Senior Leasehold Property Manager

For jobs located in Wales, the ability to speak Welsh is desirable. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is one of the governments largest public service departments with a sizeable annual budget, serving over 20 million citizens. The estate spans1.4 million square metresacross800+ sitesand supports around78,000 colleagues. Our vision includes DWPcolleagues,supply chain, partners and,most fundamentally, the customers theDepartment exists to serve. They are the reasonfor our existence. We are responsible for theday-to-day operationof our vast Estate by managing a private sector supply chain that delivers essential services such as Security Guarding, Maintenance, Property and Leasehold Management, Construction, Cleaning and Facilities Management. DWP Estates is not just about maintaining buildings - its about transformation. Our strategic goals include:

• Transitioning to a smaller, more affordable, and adaptable estateto meet future needs
• Investing in infrastructurethrough planned replacement works
• Embedding sustainabilityin line with Government Greening Commitments (GGCs)
• Delivering cost-effective serviceswhile maintaining high standards
• Creating a professional, best-in-class working cultureacross the Government Property profession
Our Estates strategy ambitions have been refreshed to take us through to 2030: OPTIMISE: Continue to transition to a more affordable and adaptable DWP estate that creates productive environments INVEST: Investment in an improved environment that better meets the needs of customers and colleagues and minimises service disruption,
• To provide leadership and oversight of all DWPs leasehold responsibilities including:
o Property transactions required to deliver strategic change eg: acquisitions and disposals, lease regears and landlords consents o Lease event management eg Rent reviews & lease renewals o Day to day estate management duties to ensure compliance with lease obligations
• To act as a subject matter expert, providing advice and direction to the senior stakeholders to shape strategy in accordance with best practice
• Drive financial performance to meet in year budget targets, providing accurate annual and monthly forecasts within their region or building portfolio and identify and proactively address opportunities for cost reduction including:
o exploiting lease event opportunities to keep operating cost to a minimum o maximise opportunities to recover business rates and service charge costs o identifying opportunities to increase revenue from the estate and vacant space
• Accountability for commercial assurance and approval of financial commitments for commercial property transactions within Delegated financial levels and provide recommendations to governance forums where required, to ensure value for money and commercial probity
• Providing development and leadership for your team, embedding new ways of working and fostering a culture of One Team that includes supplier partners and wider teams in DWP Estates, role modelling the civil service behaviours.
• Instruction and management of third-party supplier partners including building commercial relationships and ensuring appropriate challenge and professional rigour is applied to recommendations and decision
• Accountability for accuracy of lease data, governance reports and supplier management reporting through regular audit and assurance activities
• Collaboration with other DWP Estates teams to review, develop and continuously improve cross team end to end processes to ensure effective hand-offs of responsibilities are clear and align with each area of expertise.
• Key stakeholder engagement and management, acting as subject matter expert and point of escalation on all aspects of leasehold management.
• To keep abreast of wider Government property initiatives and other government departments strategic intentions, to determine their impact on the DWP Estate eg One Public Estate, MEES/sustainability
• To keep up to date with market trends, understand and interpret benchmark information about best in class solutions to drive efficiencies across the estate when undertaking transactions and financial and supplier management.
• Undertake scenario planning exercises that analyse long term market and economic trends, considering how this might influence and develop the future DWP estates strategy.
• To ensure consistency in approach and continuous improvement throughout the extended team by regularly reviewing methodology, process, and approach, identifying lessons learned and sharing knowledge as and when required
• Ensure succession planning for the Leasehold team by managing capability assessment, professional development of the existing team, All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will undertake a single virtual video interview.
There, you will be assessed against the experiences listed in the essential criteria. You will also be asked additional questions to validate your knowledge which will be measured against the essential criteria as specified in the vacancy. Your will also be asked some Behaviour & Strength questions. Currently the sift is scheduled to take place w/c 27th July 2026and interview dates w/c 10th August 2026. Interviews are scheduled to take place virtually and dates are subject to change., Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or within 10% of existing salary. Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may, however, be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at the Childcare Choices Website. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Nationality requirements This job is broadly open to the following groups:
• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window) . The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) . Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window) .

Demonstrable experience in commercial property management gained within the property function of a large organisation
• A successful track record of managing complex and high value estate management transactions such as acquisitions, disposals, lease renewals, re gears and rent reviews
• Sound judgement and ability to demonstrate commercial acumen in decision making
• Experienced in financial management of outgoing property liabilities including forecasting, budgeting and rental accounting
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including experience in presenting to senior governance forums
• Strong analytical skills including research and investigation, able to analyse and manipulate data for reporting and decision making
• Experienced in instructing, managing and leading real estate suppliers
• Ability to engage and work effectively with technical, legal and regulatory matters
• Strong track record in leading teams in a hybrid working environment
Qualifications/professional memberships Desirable
• Appropriate RICS membership or willing to work towards
• Previous Line management experience
  
  THRIVE: Continue to develop a working culture for DWP Estates that is best in class across government
There is no better time to join the award winning DWP Estates team. As a Senior Leasehold Property Manager you will be a key member of the Leasehold Team during this exciting time when DWP is modernising and investing in its estate. We have an ambitious programme of work to deliver over the next few years, including high volumes of lease acquisitions, divestments, lease renewals, regears and landlord consents, on top of the day-to-day work of managing the largest estate in Government. Working to the Head of Leasehold or Lead Leasehold Property Manager in achieving the Departments strategic objectives, this senior role will lead a team and manage and direct expert suppliers (property consultants and solicitors). You will be given the opportunity to lead on specific projects/specialism where you will act as DWPs leasehold subject matter expert.

Alongside your salary of 57,946, Department for Work and Pensions contributes 16,786 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window). DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (prorata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 years continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Womens Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.
Things you need to know Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use., If you are placed on a reserve list but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:
• If you are later offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances (e.g. a contractual Part Time Working Pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health).
• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.
Disability Confident Scheme If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards. Reasonable Adjustments We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.