Salary: £83,663 - £86,100
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
Working type: Hybrid - three days a week onsite
Hours of work: Full time - 37.5
Newcastle is a city with ambition, identity and momentum, and Newcastle City Council is central to shaping its future. We are now seeking an exceptional property leader to take forward a modern, strategic and financially focused approach to managing one of the city's most significant and diverse asset portfolios.
Reasons to apply:
- Lead a major city's property strategy and shape a modern, high‑performing service with real influence and visibility.
- Drive transformation across a diverse estate, delivering value, innovation and lasting impact for Newcastle's communities.
About Newcastle City Council
Newcastle is a vibrant, globally recognised city with a proud heritage and a clear vision for inclusive growth, sustainability and community wellbeing. The Council plays a pivotal role in enabling that vision, delivering services, stewarding public assets and working with partners across the region to support residents, businesses and neighbourhoods.
As an employer, Newcastle City Council offers:
- A culture that values collaboration, integrity and public service
- A commitment to innovation, transformation and evidence‑based decision‑making
- A supportive environment where leaders are empowered to make an impact
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
- A strong focus on equality, inclusion and staff wellbeing
This is an organisation where your leadership will be visible, valued and central to the city's future.
The Opportunity
The Head of Property Services is a senior leadership role with responsibility for the strategic vision, performance and long‑term direction of the Council's property portfolio. You will act as the Council's corporate landlord, ensuring that land and buildings are used effectively, deliver value for money, and support the transformation of services across the organisation.
This is a rare opportunity to:
- Lead a major modernisation of the property function
- Implement a new Strategic Asset Management Plan developed with CIPFA
- Strengthen data, systems and insight to create a single version of the truth
- Improve the performance of a large and complex operational and investment estate
- Shape strategic decisions on PFI assets and under‑managed parts of the portfolio
- Build a confident, high‑performing team with clear roles, expectations and development pathways
- Influence senior leaders, elected members and partners across the city and region
The scale, complexity and visibility of this portfolio mean the role offers both challenge and genuine opportunity to leave a lasting legacy.
What We're Looking For
We are seeking a leader with a blend of professional credibility, strategic capability and emotional intelligence. You will bring:
- Full RICS membership and strong technical expertise across asset management, property management and development
- A track record of leading multi‑disciplinary teams in complex organisations
- Experience delivering strategic change, service improvement and modernisation
- Strong financial literacy, including budget management, ROI analysis and value‑for‑money decision‑making
- The ability to work confidently with senior officers, elected members and external partners.
- Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills
- A balanced approach, commercially minded, but with empathy for public sector values, culture and pace
- Political awareness and the ability to navigate sensitive environments
- A commitment to the Council's values: Proud, Fair, Ambitious
This role will suit someone who thrives on complexity, enjoys building relationships, and can bring clarity, structure and momentum to a service undergoing transformation.
The Package
- Senior Manager Grade SM3
- Competitive salary aligned to senior leadership responsibilities
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Generous annual leave entitlement
- Hybrid and flexible working
- A supportive, collaborative leadership environment
- The opportunity to shape the future of a major UK city
Recruitment Timeline
We will be conducting a three‑week sourcing and engagement process, concluding on 7th April.
A two‑stage interview process which will take place on the 17th of April in person
