Residential & Commercial Property Manager

Residential & Commercial Property Manager

Hours: Minimum of 37.5 hours per week, normally Monday to Friday. Due to the nature of the role the working pattern may occasionally change to include evenings, weekends and Public Holidays, with reasonable notice provided or by prior agreement. This may be to support property inspections, tenant matters, or other operational requirements for example. TOIL will be provided for additional planned evening or weekend working in accordance with departmental arrangements.

Normal start and finish times may be reasonably adjusted with reasonable notice to meet operational requirements.

The role requires regular travel across the property portfolio and occasional travel to St James's Place, London, and other locations as required.

The Role

The Property Department is responsible for the facilities management and maintenance of the historic, residential and commercial properties belonging to the Rothschild Foundation and National Trust, including Waddesdon Manor, The Stables, Windmill Hill, the Five Arrows Hotel, The Bow, The Dairy, commercial and residential properties and various other smaller outbuildings, staff houses and general infrastructure.

The department is led by the Head of Property & Facilities Management, supported by the Facilities & Maintenance Manager, Residential & Commercial Property Manager and a team of skilled trade technicians, general facilities & maintenance operatives, grounds assistants and administrative and data support staff.

The Residential & Commercial Property Manager is responsible for the effective management, performance and development of the Rothschild Foundation's residential and commercial property portfolio, working within the strategic direction set by the Head of Property & Facilities Management.

What you will do

The role is responsible for maintaining high standards of landlord and property management, supporting optimal occupancy and rental income, ensuring appropriate legal and regulatory compliance, and providing a professional and responsive service to tenants and internal stakeholders.

The postholder line manages the Lettings Administrator and works closely with the Facilities & Maintenance Manager, Facilities & Maintenance Administrator, Property & Systems Data Lead, Finance and HR to ensure the effective management of the portfolio.

Key Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Portfolio Management & Strategy

• Work with the Head of Property & Facilities Management to develop and deliver the long-term strategy for the residential and commercial property portfolio.
• Manage the day-to-day performance of the residential and commercial portfolio, ensuring properties are managed effectively, professionally and in accordance with organisational objectives.
• Maintain oversight of occupancy, voids, rental performance and emerging portfolio risks, providing regular information and recommendations to the Head of Property & Facilities Management.
• Identify opportunities to improve the performance, condition, use and value of the portfolio and make recommendations for investment or improvement.
• Support property acquisitions, disposals, lease renewals and other portfolio changes as required, working with appropriate professional advisers.
• Prepare and contribute to relevant budgets, forecasts and longer-term property plans and monitor expenditure and income against agreed targets.

Residential Lettings & Tenancy Management

• Provide management oversight of the full residential lettings and tenancy lifecycle, ensuring properties are marketed, let and managed efficiently and in accordance with organisational policy and legal requirements.
• Line manage the Lettings Administrator, providing clear direction, regular one-to-one meetings, performance management, development support and appropriate oversight of workload and priorities.
• Ensure appropriate processes are in place for marketing, viewings, referencing, tenancy documentation, inventories, rent reviews, renewals, tenancy changes and check-out arrangements.
• Review recommendations relating to prospective tenants, rental values and tenancy arrangements and approve or escalate decisions in accordance with delegated authority.
• Maintain oversight of rent collection and arrears, working closely with Finance and ensuring concerns are identified and escalated promptly.
• Ensure tenant queries, complaints and tenancy-management matters are handled promptly, professionally and consistently.
• Maintain appropriate oversight of void properties and coordinate with Facilities & Maintenance colleagues to agree required works and support timely re-letting.

Staff Accommodation

• Provide property-management oversight of the organisation's staff accommodation portfolio, working closely with the Director of People and HR Department.
• Ensure the Lettings Administrator provides effective administration of staff accommodation, including Manor flats, National Trust Key Representative housing, Pathways Programme accommodation and other short-term or emergency accommodation.
• Ensure property, landlord, occupancy and compliance requirements relating to staff accommodation are appropriately managed.
• Work with the Director of People and/or Head of Property & Facilities Management on staff accommodation matters, recognising that employment-related eligibility, approvals, rental concessions and associated policy decisions sit outside the Lettings Administrator role and are determined in accordance with organisational policy.

Commercial Property Management

• Manage the day-to-day administration and performance of the commercial property portfolio, maintaining appropriate records of leases, licences, rent reviews, renewals and other key dates.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with commercial tenants and occupiers and act as a key point of contact for property-management matters.
• Coordinate lease events, rent reviews and other commercial property matters with external agents, valuers, solicitors and other professional advisers as required.
• Monitor rental performance, arrears, lease compliance and emerging risks and make recommendations to the Head of Property & Facilities Management.
• Support the effective management of commercial properties including the Five Arrows Hotel and The Bow where relevant to the landlord/property-management responsibilities of the Foundation.

Property Maintenance & Condition

• Work in close partnership with the Facilities & Maintenance Manager to agree priorities, capacity and workflows for planned and reactive works across the residential and commercial portfolio, balancing property and tenant requirements with available Facilities & Maintenance resources and wider departmental priorities.
• Agree appropriate timescales for works with the Facilities & Maintenance Manager before commitments are made to tenants or other stakeholders, and ensure priorities are reviewed where operational demands or available capacity change.
• Provide the Facilities & Maintenance Manager with relevant property, tenancy and access information to support effective planning and allocation of work.
• Maintain appropriate oversight of outstanding residential and commercial property works, working with the Facilities & Maintenance Manager and Facilities & Maintenance Administrator to ensure progress is communicated effectively to tenants and other stakeholders.
• Monitor property condition and identify emerging repair, investment or compliance requirements, escalating significant issues to the Head of Property & Facilities Management.
• Support property inspections, condition reviews and programmes of improvement as required.
• Escalate competing priorities, significant capacity constraints or unresolved issues to the Head of Property & Facilities Management where agreement cannot reasonably be reached.

Compliance & Risk

• Ensure the residential and commercial portfolio is managed in accordance with applicable landlord, property, housing and tenancy legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain oversight of relevant property and tenancy compliance records, working closely with the Property & Systems Data Lead and Facilities & Maintenance colleagues to ensure information is accurate and up to date.
• Ensure appropriate processes are maintained for statutory and landlord requirements, including relevant safety certification, tenancy documentation, deposit and occupancy requirements where applicable.
• Keep abreast of changes in residential and commercial property legislation and good practice and advise the Head of Property & Facilities Management on implications for the portfolio.
• Identify, assess and escalate property-management risks and support the implementation of appropriate controls and mitigations.
• Work with the Facilities & Maintenance Manager and Health & Safety Manager to ensure responsibilities for property compliance, maintenance compliance and health and safety are clearly coordinated.

Stakeholder & Professional Relationships

• Develop and maintain positive and professional relationships with residential and commercial tenants, prospective tenants and occupiers.
• Work collaboratively with the Head of Property & Facilities Management, Facilities & Maintenance Manager, Facilities & Maintenance Administrator, Property & Systems Data Lead, Finance, HR and other internal stakeholders.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with external agents, valuers, solicitors, local authorities, contractors and other professional advisers.
• Represent the Rothschild Foundation professionally in property-management discussions and negotiations within the authority delegated to the role.
• Prepare reports, updates and property information for the Head of Property & Facilities Management and other stakeholders as required.
• Undertake occasional travel to St James's Place, London, and other locations as required in connection with the responsibilities of the role.

You will be a great fit if:

You’re a confident communicator and supportive manager who uses their judgement to identify risks and know when to seek advice or escalate issues. You’re an experienced residential property professional who enjoys managing lettings and tenancies, and navigating property legislation and compliance with confidence. You’re commercially minded and organised, with a good understanding of property maintenance, budgets and rental performance.

Your areas of knowledge and expertise that matter for this role: 

Essential

• Demonstrable experience of residential property management and the management of lettings and tenancies.
• Strong working knowledge of residential landlord and tenancy requirements and relevant property legislation.
• Experience of managing a varied property workload, including tenant relationships, rent reviews, compliance and property-management processes.
• Experience of supervising or line managing others.
• Good understanding of property maintenance and experience of working collaboratively with maintenance or facilities professionals to prioritise and coordinate works.
• Strong financial and commercial awareness, including the ability to monitor rental performance, budgets and value for money.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities, deadlines and a varied workload.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to build effective relationships with tenants, colleagues, contractors and professional advisers.
• Good judgement and the ability to identify risk, make recommendations and escalate matters appropriately.
• Strong IT skills and confidence using property-management systems and standard business applications.
• A full UK driving licence is essential.

Desirable

• Experience of commercial property management, including leases, licences, rent reviews and lease events.
• Experience of managing a mixed residential and commercial property portfolio.
• Experience within a rural estate, heritage, charity or similarly complex multi-use environment.
• A relevant professional property qualification or membership, for example ARLA Propertymark, RICS or equivalent.
• Experience of staff, tied or other employer-provided accommodation.
• Experience of working with historic or listed properties.