CORE PURPOSE

We require a highly competent, exceptionally proactive Premises Manager to lead the comprehensive operational management, strategic maintenance, and statutory compliance of our academy’s physical infrastructure and extensive grounds. Operating within an architecturally significant Black Country academy campus that places immense pride in maintaining its historic features alongside modern facilities, the successful candidate will manage the site team, coordinate specialized external contractors, and oversee facilities projects. This critical leadership role ensures our campus remains a pristine, safe, and elite-tier educational environment, fully optimized to support student achievement, community lettings, and daily operational excellence.

THE SCHOOL

Our academy is a highly successful, traditional state school situated in the historic town of Walsall, widely celebrated for its warm community spirit, exceptional facilities, and a culture that deeply values its operational support staff. We believe that the physical environment teaches a silent lesson in respect, discipline, and high standards, which is why we hold our estates and premises team in the highest regard.

Unlike modern, generic campuses built from identical materials, our school features a beautiful blend of historic, heritage architecture and state-of-the-art modern extensions. We are looking for an industrious Premises Manager who takes genuine pride in craftsmanship, heritage conservation, and the meticulous care of a unique estate. You will have full operational autonomy over our fabric maintenance strategy and a dedicated team who takes immense personal pride in keeping our campus looking immaculate, orderly, and professional. We offer a deeply respectful, collaborative relationship with senior leadership, a generous budget for historic building maintenance and upgrades, and fully funded specialist training in compliance, structural engineering, and modern estate management.

KEY TASKS & DAILY OPERATIONS

• Strategic Facilities & Asset Management: Oversee the daily opening, closing, and secure operation of the school campus, designing and implementing rigorous preventative maintenance schedules for all building fabrics, mechanical systems, and plant machinery.

• Statutory Compliance & Health & Safety Leadership: Serve as the academy's operational lead for health and safety compliance, meticulously maintaining records for fire safety, legionella testing, asbestos monitoring, electrical testing, and risk assessments to exceed HSE and DfE standards.

• Contractor Management & Capital Projects: Act as the primary point of contact for external building contractors and service engineers, managing tendering processes, verifying RAMS (Risk Assessments and Method Statements), and supervising capital works to ensure deadlines and budgets are strictly met.

• Team Leadership & Operational Coordination: Lead, schedule, and performance-manage the internal caretaking and cleaning teams, optimizing shift patterns to support both standard school operations and our active, community-focused evening and weekend lettings program.

• Emergency Response & Business Continuity: Act as the primary keyholder for the site, managing out-of-hours alarm escalations and leading rapid-response efforts during adverse weather, mechanical failures, or urgent repair scenarios to minimize school closure risks.

PROFILE REQUIREMENTS

• Qualifications & Certifications: A recognized professional qualification in facilities management (such as IWFM) or a high-level health and safety certification (IOSH Managing Safely or NEBOSH), paired with a valid, clean UK driving license.

• Technical Expertise: Proven experience managing facilities, building maintenance, or construction projects within a complex public sector or educational setting, demonstrating deep knowledge of building management systems (BMS) and statutory compliance laws.

• Leadership & Communication Skills: Exceptional organizational and leadership capabilities, with a track record of effectively managing teams and communicating clearly with senior leadership, local authorities, and corporate contractors.

REGIONAL CONTEXT

• An Industrial Heritage Hub Embracing Future Prosperity: Based in the historically significant town of Walsall, the school capitalizes on an exceptional Black Country identity defined by its world-renowned leather-working heritage, manufacturing innovation, and close-knit community ties. Blending busy, culturally diverse town centres with beautiful green spaces like Walsall Arboretum, the area provides a fantastic, real-world context for exploring social history, rhetoric, and creative expression. Operating within this highly collaborative educational network allows our staff to engage directly with local community partnerships, regional business initiatives, and a deeply supportive network of local families.

• Connectivity & Infrastructure: The campus benefits from premium West Midlands transport infrastructure, offering straightforward road commuting via the strategic M6 motorway corridor (Junctions 7, 9, and 10), the A34, and the A454. Public transit networks operate continuously via comprehensive local bus routes, while Walsall Railway Station serves as a key transit hub, connecting the school effortlessly to Birmingham New Street in under 25 minutes, making the school highly accessible for professionals commuting across Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and the wider West Midlands.

APPLICATION INTAKE

Please submit your current CV to begin the application process.