Lead Surveyor - Estate Ops

Lead Surveyor – Estates Operations

Closing date: 16 June 2026

Salary: £55,101 per annum with a recruitment allowance of £6000 payable throughout the contract period.

12-month fixed-term contract.

Role summary

We are seeking a Lead Surveyor – Estates Operations to lead a key function within Somerset Council’s Property Services team on a fixed-term basis to provide maternity cover for 12 months.

This is a senior leadership role, responsible for managing the Council’s operational estate, ensuring effective estate management, valuation, and compliance across a diverse property portfolio. You’ll be working with other senior managers to shape the Council’s Asset Management Strategy, improving and leading the work of the department.

This is a high-impact role where you will help shape how the Council manages its estate to support services and deliver value for residents.

What you’ll do - key responsibilities

• Lead the Estates Operations function, overseeing estate management, valuation, acquisition and disposal activity.
• Manage Somerset Council’s leased land and property portfolio, ensuring it supports financial and service objectives.
• Ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, including landlord and tenant responsibilities.
• Oversee property records, asset data and statutory valuations to maintain accuracy and compliance.
• Lead on tenancy management, income collection and estate performance.
• Work as part of the Property Department Management Team, contributing to strategic decision-making.
• Develop and implementing asset management strategies to deliver financial and operational outcomes.
• Lead and developing a professional team, promoting a culture of performance, innovation and continuous improvement.

What we’re looking for – knowledge, experience & skills

Essential

• Be a full member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) with at least 5 years post qualification experience of working in complex organisations.
• Be a registered valuer.
• Evidence of work related continuing professional development.
• Experience level enables post holder to provide leadership to others regarding work related systems, processes, and challenges.
• Experience of leading property teams
• Experienced in strategic management and leadership across company functions directing substantial resources over long-time frames.
• Experienced in dealing with political / community leadership stakeholders; experience of estate management in a local authority context.
• Commercial acumen, commercial risk management and negotiation skills, and stakeholder management skills are essential.
• Applies expertise to act as the Council’s lead for developing appropriate plans or performing necessary actions based on recommendations and requirements.
• Uses expertise to act as the lead on planning, organising, prioritising, and overseeing activities to efficiently meet business objectives.
• As part of the Property leadership team leads on analysing data trends for use in reports to guide decision making.
• As part of the Property leadership team leads on developing, monitoring, interpreting, and understanding policies and procedures, making sure they match council strategies and objectives.
• As part of the Property leadership team leads on interpreting and applying knowledge of laws, regulations, and policies.
• Within area of responsibility, acts as the organisational authority on managing projects and/or programmes within desired cost, time, and quality parameters.
• Within area of responsibility, acts as the organisational authority on identifying, assessing, and managing risks.
• Has extensive knowledge of asset management, landlord and tenant management and local authority real estate including detailed understanding of local / sector markets and macro-economic strategic context.
• Knowledge and experience of the corporate landlord model of asset management in a local authority context, and of best practice frameworks for local authority estate management.
• Evidence of working with and influencing stakeholders.
• Evidence of leading and developing teams, skills in motivating staff.

Additional Information  

• This is a full-time position working 37 hours per week.
• This is a 12-month fixed-term position.
• Location: Somerset, across various locations
• Hybrid working arrangements, with an expectation of sufficient in person attendance to meet with the demands of the role.
• 33 days of annual leave (additional to bank holidays)

• Regretfully, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for visa sponsorship

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact John Kulasek, Interim Head of Property, via email at john.kulasek@somerset.gov.uk.  

A full job description will be provided to shortlisted candidates or on request.