Facilities Manager for Allies and Morrison

Background

Allies and Morrison, an acclaimed architectural and urban planning practice, appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Facilities Manager to oversee its Southwark studios and adjacent buildings.

Operating from a distinctive portfolio of creative workspaces, with additional studios across the UK and Ireland, Allies and Morrison needed a facilities management professional capable of maintaining the high standards of presentation, functionality and service expected within a leading architectural practice.

The successful candidate needed to combine building management, maintenance, health and safety, security, contractor management and financial control, while ensuring the workplace continued to support creativity, collaboration and effective day-to-day operations.

The Challenge

The Facilities Manager role carried responsibility for a broad and varied operational remit across multiple buildings. Allies and Morrison needed someone who could take ownership of building performance while managing contractors, compliance, workplace services and budgets to consistently high standards.

The key requirements were:

• Comprehensive building management. Overseeing the day-to-day maintenance and operation of multiple buildings, including regular inspections, repairs and the coordination of contractors.
• Planned and reactive maintenance. Ensuring building issues were identified and addressed promptly while maintaining a structured approach to ongoing maintenance requirements.
• Security and emergency management. Managing on-site security arrangements and maintaining appropriate emergency procedures to protect employees, visitors and property.
• Health & safety compliance. Maintaining rigorous health and safety standards, carrying out regular inspections and keeping compliance documentation accurate and up to date.
• Housekeeping and catering. Overseeing housekeeping and catering services so that the studios remained clean, professional and welcoming for employees, clients and visitors.
• Contractor and project management. Coordinating external contractors and facilities-related projects, ensuring works were delivered safely, efficiently and to the required standard.
• Budget and financial management. Managing facilities budgets, reviewing contractor invoices and maintaining accurate financial records to support effective cost control.
• ISO and audit support. Maintaining facilities records and documentation to support internal controls and ISO audit requirements.

In an architectural practice the studio is itself a statement of what the firm does. Clients visit it, staff are judged by it and the people who designed it notice when it is not right. That makes the Facilities Manager's attention to detail a visible part of the practice's reputation, not a back-office matter.

Our Approach

Maxwell Stephens conducted a focused search for facilities management professionals with experience of managing high-quality, multi-building workplace environments. Given Allies and Morrison's reputation for design, the successful candidate needed to demonstrate more than technical competence: close attention to detail and an understanding of how the physical workplace contributes to employee experience and organisational culture were essential.

Our assessment focused on professionals with experience in:

• multi-building facilities management
• planned and reactive maintenance
• contractor and project management
• health and safety compliance
• security and emergency procedures
• housekeeping and workplace services
• budget and invoice management
• audit and compliance documentation
• stakeholder communication

The Outcome

Following a rigorous search and assessment process, Maxwell Stephens placed an experienced Facilities Manager with Allies and Morrison. The appointment strengthened facilities management across the Southwark studio portfolio and introduced greater structure across maintenance, compliance and workplace services:

• Improved building maintenance. Robust maintenance processes improved oversight of inspections, repairs and contractor activity across the buildings.
• Stronger security and safety. Enhanced security arrangements and close attention to emergency procedures helped maintain a safe and controlled working environment.
• Improved health & safety compliance. A structured approach to inspections and documentation strengthened health and safety management and supported ongoing compliance requirements.
• More efficient facilities operations. Greater coordination across maintenance, workplace services and contractors helped streamline day-to-day operations.
• Stronger financial control. Effective oversight of budgets, contractor invoices and facilities records gave greater visibility and control of expenditure.
• A better workplace environment. Consistent management of housekeeping, catering and building services helped maintain a professional and welcoming studio environment that supported creativity and collaboration.

The placement gave Allies and Morrison a Facilities Manager capable of balancing building performance, compliance, workplace services, contractor management and financial control across a distinctive multi-building estate.

Why This Placement Worked

The appointment shows what is involved in recruiting facilities management professionals for creative and design-led organisations, where operational reliability has to sit alongside the quality and character of the workplace itself. The search was framed around both from the outset, and candidates were assessed on their eye for detail as much as on their technical record.

If you are looking for an experienced Facilities Manager to oversee a complex or high-quality workplace portfolio, Maxwell Stephens can help. Get in touch with our team to discuss your recruitment requirements.