Reporting to the Director of Estates, Facilities and Commercial Services, this senior role provides leadership across engineering, maintenance, utilities, energy and statutory compliance services for an estate comparable to a small town. You will work collaboratively to support teaching, research and student life, while guiding operational excellence, infrastructure resilience and long-term sustainability.

With a strong focus on energy and utilities, you will contribute to the University’s net-zero ambitions and lead continuous improvement across essential services. Success in this role requires inclusive and confident leadership within complex estates environments, sound professional judgement, and the ability to balance strategic planning with effective operational assurance.

This is a unique opportunity to shape estates operations at a UK Top 10 university recognised for its commitment to sustainability, community and global impact.

We are delighted to be working in partnership with Insight Executive to support us in finding the very best candidates for this exciting opportunity.

James Herron is supporting our process and will be very happy to have an informal, confidential conversation about the role, the University and the opportunity. Please direct any enquiries to james.herron@insightexecutive.co.uk

For more information about  the role please view the candidate pack: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/jobs/landing/assistant-director-estates-operations/

Closing Date: 28 Sep 2026

Department: Professional/Senior Management

Salary: Competitive

Why work with us
Lancaster University’s beautiful campus makes it a lovely place to work, combining a busy urban atmosphere while surrounded by green parkland and seasonal landscaping. We have lots of facilities on-site such as: a sports centre, shops, cafes, a multi-faith centre, pre-school, a post office and a fantastic library. There are numerous clubs, groups, and networks you can join to make friends with like-minded people. Lancaster University provides an environment that strongly supports the needs of each employee, promoting a healthy work-life balance.

You will be part of our Estates Operations Facilities, the largest division within the University. Facilities have won numerous sector and professional association awards – the most recent being the Gold Standard Award at the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) Awards 2024. This recognised how our exceptional teamwork made real positive change for our students, staff, and the campus environment.

Salary: £26,707 to £30,378 plus market supplement to a maximum of £35,199. 

Working hours: Monday-Wednesday 0800 –1630; Thursday 0800 – 1600; Friday 0800 – 1300 plus weekend rota and rota for call out duties  

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including:
  - Competitive salary
  - Generous employer pension scheme
  - Including University closure days at Easter and Christmas and bank holidays a total of 39 days is allocated.
  - A family-friendly approach to those with parental or caring responsibilities 39 days
  - Additional flexible benefits to suit your needs and interests, some with tax-savings.

- We provide top of the range tools, PPE, and work wear.

 Visit our employee benefits on our website - https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/jobs 

Is this the job for you? 

Are you looking for a job which offers you: 

• a varied workload 
• the ability to work independently 
• no need to travel long distances between jobs 
• the benefits of being part of a great, friendly team 

Find out about more of our employee benefits on our website - https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/jobs  

This post is offered on a full-time, indefinite basis. This post operates on a shift work pattern. 

To find out more about joining our award-winning Facilities team and an informal chat about the role, please contact Ian Watson (i.watson@lancaster.ac.uk)

Closing Date: 31 Oct 2026

Department: Support - Manual

Salary: £26,707 to £30,378 (Full-Time/Indefinite)
Plus market supplement to a maximum of £35,199