Senior Property & Facilities Manager

Our Role

Reporting to the Head of Property, you will provide expertise in store maintenance to deal with the increasing size of the portfolio and the increasing complexity of compliance and H&S legislation impacting our portfolio. You will lead, take ownership and be responsible for the budget, planning and delivery of the repair and maintenance to our growing retail portfolio (currently 78 stores/concessions in the UK and ROI), head office (London) and regional office (Northampton).

You will lead a full review of the company's long-term facilities management strategy, including a review of the company's outsourced maintenance requirements, suitability of current partners, and advise on and execute future approaches. Ensure repairs and maintenance delivered through our direct and outsourced suppliers are efficient and cost-effective and meet the company’s expectations, through daily hands-on facilities management with strong attention to detail.

Provide a high-quality and seamless service for our customers and colleagues throughout the business, being the key link between our retail teams in stores, our contractors, 3rd party facilities provider, head office teams and our landlords - forging successful partnerships.

What you’ll be doing

• Responsibility for repairs and maintenance budget and spend (both capex and opex) across the portfolio, ensuring service levels are maintained within budgetary constraints.
• Set, manage and monitor budgets with precision, ensuring value for money – across both reactive and planned maintenance programmes.
• Ensure strong compliance with all legal and best practice property requirements across the portfolio with robust record keeping and standards.
• Regular travel to conduct store visits for reactive maintenance issues along with inspecting to plan for future significant repair projects - planning, costing, tendering and overseeing project management of such projects, ensuring best value for money.
• Direct, manage and work closely with the outsourced 3rd party maintenance provider to ensure maintenance tasks are delivered on time, to a quality standard and at the best possible value.
• Work with 3rd party account manager to ensure SLAs/KPIs are being met and challenged where applicable.
• Responsibility for liaison with managing agents and landlords for retail and offices maintenance, ensuring any landlord requirements are satisfied.
• Work closely with the retail and health & safety teams to ensure our stores meet agreed requirements with open, responsive and constructive communication channels.
• Develop strong property team relationships as the leading expertise for property maintenance working with, supporting and understanding roles of the wider TWC property team and providing leadership for the shared Property & Facilities Coordinator role within the team.

What skills & experience you’ll need

• Proven track record in hands-on day-to-day maintenance management of similar sized multi-site retail portfolios.
• Experience in formulating a long-term facilities management strategy.
• Experienced in managing an outsourced 3rd party facilities management provider, along with experience of sourcing, tendering and procurement of a 3rd party facilities management provider.
• Knowledge of UK legal and statutory compliance regulations.
• Strong technical building knowledge to dissect, diagnose and resolve issues arising in our properties and ability to remain calm, logical with a clear head in the case of issues and emergencies should they arise.
• A clear communicator, with the ability to manage multiple projects at one time collaboratively with contractors and various stakeholders across the business.
• Frequent travel throughout the UK & Ireland is essential to the role which will require the job holder to inspect and develop knowledge of the diverse TWC property portfolio across the UK & Ireland, including overnight stays as required.
• The role will be hybrid; on average 1 day a week is required in the head office (London), on average 1 day a week is required in Chichester (facilities support) along with frequent UK & Ireland travel.
• Be available for adhoc out of hours emergencies.
• BIFM (British Institute of Facilities Management) qualification or equivalent preferred.

What will make you brilliant at this role

• Be proactive and self-leading, with a passion for making things happen – ability to innovate and look to the future.
• Ability to look at the bigger picture and investigate root causes of facilities issues.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to problem solve.
• Confident and effective communicator – translating technical property maintenance requirements into a language common to retail stores and inspiring confidence throughout the business.

Our Equality Diversity and Inclusion statement of commitment

At The White Company we are committed to creating an inclusive culture that welcomes and celebrates a diversity of backgrounds and identities. We are working together to ensure our environment is one where people can bring their authentic selves to work, where their contribution is valued, ability enhanced, and perspective appreciated. Where difference is respected, encouraged, and celebrated. Where you can feel you belong. We are committed to an active Equality Diversity and Inclusion Policy, which starts with our recruitment and selection process. We’d love you to join us on our journey.

Our Sustainability statement of commitment

We are committed to building a sustainable legacy that will enable a brighter future for people and our planet. We believe this should be reflected in everything we do.