Property & Estate Operations Director

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive planned preventative maintenance (PPM) strategy across the portfolio, covering HVAC, electrical, plumbing, AV/IT, security systems, lighting control and building fabric
• Procure, negotiate, and manage maintenance and service contracts, rigorously challenging scope, pricing, and technical delivery rather than administering contracts passively
• Lead refurbishment, fit-out, and improvement projects from initial brief through procurement, delivery, commissioning, and defects — maintaining full control of cost, programme, and quality
• Critically review contractor proposals, quotations, and variation claims with a QS-level eye, identifying inflated preliminaries, unjustified dayworks, specification inflation, or poor value engineering
• Coordinate and oversee MEP and fully integrated building systems, including Crestron, Lutron, and KNX lighting controls, HVAC control systems, AV distribution, security/CCTV, and access control
• Manage and coordinate relationships with local property managers, caretakers, and agents in each jurisdiction to ensure consistent standards and accountability
• Maintain rolling 12-month operating and capital budgets for each property, providing clear monthly reporting to the principal
• Conduct regular property inspections, produce detailed condition and risk reports, and prioritise remedial and preventative works accordingly

• Significant and demonstrable experience with a substantive period spent on site in a hands-on delivery role — Site Manager, Project Manager, Clerk of Works, or Building Surveyor, ideally within high-end residential or luxury hospitality environments
• Proven experience managing construction and refurbishment budgets in excess of £1m, including negotiation and agreement of final accounts with main contractors and key subcontractors
• Strong technical grounding in MEP systems and smart building/smart home integration, including lighting control, HVAC, AV, and security systems
• Demonstrable experience procuring and actively managing facilities management and maintenance contracts, with the capability to interrogate scope, pricing, and technical value
• Comfortable operating across multiple jurisdictions, coordinating remote teams, consultants, contractors, and local agents while maintaining consistent standards
• Professionally qualified (RICS, CIOB, or equivalent), with clear site credibility and practical delivery experience
• Prior experience working within a private family, family office, or estate environment — with an understanding of discretion, service expectations, and direct principal reporting
• Familiarity with construction and property regulations in Portugal, the UAE, and/or the US is advantageous
• Working knowledge of common contract forms (JCT, FIDIC) and experience dealing with claims, variations, and dispute resolution processes

Familiarity with construction and property regulations in Portugal, the UAE, and/or the US