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- Tasks: Lead facilities services and enhance the student experience across multiple campuses.
- Company: Join a progressive educational establishment focused on innovation and quality.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, potential for permanent role, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape services and improve campus life in a visible leadership role.
- Qualifications: Experience in facilities management and strong leadership skills required.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for strategic impact and career advancement.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 ÂŁ per year.
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)
- 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.
For further details or a confidential discussion, please contact Maxwell Stephens.
Head of Facilities Management in Essex employer: Maxwell Stephens Recruitment
Contact Detail:
Maxwell Stephens Recruitment Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Facilities Management in Essex
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the facilities management sector and let them know you're on the lookout for opportunities. You never know who might have the inside scoop on a role that’s perfect for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the organisation thoroughly. Understand their values, recent projects, and challenges they face. This will help you tailor your responses and show that you’re genuinely interested in making a difference.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your experience aligns with the key responsibilities of the Head of Facilities Management role. Highlight your leadership skills and how you can enhance the student experience through effective facilities management.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Facilities Management in Essex
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Head of Facilities Management role. Highlight your experience in managing facilities services, strategic planning, and budget management. We want to see how your skills align with what we're looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of your leadership experience and how you've improved facilities services in the past. Let us know why you’re excited about this opportunity!
Showcase Your Achievements: When filling out your application, don’t just list your responsibilities—show us your achievements! Use metrics and KPIs to demonstrate how you've made a positive impact in previous roles. We love seeing numbers that back up your success!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you get all the updates. Plus, it’s super easy—just follow the prompts and submit your application!
How to prepare for a job interview at Maxwell Stephens Recruitment
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you thoroughly understand the facilities management landscape, especially in an educational context. Brush up on your knowledge of compliance, health & safety regulations, and how they impact student experience. This will show that you're not just a leader but also someone who knows the ins and outs of the role.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully led multi-disciplinary teams in the past. Think about specific challenges you faced and how you motivated your team to overcome them. This is crucial for a senior leadership role, so be ready to discuss your approach to team development and performance management.
✨Budget Savvy
Since managing substantial budgets is key for this role, come prepared with examples of how you've developed and controlled budgets in previous positions. Highlight any income-generation opportunities you've identified and how you optimised costs while maintaining service quality.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Demonstrate your ability to build strong relationships with internal stakeholders. Prepare to discuss how you've engaged with various departments or committees in the past, and how you plan to foster collaboration across the university. This will show that you can navigate complex environments effectively.
