4 Month Contract With A Local Authority

The Head of Asset Management (Strategic Assets) is a senior role within the Valuation and Strategic Assets (VASA) function. The post provides expert leadership on property processes, policy, systems, and complex landlord and tenant contractual matters. The role requires extensive experience in property contracts, landlord and tenant work, and strategic asset management. MRICS chartered surveyor status is essential.

VASA advises the Council where underlying asset value can be realised through third-party lettings, disposals, or acquisitions, generating capital, revenue, or social value. The service leads the Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) and delivers the Council’s corporate vision for its asset base.

The post holder is accountable for designing and delivering property programmes, ensuring that the Council’s land and property assets are used to support borough priorities. Acting as deputy to the Assistant Director (VASA), the role provides high-quality advice to Cabinet, Corporate Management Team and senior leaders on all matters relating to property and assets.

The role also leads the transformation towards a data-led, technology-enabled, value-adding asset management service that supports organisational change, improves asset performance, and maximises returns—financial, operational, and social.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the Council’s senior technical expert, handling complex, high-risk, and high-value property matters independently.
  
• Provide professional leadership for the VASA team, ensuring colleagues understand processes, standards, regulatory compliance, and risk
  
• mitigation.
  
• Foster a customer-centred approach, ensuring internal clients proactively seek and receive high-quality, timely advice.
  
• Lead annual work programme development, ensuring strong performance, delivery, and professional competence across the team.
  
• Lead and take responsibility for all aspects of acquisitions, disposals, leasing, valuations and property transactions.
  
• Contribute to the capital pipeline through strategic disposals supporting major housing, education, infrastructure and regeneration priorities.
  
• Maximise revenue and value through third-party lettings and identification of emerging commercial opportunities.
  
• Develop innovative strategies for exploiting asset value, including acquisitions linked to land assembly, marriage value or regeneration.
  
• Identify income-producing acquisition opportunities and assess associated risks.
  
• Advise on major regeneration schemes including joint ventures, land swaps, CPO processes and partnership arrangements.
  
• Provide strategic housing-related property advice including enfranchisement, buybacks and disposals.
  
• Initiate new models for disposals, acquisitions and value-creation, maintaining a strong presence in the market.
  
• Lead procurement, oversight and performance management of consultant frameworks and external advisors, ensuring professional standards and maximising revenue opportunities.
  
• Oversee occupancy strategies, ensuring efficient use of Council assets across the estate.
  
• Monitor and challenge the performance of commercial and operational portfolios, using data to support strategic decisions.
  
• Lead all dilapidations claims, minimising financial exposure.
  
• Ensure disposals and leases achieve best value, including social value considerations.
  
• Ensure systems are in place to capture opportunities for future value.
  
• Lead corporate processes for asset review, utilisation, disposals and acquisitions, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and accurate data provision to TechForge and other systems.
  
• Ensure timely responses to Members, MPs, FOI requests and customer enquiries.
  
• Liaise with bodies such as RICS, GLA, LGA and HCA, providing information and representing the Council.
  
• Ensure effective risk management and value for money across all activities and frameworks.
  
• Challenge and improve property services delivery, driving continuous improvement and innovation.
  
• Line manage staff, ensuring strong performance, development and compliance with professional standards.
  
• Comply with all legislative and corporate governance requirements including Data Protection, Health & Safety, Financial Regulations and Standing Orders.
  
• Undertake other duties as required to support the needs of the service.
  

Requirements

• Educated to degree level.
  

• MRICS (Chartered Surveyor) is essential.

• Detailed and extensive knowledge of the property industry.
  

• Strong understanding of complex property transactions and the opportunities they create for local authorities.
  

• Detailed and extensive understanding of strategic asset management.
  

• Knowledge and experience of project management and performance management frameworks.