Head of Facilities Recruitment for Alexandra Palace

Background

Alexandra Palace is one of London's most recognisable heritage and entertainment venues. Affectionately known as "Ally Pally", the Grade II listed palace and its surrounding park host millions of visitors each year, welcoming concerts, exhibitions, conferences, sporting events, community activities and live broadcasts.

Following the departure of its Head of Facilities, Alexandra Palace needed an urgent appointment to provide operational leadership during a critical period, including the delivery of a major £27 million East Wing restoration programme.

After a competitive tender process, Maxwell Stephens was appointed as exclusive recruitment partner to lead the search for this strategically important leadership position.

The Challenge

The successful candidate would take responsibility for the operational management of one of London's most complex and historic venues, balancing day-to-day facilities operations with long-term estate strategy and major capital projects. The role called for an experienced facilities leader who could manage a diverse estate while preserving the character of a nationally significant heritage asset.

Key responsibilities included:

• Leading all facilities management operations across Alexandra Palace and Park.
• Developing and implementing a five-year facilities management strategy.
• Managing planned and reactive maintenance programmes.
• Supporting the £27 million East Wing restoration project.
• Overseeing hard and soft facilities management contracts.
• Managing operational budgets and resource planning.
• Developing robust operational policies and procedures.
• Leading internal facilities teams.
• Building relationships with regulatory bodies and heritage organisations.
• Ensuring statutory compliance across the estate.
• Supporting the safe delivery of major public events throughout the year.

The successful individual needed to combine strategic leadership with operational rigour, and to understand the particular demands of managing a historic listed building: the constraints that conservation places on maintenance and works, the additional consents and stakeholders involved, and the reality that the estate must keep operating as a busy public venue while all of that happens.

Our Approach

Before starting the search, Maxwell Stephens met extensively with senior stakeholders to develop a detailed understanding of Alexandra Palace's culture, operational priorities and long-term vision. That collaborative process allowed us to define the blend of technical expertise, leadership capability and cultural fit the appointment required.

Our executive search focused on candidates with experience in:

• Heritage and listed buildings.
• Facilities and estates management.
• Large public venues and visitor attractions.
• Capital projects and building restoration.
• Hard and soft facilities management.
• Contract and supplier management.
• Health & safety and statutory compliance.
• Strategic asset management.
• Team leadership and organisational development.

Following a comprehensive search, Maxwell Stephens conducted preliminary interviews before presenting a shortlist of nine candidates. All nine progressed to first-round interviews, with four invited back for final interviews before one candidate accepted the position.

The Outcome

Maxwell Stephens recruited an experienced Head of Facilities with extensive expertise in heritage estates, operational leadership and strategic facilities management. The successful candidate quickly took responsibility for one of London's most recognisable public venues, providing strong leadership during a significant period of investment and transformation.

The role covered facilities management across the Palace and Park, support for restoration projects, maintenance planning, and contractor and supplier management.

Client Testimonial

"Following a competitive tender process we appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit our Head of Facilities. Once the brief had been agreed, they quickly presented an outstanding shortlist of candidates. The quality was so impressive that we interviewed every shortlisted individual, with several progressing to final interviews before making a successful appointment. From our initial discussions through to references, Maxwell Stephens provided exceptional support throughout. They understood both the business and the role, making the entire recruitment process efficient, professional and highly successful."

Why This Placement Worked

Historic buildings require a particular combination of technical expertise, commercial awareness and respect for conservation, and the time spent with stakeholders before the search began meant the brief reflected all three. The appointment showed what is involved in recruiting senior facilities leaders capable of managing complex heritage estates while supporting ambitious long-term development programmes.

Maxwell Stephens has extensive experience recruiting senior facilities and estates professionals for heritage organisations, cultural institutions and landmark properties, helping clients protect their assets while delivering a high-quality visitor experience. If you are recruiting for a heritage estate or landmark venue, get in touch with our team.