Chief Property Officer

The University of Bristol is a thriving and international community dedicated to learning, discovery and enterprise. Situated in the heart of Bristol, it is a major force in the life and economy of South- West England and a world leader in research. For over a century, our institution has inspired generations of students, pushed back the frontiers of human knowledge and served our city-region with civic purpose.

Our University’s global reputation is testament to the quality and achievements of our staff, the highly talented students we attract and the success of our graduates. Excellence is the benchmark for everything that we do. We were proud to be ranked 9th in the UK and 54th globally in the recent 2025 QS World University table.

The Chief Property Officer is a pivotal member of the Professional Services Leadership Team and a member of University Executive Board. The role is responsible for developing and managing a vast Estate to provide a physical and facilities environment which is efficient and enhances the student and staff experience of the Campus and is responsive to the University’s strategic ambition. The role will be responsible for completing the final stages of our new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus in addition to formulating a new estates strategy focused on ensuring our property portfolio enables the key pillars of our University of Bristol Strategy

The successful candidate will possess a proven track record in a senior leadership role with responsibility for delivering large-scale capital development programmes alongside the high-quality provision of estates and facilities management. You will be adept at delivery change and transformation in complex portfolios with demonstrate success in creating a culture of service excellence in the delivery of estates operations, commercial services and facilities management.

We are seeking an individual with exceptional interpersonal skills, as the Chief Property Officer will be required to operate and interact successfully in a collegial manner with senior academic and professional services colleagues in addition to external partners. The CPO role will suit individuals who thrive in collaborative and innovative environments.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to play a leading role in the advancement of the University in an Executive-level leadership role and one of the foremost property leadership role in the UK in terms of scale, breadth, complexity and impact. The candidate pack & further particulars can be viewed and downloaded at Chief Property Officer

To arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our retained advisors Michael Hewlett (michael.hewlett@mrgglobal.com ) or Ben Duffill (ben.duffill@mrgglobal.com ) of MRG.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 16^th March 2025.

Our strategy and mission

We recently launched our strategy to 2030 tying together our mission, vision and values.

The University of Bristol aims to be a place where everyone feels able to be themselves and do their best in an inclusive working environment where all colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential. We want to attract, develop, and retain individuals with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives – particularly people of colour, LGBT+ and disabled people - because diversity of people and ideas remains integral to our excellence as a global civic institution.

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