Higher Education jobs in United Kingdom

Are you an inspiring leader who can bring out the best in people while overseeing a world‑class research facility? The University of Cambridge VPD Heart & Lung Research Institute (HLRI) is seeking an exceptional Building Services Manager to lead our building operations team at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

VPD‑HLRI is home to more than 400 researchers and clinicians working to improve global heart and lung health. Our impressive, sustainable building combines advanced laboratories, a Clinical Research Facility (CRF), and a vibrant network of offices and collaborative spaces supporting ground‑breaking biomedical science.

As Building Services Manager, you will lead and develop a skilled facilities and technical team to deliver a safe, efficient, and welcoming environment for staff, students, and visitors. Your focus will be on people, planning, and performance, ensuring smooth day‑to‑day operations while fostering a positive, inclusive, and accountable workplace culture. You will bring strong leadership and problem‑solving abilities, able to balance strategic oversight with practical decision‑making. Collaboration is key: you will build trusted relationships across departments, manage competing priorities with confidence, and lead by example to maintain the highest standards in service delivery.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a confident, team‑focused manager who thrives in a dynamic research environment and wants to play a vital role in supporting pioneering heart and lung research.

You are a collaborative, hands‑on leader who combines technical expertise with strong interpersonal skills. You thrive in a complex environment, balancing operational detail with strategic oversight. You can unite diverse teams around shared goals, communicate clearly under pressure and deliver high standards consistently.

• Proven ability to build collaborative relationships across departments and with external contractors, removing barriers and fostering teamwork.
• Track record of delivering excellence and results, planning, prioritising and driving performance improvements in building or facilities operations.
• Experience managing building services in a complex, multi‑stakeholder environment (research, clinical or higher education desirable).
• Strong knowledge of health and safety and building compliance (e.g., water hygiene, pressure systems, specialist ventilation, medical gases, permits to work).
• Excellent communication skills, clear written and verbal updates for diverse audiences, including during time‑critical situations.
• Confident leadership of teams, including coaching, feedback and development planning.
• Ability to manage budgets, procurement and vendor performance to achieve best value.
• Good IT skills and familiarity with maintenance management systems and data‑driven decision making.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Ruth Berriman (rb2091@cam.ac.uk).

The successful candidate will be required to hold on‑call duties (compensated) on a rotational basis. They must be able to report to the site within 30 minutes for out‑of‑hours emergencies.

Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and CV in the Upload section of the online application. The covering letter should outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Please include details of your referees, including email address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager.

We actively support equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.