Merton Council is preparing to appoint a new Director of Property and Asset Management, offering a salary package that could reach £142,910 per annum. The Appointments Committee met on Monday, 18 August 2025, to discuss and recommend the salary for this role.
The Director of Property and Asset Management post is newly created following the planned retirement of the current Head of Facilities Management in September 2025. The council expects the new director to provide strategic leadership to the management and maintenance of the council's property portfolio, commercial landlord function, buildings and workplaces.
The role is also responsible for creating a strategic asset management strategy to make the most of the council's property in terms of driving efficiency and using assets to drive regeneration, housing supply, and economic growth across the Borough, as well as ensuring the delivery of the council's climate action plan on its own estate.
According to the Public Reports Pack, the salary range for the Director of Property and Asset Management is £111,510 to £119,229 per annum, with a potential market supplement of up to £23,681. This supplement is justified by comparator salaries, demand of expertise in this field and transferability of skills across both public and private sectors, and benchmarking of similar posts.
The Appointments Committee also considered delegating authority to amend the job description for the director role to Polly Cziok, Executive Director, Innovation and Change, the Executive Director of Finance & Digital, and the Executive Director for Housing and Sustainable Development, in consultation with Councillor Ross Garrod, Leader of the Council and Chair of the Appointments Committee, provided that the amendments would not lead to a change of salary range. They were also scheduled to consider delegating the implementation of the recruitment process for the role to the same officers, in consultation with Councillor Ross Garrod.
The Director of Property and Asset Management will be responsible for the strategic and operational management of the council's property assets, focusing on safety, effectiveness, and value for money. Key responsibilities include developing a strategic asset management strategy to drive efficiency, regeneration, housing supply, and economic growth, as well as ensuring the delivery of the council's climate action plan on its estate.
The recommendations from the Appointments Committee regarding the salary package will be taken to the next Full Council meeting for approval.
