Serco Plc
Built Estate Manager
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Who we are
VIVO provides facilities management and accommodation maintenance for the UK military and its partners. VIVO embodies both experience and innovation.
What we do
We put our Customers and Families First. They are the driving force behind everything we do. We drive forward improvements for them to ensure the service they receive, whether reactive repairs or a major project, is completed safely and on time. In order to achieve this, we have 4 core values: open, caring, agile and collaborative. These are at the heart of everything we do.
Location: DSTL, Salisbury, SP4 - On site role
Full Time, Permanent
Salary: £55,000-£60,000 + Company car/Car allowance
Built Estate Manager – Operational Leadership Role in Defence Technical Environments
VIVO Defence Services is seeking an experienced and technically proficient Built Estate Manager to lead the delivery of facilities management services within a secure and highly specialised Defence environment. This is a pivotal role in ensuring the safe, compliant, and effective operation of critical infrastructure that directly supports national security and research objectives.
The Role
In this role, you will take ownership of a complex and varied built estate, providing technical leadership to VIVO’s on-site teams while ensuring robust engagement with the supply chain, Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), and other stakeholders. You will oversee the end-to-end delivery of both planned and reactive maintenance works, ensure alignment with statutory obligations and MoD-specific safety standards, and maintain high levels of operational compliance, particularly in accordance with JSP375 and site-specific policies.
You will be responsible for ensuring that the supply chain is mobilised effectively, that operatives are suitably qualified, and that equipment and vehicles are fit for purpose. A critical part of the role is maintaining oversight of service delivery through systems such as Maximo, ensuring that asset-level performance data is accurately recorded, analysed, and used to inform operational decisions.
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Health, safety, and environmental compliance will be a cornerstone of your responsibilities. You will support or lead critical safety processes, including risk assessment and method statement reviews, management of asbestos and legionella risks, working at height, confined space entry, and emergency response preparedness. Where required, you will take on responsibilities such as Method Statement Coordinator and support the Permit Control Office (PCO) on site.
The role demands strong commercial awareness. You will manage local budgets, monitor supply chain performance against financial milestones, and ensure delivery meets value-for-money expectations. You will be instrumental in developing condition-based maintenance programmes, contributing to lifecycle planning and maintaining the forward maintenance register to support both short-term delivery and long-term estate optimisation. In line with evolving government targets, you will actively identify and support initiatives that align with the MoD’s carbon reduction and sustainability goals.
As the senior estate leader on site, you will provide direct support to the Technical Services Managers and be the focal point for customer interaction, acting as a trusted advisor and escalation point for operational matters. You will be expected to engage regularly with the Helpdesk, provide technical input on minor works, respond to user issues, and support complaint resolution in a timely and effective manner.
Internally, you will play a key role in staff development and succession planning, driving a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement. You will also lead by example, instilling a high-performance mindset across your team and ensuring consistent focus on quality, compliance, and customer satisfaction.
This is a hands-on, high-impact role that will require occasional out-of-hours support and close collaboration with multiple stakeholders, both within and outside the organisation. You will need to be a UK national and eligible to obtain and retain SC clearance due to the nature of the site.
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What You'll Bring
Applicants should bring extensive experience in estate or facilities management, ideally within construction, property maintenance, or a similarly complex environment. A strong working knowledge of MOD systems, particularly JSP375, and experience managing Safe Systems of Work is essential.
The ideal candidate will have a recognised technical qualification in a related field, supported by a management-level health and safety certification (such as SMSTS). Familiarity with statutory maintenance requirements, condition assessments, and asset lifecycle planning will be highly beneficial, as will an understanding of energy efficiency and sustainability practices.
This role offers a unique opportunity to influence and enhance the operations of one of the UK’s most critical defence estates. Joining VIVO means becoming part of a long-term joint venture between Serco and Equans, and being supported by industry leaders committed to excellence, compliance, and innovation in public sector infrastructure.
What We Offer
- 25 days annual leave
- 6% employee matched pension contribution
- Company car/car allowance
- Single private medical cover
- Life assurance 2 x annual salary
VIVO Defence Services
The role you have applied for is with VIVO Defence Services, a joint venture between Serco and EQUANS. By applying for this role, please be aware that information contained within your CV may be shared between VIVO Defence Services, Serco and EQUANS during the recruitment process.
At VIVO, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. Therefore, we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool.
We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working and operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly a Disability Confident Leader. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.
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