Office Manager - Hard Services

CBRE Group, Inc.; Manchester; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

CBRE Group, Inc. in Manchester seeks a Workspace Experience Lead (Hard Services) to ensure building infrastructure is safe, compliant, and well-maintained with a hospitality mindset. You will act as the on-floor technical custodian, balancing urgent tasks with long‑term campus health and guest experience.

The role emphasizes visible support, governance of M&E services, safety leadership, and proactive improvements to facilities operations within a corporate environment.

Qualifications

• Demonstrates ability to translate building systems to non-technical employees.
• Prioritizes safety and compliance in all activities.
• Actively identifies and fixes wear-and-tear before issues arise.

Responsibilities

• Technical Stewardship & Vendor Management: oversee M&E services to meet targets and contracts.
• Reactive Maintenance: resolve issues in office shell, structure, and fixed assets with minimal disruption.
• Financial Admin: create POs and support business cases for investments or projects.
• Fire Warden / First Aid Leadership: lead emergency response and maintain updated plans.
• Incident Management: manage ERO incidents and update response plans based on lessons learned.
• Health & Safety: manage 1st-line tickets focused on food hygiene, environment, and workplace safety.
• Quality Rounds: conduct daily floor walks and verify vendor work.
• Service Desk Presence: handle 2nd-line ServiceNow tickets and communicate updates clearly.
• Information Integrity: keep knowledge articles accurate and draft updates for recurring questions.
• Facilities Inbox: filter, file, and action technical inquiries professionally.
• Small Project Lead: coordinate minor operational projects and upgrades.
• Operational Feedback: share improvement opportunities through the meeting structure.

Skills

Technical hospitality

Safety mindset

Proactive problem solver

Team player

Tools

ServiceNow

Job description

Workspace Experience Lead (Hard Services)

Role Purpose

The Office Manager (Hard Services) is the technical custodian of the physical building infrastructure. You ensure that the "invisible" elements of the office - mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and climate - are safe, compliant, and maintained to the highest standard.

Unlike traditional facilities roles, you deliver technical operations with a hospitality mindset. You understand that a broken AC unit or a flickering light isn't just a maintenance task; it’s a disruption to the employee experience. You are a visible, helpful presence on the floor, ensuring business continuity while being ready to support the Hospitality Host or Campus projects whenever needed. Ensuring urgent tasks and completed / balancing priorities.

Key Responsibilities

1. Technical Stewardship & Vendor Management

• M&E Oversight: Serve as the primary operational liaison for CBRE Ensure their delivery of mechanical and electrical services aligns with performance targets and contractual agreements.
• Reactive Maintenance: Own the resolution of issues related to inside the office shell, structure, and fixed assets. Ensure repairs are conducted with minimal disruption to the "office vibe." 50% doing the task, 50% visibility.
• Financial Admin: Create Purchase Orders (POs) for operational tasks and work with the Senior Workspace Specialist to build business cases for technical investments or projects.

2. Safety & Emergency Response

• Fire Warden / First Aid Leadership: Act as a lead Emergency Response Officer. Ensure the team is trained, floor plans are current, and emergency cabinets are fully stocked.
• Incident Management: Take charge during ERO situations, completing incident reports and identifying lessons learned to update the ERO plan.
• Health & Safety: Manage 1st-line H&S tickets, specifically focusing on food hygiene, environmental concerns, and workplace safety.

3. Visible Floor Management & Ticketing

• Quality Rounds: Conduct daily technical floor walks. Verify vendor work completion and look for "silent" failures (e.g., uneven floor tiles, loose fixtures) before employees notice them.
• Service Desk Presence: Handle 2nd-line ServiceNow tickets at the service desk. Communicate technical updates to employees in a friendly, non-technical, and reassuring manner.
• Information Integrity: Keep ServiceNow knowledge articles accurate. Draft updates for recurring technical questions to improve employee self-service.
• Facilities Inbox: Manage the facilities inbox with care, ensuring all technical enquiries are filtered, filed, and actioned with a professional touch.

4. Projects & Continuous Improvement

• Small Project Lead: Coordinate minor operational projects and service upgrades. Ensure vendors are aligned and collaborate effectively to deliver improvements on time.
• Operational Feedback: Identify opportunities for infrastructure improvement and share them through the meeting structure to enhance the long-term health of the campus.

About You (Requirements)

• Technical Hospitality: You have a solid understanding of building systems but talk about them in a way that makes sense to non-technical employees.
• Safety First: You have an uncompromising eye for safety and compliance, but you deliver these protocols with a "how can we make this work safely" attitude.
• Proactive Problem Solver: You don't wait for a ticket to break; you spot the wear-and-tear during your rounds and fix it before it fails.
• Team Player: You are willing to step away from the desk and onto the reception desk or help with an event, understanding that the "Host" mindset applies to everyone.