Overview

A private Family Office is seeking a technically accomplished Property & Estate Operations Director to take end-to-end responsibility for the maintenance, enhancement, and operational oversight of a portfolio of high-value residential properties located across Portugal, the UAE, the UK, and the US.

This is a hands-on, delivery-focused role suited to someone who combines commercial acumen with practical construction and property expertise.

Job duties

Responsibilities of the Property & Estate Operations Director in London, include:

• 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.

Candidates must be/have:

• 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.

Skills and competencies

• Highly organised and methodical, with strong attention to detail and execution.
• Commercially minded, with sound judgement and a natural instinct for value, risk and quality.
• Confident and credible at site level, able to challenge contractors constructively and decisively.
• Calm, pragmatic, and solutions-focused when dealing with issues or competing priorities.
• Discreet and trustworthy, with the professionalism required to work directly for a private family.
• Self-directed and accountable, comfortable operating with minimal oversight.
• Clear, direct communicator who reports issues and progress succinctly and honestly.
• Takes pride in well-run properties, robust systems, and consistently high standards.

Location

London, with frequent travel to Portugal, Dubai and New York.

Salary

In the region of £120,000.

Job reference

CP1011: Property & Estate Operations Director (Lifestyle Team) in London.