Building Services Manager

inploi; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent cultural institution in Manchester is seeking a Building Services Manager to oversee gallery operations. The role involves ensuring the safety of the gallery and its collection, managing staff, and conducting routine safety checks. Ideal candidates will have 2+ years of line management experience and knowledge of health and safety laws. This full-time position offers competitive benefits including generous holiday allowance and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Awards-listed pension

Enhanced parental leave

Learning and development opportunities

Qualifications

• 2 years' line management experience in a cultural or heritage environment.
• Ability to handle unforeseen changing circumstances effectively.
• Up-to-date knowledge of health and safety legislation.

Responsibilities

• Manage building operations for the gallery estate.
• Conduct regular safety checks and identify potential risks.
• Open and close the buildings; act as fire marshal.

Skills

Line management experience

Positive attitude

Excellent communication

Knowledge of health and safety

First Aid certification

Education

IOSH or equivalent

Job description

Overview

Working Hours: 35 Hours Per Week (7 Day Week ROTA)

Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Additional Payments: 10% Flexibility Payment

Closing Date: 01 October 2025

Closing time: 11.59pm

Interview Method: Face to Face

This role is subject to 2 References - where possible we require 3 years' history.

Manchester Art Gallery is the original useful museum, at the centre of city life for nearly 200 years, created as the Royal Manchester Institution for the Promotion of Literature, Science and the Arts and has been proudly part of Manchester City Council since 1882.

The gallery’s collection – which belongs to the people of Manchester – spans six centuries of art, craft and design, and fashion and dress, with a particularly rich collection of 19th-century art, including a large number of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. The gallery is free and open to all people as a place of civic thinking and public imagination, it promotes art as a means to achieve social change.

Manchester Art Gallery sits within the Libraries, Galleries and Culture Service as part of the Neighbourhoods Directorate of Manchester City Council (MCC). It has two public venues - Manchester Art Gallery and Platt Hall (undergoing redevelopment – www.platthall.org) and Queens Park Conservation Studios in Harpurhey that serves as the ‘engine-room’ of the gallery, providing essential collection housing and conservation studios.

Role and Responsibilities

The Building Services Managers operate across the gallery estate, under the guidance of the Operations Manager, to provide effective operation of the gallery buildings for the benefit of staff, visitors, and building users, and to safeguard the gallery’s collection.

The role holder will have accountability for the organisation and performance management of facilities management activities which may include the management of staff, finances or physical resources. You will be responsible for the management of regular rota-ed building, gallery and collection checks, ensuring any potential threats are identified and reported. This includes checking for hazards, risks to people or collections, and carrying out routine safety checks.

You will be a key-holder for all gallery sites, opening and closing the buildings, ensuring that all staff follow operational policies and procedures, acting as fire marshal and providing primary first-aid support.

In addition, you will:

• Manage the tidiness and presentation of the building, in line with good housekeeping and full compliance with fire, security and health & safety requirements.
• Manage contractors on site, ensuring appropriate levels of safety and security are maintained, especially outside normal working hours.
• Provide essential operational management for the gallery's out-of-hours events business.
• Provide first point of contact for call-out for all gallery buildings on a rolling rota with other members of the Operations Team.

Qualifications and Experience

• 2 years' line management experience, ideally in a cultural or heritage environment.
• Positive can-do attitude with the ability to react effectively to often unforeseen changing circumstances.
• Excellent communication with attention to detail; ability to pass on information clearly and calmly handle challenging situations.
• Up-to-date working knowledge of health and safety legislation and procedures, fire safety, and a commitment to continuous professional development; ideally IOSH or equivalent or willing to work towards within 6 months of appointment.
• First Aid at Work certificate or willingness to undertake qualification.
• Understanding of the operation and maintenance of historic buildings and/or museums.

When applying, please outline how you meet the Key Behaviours, Skills and Technical Requirements outlined in the Role Profile.

For an informal discussion, please contact the hiring manager, Rebecca Martin, at [e-mail].

Working for Manchester City Council

We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities. Working for Manchester isn’t just a job – it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Our Manchester is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city, guided by the Our Manchester behaviours:

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We own it and are not afraid to try new things
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester

Benefits

• Generous holiday allowance – up to 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising to 31 days after five years; option to purchase up to two additional weeks.
• Awards-listed pension – enrolled in the UK’s largest local government pension scheme with life cover of three-times salary as a lump sum.
• Enhanced parental and carers leave; family leave options to support work-life needs.
• Discounts and perks via MCR+ including holidays, shopping, phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, flu jabs and eye tests, etc.
• Learning and development opportunities; onboarding, workshops, apprenticeships and qualifications.
• Good Employment Charter member; secure, flexible work with annual pay review and health & wellbeing support.
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave – pro-rated paid volunteering leave.

Inclusivity and Support

We actively welcome applications from diverse communities. We provide adjustments during the interview process and accessible formats. Details on accessibility tools are available on our careers page.

Pre-Employment Checks

If successful, checks may include Right to Work, references, qualifications, DBS, BPSS, disclosure and vetting, and driving licence where required.

All checks help ensure safety and security for our workforce and community.

Other Information

We support employees to be themselves at work and will source necessary aids, adaptations or equipment as needed. If any task is unachievable, we will consider redesigning parts of the role. For more information, read the role profile attached.

Privacy and other resources: guidance on take-home pay and benefits calculators may be available on external links; this content is not essential to the role description.

Privacy notices and additional information are available as part of the application process.