Building Manager

Avison Young; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job description

Overview

Our Story

Our small Canadian-born business was founded in 1978 and has become a global organization that now spans 120 locations across 20 countries. Our expansion has been rapid, but what matters most is the common belief that drives all 5,000 of our people to be a different type of real estate organization. We believe that the places in which we live, work and play have the power to make us happier and healthier, and we are united by a shared sense of purpose, to have a positive impact on people’s lives. In short, we are a global commercial real estate advisory firm with a simple aim: for real estate to play a leading role in creating vibrant buildings, cities and places that deliver long-lasting social value and economic impact.

Why Work for Us:

We believe that our industry is changing, and we want our business to be a melting pot of curious minds, passionate hearts and strategic intelligence. Your gender, religion and race are all highly respected, but are less important to us than your ability to step up and change the game. We provide you with a place where you can do just that, with like-minded people. Collaboration is embedded in the way we work – our people have the autonomy to collaborate on client relationships, engage teams across the business, lead operations, work collectively on projects, participate in strategy and are ultimately responsible for our growth. Our distinctive Principal-led, privately-owned model puts us in the enviable position of being able to offer every employee the opportunity to own a share of our business and inspires and allows anyone to become a Principal. This role carries voting rights, so our people have a very real say in the future direction and operation of our business. This means that we are able to attract, engage and retain the best talent from the industry.

Responsibilities

OCW is a commercial office building located in the Paradise development in the centre of Birmingham. The building is currently under construction and will PC in December 2022 with first occupation anticipated in June 2023. The building is aiming for BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ and will be Birmingham’s most prestigious Office building and is attracting large major blue chip organisations as occupiers.

The vision for OCW is to provide unrivalled occupier experience and this is not limited to service delivery by the operational teams but also the performance of the building services that support every occupier.

In a city that is seeing continuous change and development, this building will stand out from the crowd but retains the need to ensure this iconic building continues to attract occupiers of the very highest calibre, over its lifespan, achieving the highest rental values and providing a competitive service charge without compromising service delivery.

We are looking for the General Manager to come on board to be involved in the asset prior to PC and to work as part of the Property Management team taking handover of the building and mobilising it into BAU fully let operation and beyond. Setting up service contracts required for the site and taking overall responsibility of the day-to-day service provision at OCW for the management and provision of facilities services, specifically H&S, building fabric, service charge, occupier fit outs and various projects. The General Manager will oversee and guide other members of the Building Management Team and Occupier Experience team to ensure the service delivery at the building meets and exceeds expectations.

The General Manager will contribute to the building strategy in conjunction with the client’s Asset Manager and Property Management Surveyor to take the building from PC to occupation and then in to BAU and beyond.

Customer and stakeholder engagement at all levels and stages is a key requirement.

Main Duties, Responsibilities & Accountabilities

General Duties

• Work with the AY and Asset Management teams to ensure a smooth handover of the building to Avison Young.
• Recruit and or tender in conjunction with our Procurement team and oversee and direct the Building Management Team, both AY staff and mobilisation of and ongoing delivery of service contracts with outsourced Service Partner teams.
• Comprehensively manage, plan and co-ordinate the physical and environmental conditions within the multi-occupied building as designated.
• Ensure all services necessary are provided for the full and effective operation of the building in accordance with the provisions of the lease, as directed by the Management Surveyor.
• Liaise regularly with all the occupiers, keeping them informed of all works and services within the buildings.
• Keep updated Contacts, reports and data on all aspects of the property.
• Regularly inspect the building including all common parts areas i.e. such as corridors, fire escape routes, plant rooms, roof areas, service areas, car parks etc. Record issues and take and record actions accordingly.
• Oversee occupier fault reporting and day to day issues and utilising the AY Service desk, monitor reactive performance levels via the CAFM system ensuring that service providers achieve their contracted SLA/KPIs.
• Ensure that all insurance claims are satisfactorily handled.
• Assist with the completion of Way leave Agreements and Licences to Alter.
• Assist the Management Surveyor in the provision of formal written reports and attend client meetings as required.
• On-going management of energy, sustainability and initiatives, Bream in Use, Well Programmes etc.
• Establish close co-operation and liaison with all local authority departments, local organisations, Business Improvement Districts and businesses and associations as are necessary in connection with the successful operation of the building.

Contract Management

• Attend regular contractor/service provider meetings and take specific ownership for managing the contracts at OCW. Inspect site records, method statements and contract specifications for these contracts on a regular basis. Monitor contractor performance, attendance, cost and value. Benchmarking for quality & costs and adequacy of the contract on a regular basis and in any resultant Tenders.

Health & Safety and Compliance

• Utilising the AY Compliance system, ensure that all safety records, statutory inspections, reports and documentation are retained and up to date at the properties. Report any unsafe acts/defects to Avison Young/Client immediately. All necessary documentation must be on site and complied with at all times, both in Landlords and Occupiers areas.
• Fire precautions are to be monitored and adhered to at all times; the General Manager is to ensure that the weekly fire alarm test, emergency light test, sprinkler valve test and fire evacuation drills are completed at the required frequency and logged.
• Ensure the instruction or management of the following:
• Health and Safety Risk Assessment is undertaken annually.
• Fire Risk Assessment is undertaken annually.
• Water Risk Assessment is reviewed annually.
• On Site / Online Logbooks maintained and up to date.
• Fire Safety records are up to date.
• Water Hygiene records are maintained and up to date.
• Records for specific Authorities to Access (ATA) / Permits to Work (PTW).
• Mechanical and Electrical Engineering maintenance records.
• Cleaning reports and method statements.
• Drawings / Building Data kept accurate and up to date.

Environmental

• Review Landlord’s electricity consumption levels, in conjunction with the energy consultant and AY Environmental Policy.
• Undertake regular audits of the building’s consumption.
• Manage the Energy Consultant relationship and the recharge process for Occupiers’ utility consumption ensuring metering arrangements are fully understood and correct data is submitted monthly and recharges / demands issued by the Client Accountant.
• Develop plans for the enhancement of the building, security measures and energy saving initiatives in conjunction with the occupiers and building management team in line with AY Environmental Policy.

Budget Control

• Ensure instructions are issued to external advisers for the provision of ten year plans for service charge expenditure on both plant and structure and infrastructure. Determine priorities for repair, enhancement, and modification of the building services facilities and equipment in order to implement the five year plan, in agreement with AY property managers.
• Approve expenditure, within given authority levels, on building services expenditure and monitor service charge expenditure within the property.
• Prepare the annual service charge budget which is to be considered and reviewed by the AY Property Manager. This must be completed as per the AY and OCW budget calendar and at least 3 months before the current service charge year end.
• Expenditure is to be monitored throughout the year to ensure that it is kept within budget for the current year and Monthly reconciliations / and formal Quarterly reconciliations are to be completed with the Surveyor and Client Accountant.

Occupier Engagement

• Meet regularly informally and formally with the Occupiers, ensuring strong relationships are built with all occupiers and a good understanding of their building requirements is had.
• Prepare Occupier reports for Quarterly Occupier meetings.

Other related duties as directed from time to time

• Carry out other duties as directed by the Property Manager, Client, Asset Manager.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years industry experience, operating at similar level of responsibility.
• Experience of mobilising a new building.
• A good technical knowledge of “SMART” enabled buildings and data analytics platforms.
• IOSH qualification.
• NEBOSH General Certificate.
• Membership of IWFM or other recognised professional body.
• Customer and client focussed.
• A good understanding and working knowledge of the RICS Code of Practice for Service Charges in Commercial Properties.
• Clear leadership and management qualities.
• A good understanding of Project and CDM Management.
• Strong people management skills.
• A commitment to carbon reduction initiatives.

Equal Opportunities

At Avison Young, we’ve always put people at the heart of what we do. In the last few years, we’ve increased the diversity at our board, leadership and Principal levels. Avison Young stands out for our commitment to empowering women. In addition to increasing the number of women on our board and in our leadership ranks, our internal Women’s Network of more than 500 members come together for networking and learning, and advise the business on strategies for promoting access, opportunity and inclusion in our industry. Our global DEI steering committee shapes our strategy to continue to increase industry access for underrepresented groups and accelerating initiatives led by our employee resource groups, including our Women’s Network, Black Professionals and LGBTQ+ groups. In addition to leading global initiatives, the steering committee’s work examines our policies and practices, creating accountability for results and communicating progress to our executive leadership, our clients and our communities. Our culture is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion, and well-being. We are committed to building an inclusive culture that:

• empowers all our employees to thrive,
• reflects all backgrounds and talents,
• allows individuals to be successful and feel a sense of belonging,
• and foster a workplace that is supported, inclusive and has a strong sense of community between colleagues.

Avison Young is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to treating all its employees and job applicants equitably. This includes implementing deliberate strategies that advance underrepresented communities in commercial real estate careers. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to removing any obstacles to inclusion. If you need any adjustments to support your application or any part of the recruitment process, such as information in alternative formats or special requirements to access our buildings, or you are eligible under the Disability Confident Scheme please contact us at [e-mail] and we will do everything we can to help.

We are committed to inclusion in our hiring processes, and we want to give everyone a chance to show what they can bring to our organisation. If you are not sure that you have all the skills in the person specification, please still apply. We value passion and potential in our employees, so it would be great to hear from you and why you would suit this position. Some of our roles may be remote and some roles may be specific to our offices, but you will need to confirm you have the right to work in the UK.