Facilities Team Leader (Soft Services)

Kent Fire and Rescue Service; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

Enhanced Annual Leave entitlement

Annual Salary progression (scale point

Blue Light Card

CSSC Card

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Family friendly policies

Gym facilities access

Free parking

Job summary

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is recruiting for a Facilities Team Leader – Soft Services to support the Property Services team across the Kent and Medway estate. Based at Service Headquarters, Maidstone, the role includes managing CAFM, leading a Helpdesk and a remote cleaning team, and coordinating contracts to deliver safe, compliant services.

With a Grade 7 salary £44,575 to £50,423 per year, 37 hours, and automatic Local Government Pension membership, you will travel 1-2 days per week

Qualifications

• Experience delivering facilities management across multi-site portfolio.
• Familiarity with CAFM software and contract management processes.
• Knowledge of procurement practices and procedures.
• Full UK driving license is essential.
• Ability to negotiate with contractors to achieve positive outcomes.
• Experience leading teams, including remote staff is desirable.
• Proficiency in MS Word, Outlook and Excel.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Property Services Helpdesk and CAFM system.
• Line-manage a Helpdesk Officer and remote cleaning operatives; schedule duties and deep-clean activities.
• Manage service providers, ensuring safety, compliance, and SLA/KPI delivery.
• Conduct site audits, maintain asset data, and uphold high customer service standards.
• Collaborate with Procurement to tender contracts and prepare specifications and pricing schedules.
• Oversee facilities budgets, monitor spend, and reconcile annual contractor budgets.
• Oversee equipment and supply needs including furniture, appliances and cleaning supplies.
• Foster a positive team atmosphere and proactive work culture.

Skills

Facilities management

CAFM software

Procurement

Driving licence

Contract negotiation

Team leadership

MS Office

Tools

CAFM system

Job description

Job Title: Facilities Team Leader – Soft Services (Grade 7)

Location: Service Headquarters, Tovil, Maidstone, ME15 6XB with requirement to travel across the estate 1-2 days per week

Hours: Full Time – 37 Hours per Week,

Pension: Automatic membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme – career average pension scheme with 16.5% employer contribution

Holidays: In addition to bank/ public holidays you will receive X days holiday

Base Salary: £44,575 - £50,423 per annum depending on experience

Reference: R001092

Being a part of Kent Fire and Rescue Service

Everyone is unique. Everyone has value. Everyone helps to make Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) a great place to work. We are one team. Together with our customers we are creating a safer future for Kent and Medway.

Being the Facilities Team Leader (Soft Services)

KFRS has locations across the whole of Kent and Medway. The estate consists predominantly of Fire Stations, 56 to be exact. But we also operate and maintain several other non-operational buildings.

The Property Services team is responsible for managing the estate. We’re an in-house professional team, skilled in all aspects of Facilities Management.

As the Facilities Team Leader for Soft Services, you will assist the Facilities Manager with the cost-effective management and delivery of planned, reactive and compliance works across all KFRS sites. Ensuring that we deliver a high standard of customer service to all colleagues.

Based at Service Headquarters, with requirement to travel around the county to undertake duties of the role 1-2 days per week. Full, clean drivers licence required. KFRS has a fleet of bookable pool cars for this purpose. There will be an expectation that the post holder may occasionally need to work outside of core hours.

What you’ll do

• Responsible for the Property Services Helpdesk function, including the management of the Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) system.
• Direct Line manager to a Helpdesk Officer and a large team of remote cleaning operatives. Scheduling and assigning specific duties/shifts to the team, arranging absence cover as required. Planning, coordinating and communicating deep-clean activities across all sites.
• Contract management with service providers to ensure safety and compliance standards, and that SLA’s and KPI’s are met by the suppliers.
• Carry out site audits to review cleaning and maintenance standards, collate and update accurate asset data and maintain visible and high-quality customer service to our customers.
• Work with Procurement colleagues to tender new contracts for services, including preparing documents such as specification and pricing schedules, evaluating and moderating bids.
• Manage facilities management budgets, identifying opportunities and monitoring spend against contracts and carrying out annual contractor budget reconciliation.
• Manage equipment and supply needs, including furniture, kitchen appliances, office equipment and cleaning supplies.
• Proactively contribute to creating a good team atmosphere and positive team dynamic.

What you’ll bring

• Demonstrable experience of facilities management delivery across a multi-site portfolio.
• Previous use of working with a Computer Aided Facilities Management system (CAFM) software.
• A working knowledge of procurement processes and procedures
• Full UK, Clean Driving License
• Ability to negotiate effectively with contractors to achieve a positive outcome, build customer relationships and manage expectations.
• Experience of leading a team, any experience of managing a remote team highly desirable.
• Proficiency in office software, such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel.
• A team player mind-set and can-do approach with willingness to work as a team when required.
• You’ll be highly self-motivated, proactive, and positive.
• You can plan and prioritise your workload to meet the demands and objectives of the organisation. Bringing organisational and planning skills, with an ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

Benefits

• Automatic membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Enhanced Annual Leave entitlement
• Annual Salary increase - Increase of 1 scale point per year within Grade to the top of the Grade.
• Blue Light Card discount scheme supported by a number of high street retailers
• CSSC Card - Discount provider for civil servants and public sector workers
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - Confidential support service designed to help manage personal or work-related issues that may affect health, wellbeing, or job performance.
• A range of family friendly policies promoting work-life balance
• Free to join internal clubs and colleague forums
• Access to health and wellbeing services and advice
• Access to Gym Facilities
• Free parking
• Above all you’ll become part of a service that is committed to the safety of our community

Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We know that great minds don’t think alike, so we rely on diverse thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and backgrounds to create the best working environment that we can possibly offer.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service, its employees, and volunteers are committed to safeguarding, protecting, and supporting children, young people, and adults at risk. As part of our safer recruitment process, we will undertake pre-employment checks to verify your suitability for the role. These checks will include your references and a standard or enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Enhanced DBS check with barred lists are carried out for roles with direct and unsupervised access to children, young people, and adults at risk. Risk assessments will be undertaken on any disclosures identified as part of the pre-employment checks.

As a Public Sector organisation with added responsibilities under the Equality Act, 2010 the candidate must demonstrate an understanding of what is meant by Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and how this fits in with their everyday work.