Head of Real Estate Strategy and Portfolio Planning

This is a fantastic opportunity to work in a Department that touches the lives of citizens the length and breadth of the UK. What we do matters. We serve 22 million customers a year; we keep children out of poverty; we help people without jobs to find work so that they can support themselves and their families; we ensure the most vulnerable in society are protected. DWP has an ambitious programme of welfare reform, and the way in which we need to deliver our services is changing from digital shifts to cutting edge behavioural science.

Our diverse national property portfolio reflects this scale, with around 810 properties covering over 1.3m square metres providing workplaces for 84,000 employees across our network, and following the successful exit from a PFI contract in 2018 the DWP Estates Directorate has established a new operating model, and is accountable for the delivery of all real estate services including facilities and project management either directly or through third party supplier partners.

As Head of Real Estate Strategy & Portfolio Planning, you will play a central part in building on established relationships across DWP to ensure alignment of estate strategy and business need, and you will lead a team that brings together estate data and market insight to develop well-informed estates strategies that maximise value for money opportunities and input into the department’s business planning cycle. You will work collaboratively with the Government Property Profession and with other departments, as part of a strategic, high performing real estate function, recognised across Government as a leader in its field.

You will be an experienced leader with a proven track record in understanding business strategy and developing real estate strategy which aligns with complex and diverse business needs. With strong financial acumen and an analytical approach, you will be comfortable operating at scale and at pace, and you will be able to demonstrate the communication and influencing skills required to operate with credibility with a range of senior stakeholders.