Job overview

The Space Utilisation Officer (SUO) will support the Director of Estates, Facilities and Capital Development in the delivery of a high quality service which supports services to our patients, staff and the public in accordance with national priorities, Department of Health Guidance and the Strategic objectives of the Trust.

The SUO will be responsible for undertaking, maintaining and managing all aspects of space and utilisation for the Trust. This will include the post holder being key in space related cost reduction and will support the Property Manager and the Trust in the strategic management of the Trust's estate and on all space occupancy and cost of space matters for the Trust's portfolio.

The SUO will lead on all matters relating to the total occupancy and utilisation of space within the Trust's portfolio and liaise with each division/organisation to ensure effective use of space.

The SUO will be responsible for supporting the delivery of the Trust's portfolio, estate strategy and investment plans directed through commissioning strategies and reflected within the service strategies, divisional service delivery initiatives and integrated business plans.

Lead and engage with a varied range of clinical and non-clinical services consolidation space scheduling processes and applications where possible and capture occupancy data to maximise the use of space across the Trust’s portfolio.

Please note this role is currently only being advertised to staff members who are currently working within the Kent and Medway ICS.

Main duties of the job

Communication and relationship –

Act as first point of contact for all requests for space and follow established process to produce feasibility investigations and options appraisal to make proposals for space requirements ensuring adherence to principals and standards and alignment with established strategic estate master plans using and in depth knowledge of the Health Building Notes (HBN’s) to advise on the correct use of space for clinical and non-clinical areas.

Communication and relationship skills with requirement to provide and receive information of a complex nature including sensitive or contentious information; agreement and/or co-operation.

Communication and relationship skills on multi-stranded projects with regard to space utilisation.

The role will require a good level of interpersonal and communication skills in managing programmes associated with moves and space utilisation.

Analytical and judgement skills –

To assist the Property Manager in the further development of the CAD database to hold and analyse all 6 Facet and Condition Survey data for all Trusts sites and to hold all other appropriate property information.

Interpret and make decisions across a wide range of space project issues (including capital schemes) including the design options available for space layouts considering Health and Safety and HBN compliance.

Working for our organisation

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second-best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 and 2024 NHS Staff Survey.

We are a large acute hospital trust in south-east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex. With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.

Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day-care beds, diagnostic services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.

Looking for flexible working?
We are a flexible working-friendly organisation. Whether it’s adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.

Click here to hear what our staff say.

Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:

• At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff).
• Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefits
• Blue Light card eligibility
• And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below