Associate Director of Estates Technical Compliance

Job summary

At EKHUFT, every role contributes to delivering safe, high-quality care -- and our estates are no exception. Our facilities are the backbone of patient care, from the reliability of critical systems to the safety of every ward, theatre, and clinic. We are committed to ensuring our estate is not only compliant with all statutory and NHS requirements but also future-ready, sustainable, and resilient.

As our Associate Director of Technical Estates Compliance, you will be the Trust's senior lead liaising with our subsidiary organisation regarding estates compliance, assurance, and governance. Your expertise will directly influence patient safety, operational continuity, and Board-level decision-making. You will be integral to agreeing the strategic direction for compliance across a complex, high-profile estate -- ensuring that every building, system, and process meets the highest standards of safety, regulation, and performance.

Main duties of the job

What You'll Do

• Review and agree the Trust's estates technical compliance strategy, ensuring full adherence to statutory, regulatory, and NHS guidance.

• Provide expert advice to the Board, Executive Team, and senior leaders on compliance risks, priorities, and investment needs.

• Oversee the development and delivery of robust compliance monitoring systems, audits, and reporting frameworks.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and professional excellence.

• Drive innovation in compliance management, including the adoption of digital monitoring tools and sustainability-focused solutions.
• Act as the Trust's Authorised Person for key engineering disciplines, ensuring safe systems of work and technical assurance.

What You'll Bring

• Significant senior leadership experience in estates compliance within a large, complex organisation -- ideally healthcare.

• In-depth knowledge of statutory, regulatory, and NHS estates compliance requirements, including HTMs and HBNs.

• Chartered Engineer or equivalent professional status, with relevant technical qualifications in engineering or estates management.

• Proven ability to influence at Board level and lead teams through change.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and risk management skills, with a track record of delivering measurable improvements.

About us

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

Please note that if you require a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK you must declare this on your application form, even if you currently have a certificate of sponsorship or a work permit for another role and are already working in the country. Please note we are only able to sponsor candidates for a Skilled Worker Visa for roles that are eligible at the time of application.