Area Facilities Manager

Access Further Education Ltd (Trading as Access Creative College); West of England; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allocation

Health & wellbeing benefits: Health +

Employee assistance programme

Staff discounts via Accolade

Paid maternity/paternity and sick pay

Cycle to work

Job summary

Access Creative College is seeking an experienced Facilities Manager to oversee campus facilities, lead safety-compliant operations and manage budgets across Bristol and associated sites. You will lead facilities and technical teams, coordinate contractors, and support capital projects to create welcoming learning environments for students and staff.

The role requires strong operational management, excellent people skills, and a proactive, solutions-focused approach in a fast-changing education

Qualifications

• Significant experience in facilities management or estates within a complex organisation.
• Experience leading and developing teams.
• Experience managing contractors, suppliers and service contracts.
• Knowledge of building services, systems and facilities compliance.
• Understanding of health and safety legislation affecting facilities.
• Experience delivering small to medium projects.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and stay calm under pressure.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience in an education environment is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead facilities and technical teams to deliver a high-quality service.
• Manage contractors and suppliers across sites.
• Oversee budgets and maintenance programmes; support capital projects.
• Ensure campuses are safe, compliant, well-maintained and welcoming.
• Provide proactive problem solving and stakeholder relationship management.

Skills

Facilities management

Team leadership

Contract management

Budgets & cost control

Health & safety

Stakeholder management

Customer service

Independent working

Education

Facilities Management qualification or degree

Job description

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of Facilities, you will be the key point of contact for facilities management across the Bristol campus and associated sites.

You'll be responsible for ensuring our campuses are safe, secure, compliant, well-maintained and welcoming, while delivering a high-quality service to students, staff and visitors.

You'll lead facilities and technical teams, manage contractors and suppliers, oversee budgets and maintenance programmes, and support capital and improvement projects.

We're looking for someone who enjoys working in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, is confident leading people and is passionate about delivering excellent customer service.

You'll need to be a proactive problem solver with strong organisational skills and the ability to build positive relationships with colleagues, suppliers and stakeholders at all levels.

About You

We're looking for an experienced Facilities Manager who can combine strong operational management with excellent people skills.

You will be confident managing teams, contractors, suppliers and budgets, with a proven ability to improve facilities standards and deliver change.

You'll be someone who:

• Has significant experience in a facilities management or estates role, ideally within a complex organisation.
• Has experience of leading and developing teams.
• Has experience managing contractors, suppliers and service contracts.
• Understands planned, reactive and statutory maintenance.
• Has experience managing budgets and controlling costs.
• Has knowledge of building services, systems and facilities compliance.
• Understands relevant health and safety and facilities legislation.
• Has experience delivering small to medium-sized projects.
• Can manage competing priorities and remain calm under pressure.
• Is highly organised, proactive and solutions-focused.
• Has excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Builds strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Is confident working independently while also contributing positively to a wider team.
• Has a strong customer service ethos and is committed to creating excellent learning environments.

Experience of facilities or health and safety management within an education environment would be desirable.

A recognised qualification in Facilities Management, a relevant professional qualification or degree, and a Level 5 Health & Safety qualification would also be advantageous.

Who are we?

We are Access Creative College, formerly known as Access to Music, and we were founded in 1992. We're an Ofsted-inspected provider that reaches every corner of the country, with 7 campuses and over 2,500 students nationwide. We're proud to have achieved the national benchmark for education quality, recognised across the vast majority of our provision - Ofsted's 'Expected Standard' under the new inspection framework. We are part of Access Education Group, which boasts 32 campuses nationwide with over 5,000 students & apprentices across Access Creative College, dBs Institute (Higher Education) & Access Sport College.

What we offer?

• Generous Holiday Allocation
• Wellbeing Benefits: Health Cash Plan, Doctorline GP Service, Employee Assistance Programme, Access to Counselling and Cycle to Work
• Staff Discounts & Benefits: access to Accolade, our benefits platform which offers discounts at over 800 retailers!
• Paid Leave:Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Sick pay.

A full job description and person specification is available for download alongside our full benefits booklet. Diversity and open expression are fundamental to creativity. We are committed to promoting a culture of diversity and inclusivity for all our employees and potential employees.

All successful applicants will be subject to appropriate pre-employment safeguarding checks, including an enhanced DBS check where applicable to the role, satisfactory references and verification of qualifications and employment history.

Applicants should be aware that safeguarding is an integral part of working within our organisation. Our recruitment processes are designed to ensure that safeguarding remains at the heart of every appointment.