Estates Manager

<p><p><b>Estates Manager </b> </p> <p><b>The Shuttleworth Trust – Old Warden, Bedfordshire </b><br/><b>Contract: </b> Full-time, permanent<br/><b>Location: </b> On-site </p> <h2>About the Role </h2> <p>The Shuttleworth Trust is seeking a hands‑on Estates Manager to take responsibility for the day‑to‑day management of its diverse and historic estate. This is an operational, delivery‑focused role, ideal for someone who enjoys being visible on site, working closely with people, and taking ownership of a varied property portfolio. </p> <p>Following a period of transition, the Trust is in a strong financial and operational position and is now bringing estate management in‑house. You will play a key part in maintaining the estate while also contributing to a number of significant capital and infrastructure projects planned for the coming years. </p> <p>This role sits at Estate Management level, reporting into the senior leadership structure, with clear scope for progression into a Senior Management Team role as the position develops. </p> <h2>The Estate </h2> <p>The Shuttleworth Estate is a mixed‑use rural estate comprising: </p> <ul> <li>Around 70 residential properties (managed with an external agent) </li> <li>Commercial buildings, including aviation‑related infrastructure </li> <li>Agricultural land with a mix of Farm Business Tenancies and traditional agreements </li> <li>The iconic Mansion House, Visitor Attraction, and Shuttleworth College </li> <li>An in‑house Maintenance Team and Grounds Team, supported by a large and committed volunteer community </li> </ul> <h2>Key Responsibilities </h2> <ul> <li>Oversee the day‑to‑day operation of the Estate across residential, commercial, and agricultural assets </li> <li>Manage and coordinate repairs, maintenance, and refurbishment works </li> <li>Specify, procure, and deliver building and infrastructure projects on time and within budget </li> <li>Procure, manage, and monitor contractors, ensuring quality, value for money, and compliance </li> <li>Lead, develop, and organise the Grounds and Maintenance teams, implementing effective preventative maintenance programmes </li> <li>Act as the Trust’s primary point of contact for tenants, managing relationships and resolving issues </li> <li>Work closely with the external property management agent, particularly on residential matters </li> <li>Introduce and maintain effective estate and property management systems </li> <li>Support budgeting, cost control, and financial reporting for estate activities </li> <li>Prepare clear and accurate reports for the Estate Committee and Board of Trustees </li> </ul> <h2>About You </h2> <h2>Essential </h2> <ul> <li>Proven experience in estate or property management, or a closely related field </li> <li>Strong background in coordinating property maintenance and works across multiple sites </li> <li>Experience procuring and managing contractors </li> <li>Sound budget management and cost‑control skillsHighly organised, proactive, and solutions‑focused </li> <li>Confident communicator, able to engage with tenants, staff, volunteers, and trustees </li> <li>A practical, hands‑on approach with a regular on‑site presence </li> <li>Full, clean UK driving licence </li> </ul> <h2>Desirable </h2> <ul> <li>Professional qualification such as RICS, or working towards one </li> <li>Experience managing rural or mixed‑use estates </li> <li>Experience leading maintenance or grounds teams </li> <li>Familiarity with tenancy arrangements and working alongside managing agents </li> </ul> <h2>Why Join Shuttleworth? </h2> <ul> <li>Be part of a unique and nationally significant estate with heritage, aviation, education, and visitor‑facing elements </li> <li>Join an organisation that has successfully completed a major transition and is now financially stable and forward‑looking </li> <li>Take ownership of a varied portfolio with real autonomy and influence </li> <li>Work alongside passionate staff and an exceptional volunteer community </li> <li>Clear opportunity for career development and progression </li> <li>Relocation assistance may be available for the right candidate </li> </ul> </p> #J-18808-Ljbffr Salary: GBP 40000 - 50000 per year Experience: 2 years required

Back to blog

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...