Senior Estates Surveyor (reference: SCC/TP/287916/4287)

Surrey County Council; Reigate; Hybrid; GBP 57,000 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Reigate is seeking experienced Senior Estates Surveyors to join their Estates Management team. The roles are pivotal for the Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation programme, ensuring compliance and strategic management of a diverse property portfolio. Successful candidates will collaborate with senior leaders and stakeholders, leveraging their extensive property market knowledge and commercial acumen. The position offers a hybrid work model and various professional development opportunities. Competitive salary of £61,784 per annum based on a 36-hour week, with additional rewards such as generous holidays and an Employee Assistance Programme.

Benefits

26 days' holiday increasing over time

Employee Assistance Programme

Fitness and lifestyle discounts

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Highly experienced in property markets.
• Practical experience in property and estate management issues.
• Experience with complex property matters.

Responsibilities

• Lead the discovery and validation of the property estate.
• Review legal interests and assess compliance risk.
• Ensure all estate data is robust and decision-ready.

Skills

Property market knowledge

Commercial acumen

Project management

Legal compliance expertise

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Relevant qualifications in property management or surveying

Job description

• Category: Estates Planning and Management


• Contract type: Fixed term


• Working hours: 36 hours per week


• Posted on: 5 December 2025


• Closing date: 4 January 2026


• Directorate: Resources


• Location: Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Woodhatch, Reigate, RH2 8EF

Description

This role has a starting salary of £61,784 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week.

This is a fixed term contract/ secondment opportunity until 31/03/2027.

We have an exciting strategic and professional opportunity for two Senior Estates Surveyors to join our fantastic Estates Management team. You will be joining a team that values professional development and supports a commercial and agile approach to its diverse portfolio.

This role is open to hybrid working and as a team we split our time between working from home and collaborating together in the office.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service


• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave


• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing


• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year


• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave


• A generous local government salary related pension


• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more


• 2 paid volunteering days per year


• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About Us

Surrey County Council is on a mission to transform our operational estate to better serve our residents, ensuring that 'no one is left behind'. Our commitment to the health and wellness of our environment and communities is at the heart of everything we do.

We are a dynamic and dedicated organisation, fully invested in transformation and improvement. Our teams thrive in a fast-paced environment, collaborating to lead, advise, and deliver meaningful change.

About the Role

The Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation (D&LGR) programme is one of the most significant transformation efforts in Surrey's recent history. It aims to redesign how services are delivered, and assets are managed across Surrey County Council and its District and Borough partners. The Estates workstream plays a critical role in this, ensuring that property‑related functions are legally sound, operationally aligned, and strategically positioned to support future service models.

Operating within our Estates Team, the Senior Estates Surveyor will work in a dynamic, programme‑driven environment shaped by the D&LGR transformation. The role demands a blend of strategic thinking and operational expertise, with a strong emphasis on legal compliance, data integrity, and stakeholder assurance. The postholder will navigate a complex estate comprising offices, schools, care homes, fire stations, youth centres, libraries, land, and investment assets.

As part of this workstream, the Senior Estates Surveyor will lead on the discovery and validation of SCC's property estate, supporting the programme's Safe & Legal objectives and enabling confident progression into design and implementation phases. The role will involve reviewing legal interests, assessing compliance risk, and ensuring all estate data is robust and decision ready.

This is a senior‑level opportunity to contribute to a high‑profile change programme with lasting impact across Surrey's public service landscape. If you're successful, you'll be joining our high‑performing Estates Management team at the heart of one of Surrey's most ambitious transformation programmes.

You'll work closely with senior leaders, programme managers, legal specialists, and property professionals across the council and partner organisations. We'll share our knowledge, networks, and expertise with you, and we'll be here to support you when challenges arise.

Your manager will trust you to work with autonomy and to make sound, strategic decisions. You'll be encouraged to develop your professional skills and broaden your influence across the organisation, with access to excellent development opportunities and a wide range of professional networks.

Don't be put off by what you think working in local government is like. We are commercially minded, forward‑thinking, and focused on delivering public value. In this role, you'll directly shape the future of a diverse property portfolio - from libraries to care homes - making sure our estate is safe, legal and fit for the next generation of services. The work you do will have a lasting impact for Surrey's communities, and not every organisation can offer that.

Please see attached role profile for the full role responsibilities.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your CV and personal statement will need to evidence the following:

• Highly experienced in the workings of property markets and sound commercial acumen.


• Practical and extensive experience of a wide range of property and estate management issues.


• Extensive experience in dealing with complex property matters and delivering results.

As part of the application process, please upload your CV and answer the following questions:

• Describe how you would handle a critical compliance risk in a key property while keeping services operational. (200 words max)


• Explain how you would bring multiple public sector partners with conflicting priorities to agreement over a shared asset. (200 words max)


• Outline how you would check, improve and assure estate data so it's ready for senior decision‑making. (200 words max)

Our team currently operates from our Woodhatch office in Reigate, but staff will be expected to operate in a flexible way to meet the needs of our customers and work demands, using agile working methods that allow business to be conducted from multiple location.

For more information, please find attached to the bottom of this advert a full job description.

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 04/01/2026 with interviews to follow.

Local Government Reorganisation

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two‑tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day,we'recommitted to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.