Facilities Management Operations Manager in Birmingham

We have a great opportunity for an experienced Facilities Manager to join our Operations team as a FM Operations Manager in our Birmingham office. You will lead the day-to-day operational Facilities and Workspace Management across our UK offices in Birmingham, Leeds and London, with full accountability for outsourced FM providers to ensure contractual compliance and an excellent client and colleague experience.

The role will drive effective contract management, Health & Safety and Environmental compliance across the estate, ensuring safe, consistent and professional working practices. You will also identify opportunities to improve service delivery, efficiency and innovation across FM contracts and service lines. Acting as the key point of contact, you will proactively identify cost efficiencies with supply partners, with a particular focus on the Total Facilities Management (TFM) contract, alongside other contractors and in‑house teams as required. The role will be predominantly office‑based and primarily based at 2 Snow Hill, Birmingham, with travel to other UK offices.

About you

We’re seeking a confident and self‑motivated Facilities Management professional with extensive operational FM experience and a strong understanding of outsourced service delivery. You’ll bring either a recognised FM qualification (such as IWFM/BIFM Level 5 or equivalent) or substantial hands‑on operational FM experience, alongside a NEBOSH General Certificate (or equivalent). You’ll have a strong working knowledge of health, safety and fire compliance in occupied buildings and be comfortable providing assurance and escalating operational risks where necessary.

You’ll have demonstrable client‑side experience managing an outsourced Total Facilities Management (TFM) provider, with a proven ability to drive effective contract management and performance‑led outcomes. With comprehensive knowledge of statutory and regulatory requirements across Facilities Management, Health & Safety and Environmental compliance, you’ll be comfortable identifying and proactively managing risk while maintaining safe, consistent and professional working practices. Experience of managing a multi‑site property portfolio would be an advantage.

You’ll thrive in a fast‑paced, service‑led environment, bringing excellent organisational and administrative skills, including strong Excel capability. Confident and resilient, you’ll be able to work under pressure across multiple stakeholders while consistently delivering a high standard of client service. Strong communication skills and a collaborative, team‑focused approach are essential, as is the willingness to travel between UK offices to support a genuine “one team” ethos.

What We Can Offer You

• The opportunity to work for a firm which has been recognised as one of the best places to work in the UK and has been ranked by Great Place to Work® for 26 consecutive years.
• 25 days annual leave, with the option to buy up to a week’s extra annual leave.
• Free private medical insurance, and the option to add family members.
• A generous pension allowance.
• Life assurance covering four times your annual salary.
• The chance of a three‑month sabbatical every five years.
• Maternity, paternity and adoption leave schemes.
• A range of health and wellbeing programmes.
• State of the art offices in Birmingham, with an onsite restaurant.
• Opportunities to flourish in your role through training and personal development.

Equal Opportunities

Gowling WLG is committed both to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to equal opportunities in employment. The firm believes in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re‑assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity. This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment. At Gowling WLG we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding place to work. Our aim is to fulfil everyone's potential and together to achieve personal and business goals.