Head of Facilities Management (6 Month Contract)

Maxwell Stephens Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

An educational establishment in the UK is seeking a Head of Facilities Management for a senior leadership role. This position oversees all facilities services, ensuring high-quality operations that enhance the student experience. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience managing facilities in a large organization, strong leadership abilities, and effective communication skills. This role may develop into a permanent position, offering a chance to significantly impact service delivery and student satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Senior-level experience managing facilities services in a large, multi-site organisation.
• Proven experience of strategic planning and service transformation.
• Demonstrable experience managing and setting substantial budgets.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for facilities function.
• Lead, motivate, and develop teams.
• Manage outsourced service contracts and procurement.
• Produce KPI reporting and service reviews.
• Ensure compliance with health & safety legislation.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Analytical capability

Team leadership

Contract management

Education

Degree or relevant professional qualification

Membership of IWFM

NEBOSH General Certificate

MSc Facilities Management

Job description

Maxwell Stephens is partnering with an educational establishment to appoint a Head of Facilities Management for an initial 6 Month contract, a senior leadership role within a complex, multi-campus estate.

This position leads all facilities services, including outsourced soft services, catering, porterage and front-of-house operations, ensuring high-quality, compliant, and cost-effective delivery that directly supports the student experience.

You will take full ownership of performance, budgets, service improvement and stakeholder engagement, ensuring safe, compliant and well-maintained environments for students, staff and visitors.

This role has every opportunity to progress into a long term permanent position.

Key responsibilities include :

• Providing strategic leadership for the facilities function, ensuring best practice, innovation and continuous improvement
• Leading, motivating and developing multi-disciplinary teams and senior managers
• Managing and optimising outsourced service contracts, including procurement, tendering and performance management
• Developing and controlling significant operational budgets, including identifying income-generation opportunities
• Producing robust management information, KPI reporting and service reviews to support informed decision-making
• Ensuring full compliance with health & safety, food safety, environmental and statutory legislation
• Building strong relationships with internal stakeholders across Estates and the wider University
• Deputising for the Director
• Representing on committees, working groups and professional networks
• This role requires regular travel between campuses and occasional out-of-hours and weekend working in response to operational needs and emergencies.

The Person

We are seeking a confident, credible and commercially astute facilities leader with experience operating at scale.

You will ideally bring :

• Significant senior-level experience managing facilities services within a large, multi-site organisation
• Proven experience of strategic planning and service transformation
• Strong background in contract procurement and management, including frameworks
• Demonstrable experience managing and setting substantial budgets
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams
• Strong analytical capability, with experience reporting against KPIs
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills

Qualifications / Professional Standing :

• Degree or relevant professional qualification
• Membership of IWFM (formerly BIFM)
• NEBOSH General Certificate (or equivalent)
• MSc Facilities Management (desirable)
• Higher education sector experience (desirable, not essential)

Why This Role?

This is not a maintenance-led FM role. It is a visible, influential leadership position within a progressive educational environment, offering genuine scope to shape services, improve performance and enhance the campus experience.

If you are a strategic FM leader who thrives in complex environments and wants to operate at senior level within education, this role will stretch and reward you.