Facilities Manager

Coventry City Council; New Gate; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 28 days

Local Government Pension Scheme

Training and development

Great location near Coventry railway

Multidisciplinary team

Job summary

Coventry City Council is seeking a Facilities Manager for the Friargate district to lead a diverse property portfolio including council workspace, commercial tenancies and hospitality outlets. You will combine operations leadership with commercial and technical expertise to ensure safe, compliant, and sustainable buildings while delivering value for money.

The role requires managing service charges, coordinating fit-outs, and driving ongoing performance across a multi-tenant estate.

Qualifications

• Experience with service charges budgeting and reconciliations.
• Strong commercial property management experience across multi-tenanted environments.
• Experience leading commercial fit-out and refurbishment projects within occupied buildings.
• Technical knowledge of building services, asset management and building pathology.
• Experience contributing to maintenance strategies and capital investment decisions.
• Contract management experience with vendor performance oversight.
• Knowledge of health, safety and CDM requirements in building projects.
• Ability to build relationships with tenants, contractors and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic and day-to-day management of the Friargate portfolio and maximise asset value.
• Oversee annual service charge budgeting, forecasting, expenditure control and reconciliations.
• Coordinate tenant mobilisation and fit-out projects with occupiers and contractors.
• Ensure robust health and safety and building compliance, including CDM.
• Diagnose defects using technical knowledge of building services and pathology.
• Support decision-making on maintenance, lifecycle planning and capital investments.
• Manage contractors and suppliers to ensure safe, value-for-money service.

Skills

Service charges budgeting

Forecasting

Contract management

Health and safety compliance

Building services knowledge

Building pathology

Maintenance strategy planning

Lifecycle planning

Capital investment decisions

Stakeholder relationship building

Communication and influencing

Customer-focused approach

Job description

In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.

Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias. The Facilities Management (FM) Service comprises several diverse and multi-disciplined teams that are responsible for the safe operation, management, maintenance and efficiency of the Council's property assets. The teams provide a range of services and support to the Council's operational, commercial and schools portfolios ensuring the Councils legislative obligations are fulfilled. Facilities Management Operations - Responsible for ensuring the smooth day to day operation of the portfolio by space planning, service charge preparation and management, contractor management, meeting room setup, porterage and health and safety management.

What is the job role?

As Facilities Manager within the Friargate district team, you'll take the lead on a high-profile and diverse mixed-use property portfolio, including council workspace, commercial tenancies and hospitality outlets. Combining operational leadership with strong commercial and technical expertise, you'll ensure our buildings are safe, compliant, sustainable and welcoming places to work and visit, while delivering value for money and protecting the long-term performance of our assets.

You'll be responsible for:

• Leading the strategic and day-to-day management of the Friargate portfolio, ensuring high standards of building performance and customer experience, whilst protecting and enhancing the value of our assets.
• Managing and leading the annual service charge budgeting and forecasting process in accordance with the RICS Professional Standard, including issuing service charge report packs, managing expenditure and overseeing transparent reconciliations, ensuring all service charge costs are robustly controlled, accurately allocated and fully recoverable where appropriate.
• Managing tenant mobilisation and commercial fit-out projects, working closely with occupiers, consultants, contractors and stakeholders to coordinate fit-out activities, ensure compliance with landlord requirements and statutory legislation, including planning and building control, manage building interfaces and minimise disruption to existing occupiers.
• Ensuring robust statutory, health and safety and building compliance, including requirements under CDM, whilst maintaining high standards of governance and compliance.
• Using your technical understanding of commercial buildings, building services and building pathology to diagnose defects, assess building condition, identify maintenance liabilities and develop effective solutions to protect asset performance.
• Using your technical knowledge to support informed decision-making across maintenance strategies, lifecycle planning, capital investment and project delivery, supporting the long-term performance and sustainability of the portfolio.
• Managing contractors and suppliers to ensure services are delivered safely and effectively, monitoring performance and delivering value for money.

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). All candidates must have the Right to Work in the UK. We are currently not offering sponsorship for this role.

Who are we looking for?

• Proven experience managing service charges in accordance with the RICS Professional Standard, including budgeting, forecasting, expenditure control and reconciliations.
• Strong commercial property management experience across multi-tenanted environments.
• Experience leading and supporting commercial fit-out, refurbishment and construction projects within occupied buildings, including coordinating building interfaces and minimising disruption to occupiers.
• Detailed technical knowledge of building services, asset management, maintenance practices and building pathology, including diagnosing defects, assessing building condition and identifying maintenance liabilities.
• Experience contributing to maintenance strategies, lifecycle planning and capital investment decisions.
• Strong contract management experience, including monitoring contractor performance and delivering value for money.
• Excellent knowledge of health, safety and compliance legislation and best practice, including CDM requirements and an understanding of statutory requirements associated with building and fit-out works.
• The ability to build effective relationships with tenants, contractors, consultants and stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge poor performance and drive continuous improvement.
• A proactive, customer-focused approach with a commitment to delivering exceptional standards of service.

About Coventry

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change. We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse. At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things. To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities. If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package.

You'll benefit from:

• Generous annual leave - 28 days, rising to 32 days.
• Excellent Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Training and development paid for by the Council, with opportunities to cross-train and broaden your skills.
• A great location, close to Coventry railway station.
• The opportunity to work as part of a multidisciplinary team, building your knowledge and experience across different areas.

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a prestigious commercial estate and make a lasting impact through professional property management, technical excellence, and exceptional customer service.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition