Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Affiliations
Timeline
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Virginia Driver

Dunedin,St Clair

Summary

Facilities and asset management professional with strong track record in ensuring efficient operations and safety compliance. Skilled in project management, budgeting, and stakeholder relations. Known for fostering teamwork and adapting to changing needs to achieve optimal results. Dependable in maintaining and improving facilities and assets to support organizational goals.

Overview

15
15
years of professional experience

Work History

National Property Manager

Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi o Aotearoa | Playcentre Aotearoa
03.2021 - Current
  • Company Overview: Playcentre Aotearoa is a Not for Profit Charity providing Early Childhood Education throughout New Zealand.
  • The National Property Lead is responsible for managing Playcentre’s property portfolio as well as managing the Regional Property Managers, National Property Coordinators and National Property Administrators. During a time of restructure and change within the company I held the temporary role of Acting National Property Lead for 12 months and then moved into a salaried position of National Property Manager. The role has been challenging due to the ever changing canvas and the lack of property support and input previously. With over 420 properties across the country and 16 Team Members, I have been able to develop, manage and implement many property changes, processes and procedures, including two Property Team Restructures. The role has involved the employment of external contractors to undertake two nationwide Condition Surveys and manage the Team to deal with the resulting levels of works required to bring the portfolio up to standard. Property policies, procedures and processes have been reviewed and updated to the current restructure and to enable best practice across the Property Portfolio. Operational property management, rental, service contracts, lease and insurance as well as making sure properties are maintained, including monitoring hazard and health and safety, are integral components of the role. The role also involved the management of transferring all property data from an existing database to a new database. Current projects include Tranche 3 of Condition Survey Inspections, creating Minimum Standards Documentation including a standard Playcentre plan, introducing a new element of Project Management to the team, creating new processes and procedures to make sure all Centres are aware of the support and processes necessary from them and us. The introduction of a contractors management database and induction processes, stronger processes around Playcentre Aotearoa requirements as well as Ministry of Education requirements, including Playground regulations and HSW happened under my watch. Provide annual National property budgets, annual strategic plan and business cases and board reports. Initially I also held a temporary position of HSW Lead and led a HSW review on Playcentre Aotearoa, leading to the employment of a HSW Lead Role.

Southern South Island Regional Property Coordinator

Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi o Aotearoa | Playcentre Aotearoa
01.2018 - 02.2021
  • Company Overview: Playcentre Aotearoa is a Not for Profit Charity providing Early Childhood Education throughout New Zealand.
  • The Property Coordinator is responsible for managing property and assets within the Southern South Island Region (encompassing Timaru south) and within budgets. Responsible for managing leases (Individual Playcentre’s operate out of buildings in a number of different tenancy situations, owned, leased, partially own/leased, MOE, Council, Community and privately owned), Property Occupancy Document (POD) agreements, local valuations, Building Warrant of Fitness, Fire Evacuation Applications and Drills. Manage local building projects and maintenance, ensure local government agency and MOE regulations are met. Manage insurance claims. Network and maintain database of local contractors. Working with Regional Team as well as National Property and Assets Manager and other Regional Property Coordinators. Train and work closely with Playcentre Members and Playcentre Centre Administrators. The position also involved supporting Playcentre Members in understanding what external funding opportunities were available and at times applying for those grants on behalf of them if they did not have the expertise or members.

Home Performance Advisor and HomeFit Assessor

Blueskin Resilient Communities Trust
01.2016 - 01.2020
  • In 2016 I undertook the Level 1 & 2 Home Performance Advisor training programme. Following the course I was contracted to BRCT to undertake Cosy Home Assessments within the Dunedin area. In 2019 BRCT decided to align themselves with the NZ Green Building Council and their new HomeFit Assessment Tool. I undertook the training and have been carrying out HomeFit Assessments via contract with BRCT.

Founder and Chairwoman

Dunedin Curtain Bank
10.2012 - 01.2017
  • Company Overview: The Dunedin Curtain Bank is a not for profit charity that myself and my sister-in-law officially set up and established in March 2013. The Curtain Bank collects unused curtains and distributes them to those in need.
  • Initially my role within the Curtain Bank was establishing a need and then getting the charity up and running. Our biggest concern was getting curtains out to people to make sure they could warm their homes. Once the Curtain Bank was set up my role involved Chairing the Board of Trustees and overseeing Curtain Bank Manager. As this was a new charity all Board Members were required to be hands on with all aspects of the Charity. This involved Finance, HR, Funding and Sponsorship, External Relationships, Policy and Procedure, H&S, Property and Assets.

Personal Assistant/Assistant Project Manager

Octa Associates Ltd
09.2010 - 04.2015
  • Company Overview: Octa Associates is a nationwide specialist project management company with projects in most areas of management within the construction industry.
  • My role with Octa was Personal Assistant/Assistant Project Manager assigned specifically to a director. I also undertook work in areas of finance, IT and recruitment for the Managing Director. My position within the company involved dealing directly with potential clients, existing clients, consultants, contractors and service providers. The role also included organising events and ensuring all obligations of the Director were undertaken. Working as a Personal Assistant enabled me to learn new and strengthen existing administration skills. My tasks included reception, general administration (typing, creating and writing reports etc), financial administration (including invoicing), financial administration for individual projects, marketing, project management (based specifically around construction) and programming. I also undertook and passed a Level 7 Project Management Course at the Open Polytechnic.

Education

Level 7, Project Management -

Open Polytechnic
01.2014

BA Architecture - undefined

Hull University School of Architecture
01.2002

BA (Hons) Interior Design - undefined

Middlesex University
01.1998

Design, History and Russian Language - undefined

Otago University
01.1993

Skills

  • Building maintenance
  • Budgeting and financial management
  • Building inspections
  • Asset management
  • Portfolio management
  • Hazard identification
  • Fire safety management
  • Contractor management
  • Asbestos management
  • Strategic planning
  • Risk assessment and mitigation

Affiliations

  • Facilities Management Institute New Zealand
  • Apopo

Timeline

National Property Manager

Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi o Aotearoa | Playcentre Aotearoa
03.2021 - Current

Southern South Island Regional Property Coordinator

Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi o Aotearoa | Playcentre Aotearoa
01.2018 - 02.2021

Home Performance Advisor and HomeFit Assessor

Blueskin Resilient Communities Trust
01.2016 - 01.2020

Founder and Chairwoman

Dunedin Curtain Bank
10.2012 - 01.2017

Personal Assistant/Assistant Project Manager

Octa Associates Ltd
09.2010 - 04.2015

BA Architecture - undefined

Hull University School of Architecture

BA (Hons) Interior Design - undefined

Middlesex University

Design, History and Russian Language - undefined

Otago University

Level 7, Project Management -

Open Polytechnic

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Virginia Driver