Estates Officer - (02/24 CPT) at Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Roles and Responsibilities / what will the job holder be expected to achieve:

The below roles and responsibilities are general guidelines. The role is not limited to the detail below and the responsibilities are subject to change from time to time with prior consultation if circumstances, structures, work pressures or priorities alter, or if absences need covering.

• Organising tasks required in managing a portfolio of residential accommodation including site visits, managing contractors, tracking progress and record keeping.
• Organising work to deliver facilities management activities in offices and properties including planning / scheduling of work and ensuring staff have the correct information about works and property issues.
• Raising requisitions orders and receipting funds on the British High Commission’s finance portal dealing with financial issues and budgeting requirements and researching and assessing works quotes and costs.   These tasks include remote working for the British High Commission’s South Africa-wide Estates team by supporting budget and finance duties related to properties, offices and estates at other British High Commission locations.
• Conducting property assessments, against periodic schedules or in response to issues arising, ensuring British High Commission standards are met, compliance with Health & Safety requirements, and a high standard of customer service for staff and residential occupants.
• Monitoring maintenance requests, ensuring that issues are addressed in line with agreed standards and deadlines, and communicating with staff and residential occupants.
• Administration duties, including internal record-keeping on properties, service suppliers, contractors, budget issues and asset registers.  Management of property information and inventories, including on the British High Commission’s IT systems.  These tasks include remote working for the British High Commission’s South Africa-wide Estates team by supporting admin duties related to properties, offices at other British High Commission locations.
• Using experience / knowledge to observe and highlight any estates concerns, including accompanying contractors, related to property inspections and maintenance around generators, electrical, plumbing and other similar issues.  Assess health and safety standards at properties and offices and report on these to manager.
• Liaise with landlords and building managers to ensure fire safety, and health and safety standards are met, including regular fire testing.  Reporting on these to managers based in Pretoria.
• Provide a strong contribution, in addition to the above day-to-day tasks to the morale and team spirit of the local Corporate Services team, and other teams, in the British Consulate in Cape Town, especially related to learning and development, teamwork, collaboration and support to others, respect to colleagues, and diversity and inclusion.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

• Oversee works funded by the British High Commission estates, including researching quotes, assessing these and ensuring costs offer good value for money, financial processes are managed effectively on the IT system and budgetary information is recorded, reported and maintained accurately.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience 

• Strong computer literacy
• Multi-tasking, communication with customers and time-management skills
• Valid Driver’s licence.  The jobholder must be able to drive
• Administration Experience, including dealing with external contractors
• Fluent in written and spoken English

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

• Experience in property management / facilities management
• Budgetary experience