. Specialist communications qualification or equivalent professional knowledge
Experience Essential
Significant experience advising Boards in large, complex organisations (NHS, public sector or equivalent). Extensive experience developing and delivering communications and engagement strategies. Strong background in crisis communications and media handling. Experience working across organisations and systems.
Skills Essential
Expertise in high profile media issues, public/patient engagement and formal consultations. Politically astute with strong judgement. Able to work under pressure and manage competing priorities.
Behaviours & Values Essential
Positive, confident and collaborative approach. Commitment to the NHS and Group values.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
Address Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group
The Centrum, Norwich Research Park
Norwich
NR4 7UG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.nnuh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)