"Deputy Head of Building Operations"

Deputy Head of Building Operations, Medical Sciences Divisional Office

OPEN TO INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL APPLICANTS

• £49,119 – £58,265 (with discretionary range up to £63,489 per annum)
• Full time
• Fixed Term 3 years in the first instance
• This role offers the opportunity for hybrid working. Your primary office location is the Main Projects Office: Boundary Brook House, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7GB. This role will require travel to MSD Departments in and around Oxford.

About us:

The Medical Sciences Division Strategic Planning and Projects team is a collaborative group of individuals, working across a diverse portfolio of activities. We value creative problem solvers and confident decision makers with a resilient streak. Our team is friendly, welcoming and supportive, and is a great environment to hone leadership and management skills while contributing to the impact of Oxford’s medical sciences research.

https://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/

About the Role:

The building operations delivery function works with departments to facilitate the operational delivery of complex projects spanning both the minor capital and capital plans, as well as other non-capital projects or discrete tasks. Activities and functions will vary on a project-by-project basis, and the role holder will need to work with stakeholders at all levels to identify departmental requirements and develop solutions by taking work forward, coordinating internal teams, and/or utilising external resources.

You will work closely with senior staff in the division, departments and others across the university, as well as industry professionals. You will have experience of capital projects and be able to work with named research leads, design teams and Estates Services Capital Projects during the design, construction, set-up and occupation of capital projects. The individual will be expected to contribute technical and subject specific knowledge and co-ordinate and balance the needs of the end users with the project constraints.

You will be required to work in an agile, collaborative and highly proactive manner with strong intellectual and analytical skills. Excellent communication skills (both orally and in writing) and the capacity to deal effectively with a range of complex issues in a university environment are essential. Numeracy, good project management skills and the ability to gain the trust and confidence of people at all levels, including senior academics, both within and outside Oxford, are also essential.

This role would be well suited to Building and Facilities Managers with laboratory experience or senior laboratory managers within the life science or medical science fields.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Degree or equivalent vocational qualification in a scientific or technical subject or equivalent work experience.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to set milestones, develop project plans and monitor progress, and deliver within agreed timeframe
• Strong knowledge of current Health and Safety legislation in a scientific laboratory environment.
• Proven experience in the operational running of busy laboratories and a good understanding of building services.
• Procurement experience including the tendering of maintenance contracts and services and strong negotiating skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to organise work time efficiently and handle competing priorities to deliver results to a required high standard and to deadlines.
• Staff management experience and ability to motivate others.
• Strong IT skills with the ability to learn new software packages and working knowledge of MS office including Word and Excel.
• Experience of change management and setting up new procedures and processes.

What We Offer:

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• Employee Assistant Programme
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle and electric car loan schemes
• Childcare services
• Discounted bus travel and season ticket travel loans

More information is available at Staff Benefits

How to apply:

Please provide a supporting statement outlining how you meet the selection criteria along with your CV, and the details of two referees as part of your online application.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on 09 March 2026.

Interviews are likely to take place face to face during the week commencing 23 March 2026.

Applications are particularly welcome from women, black and minority ethnic candidates who are under-represented in academic posts in Oxford.