The Brief
A leading national organisation required an experienced Estates Manager to oversee one of the most significant property transitions in its history.
The organisation was preparing to sell its long-standing London headquarters — a Grade II* listed building that had served as its home for more than 70 years — while simultaneously sourcing and relocating to a new modern headquarters. This created a highly specialist requirement combining estates management, health & safety leadership, property transition expertise and stakeholder management.
The role demanded a senior facilities and estates professional capable of balancing day-to-day operational delivery with strategic oversight of a complex relocation programme.
The Challenge
This was not a standard estates management appointment.
The successful candidate needed to demonstrate:
• Extensive experience managing complex or heritage buildings
• Proven delivery of office relocation and transition projects
• Strong knowledge of statutory compliance and listed building regulations
• Multi-site facilities management expertise
• Budget and service charge management capability
• Experience leading in-house teams and contractor relationships
• The ability to engage effectively with senior stakeholders, tenants, consultants and external agencies
The organisation also required someone comfortable operating within a highly visible and politically sensitive environment, while maintaining continuity of services during a period of significant change.
Given the fixed-term nature of the contract and the specialist skillset required, the available talent pool was particularly limited.
Our Approach
We conducted a targeted search focused on senior estates and facilities professionals with experience across:
• Corporate headquarters relocations
• Heritage and multi-tenanted buildings
• Complex stakeholder environments
• Operational FM leadership
• Compliance and health & safety management
Particular emphasis was placed on identifying candidates who could combine strategic project capability with hands-on operational leadership.
We worked closely with the client throughout the process to refine the brief, benchmark the market and ensure the opportunity was positioned effectively to attract high-calibre candidates with the right blend of technical and cultural fit.
The Outcome
The role was successfully filled with an experienced estates professional who brought:
• A strong background in large-scale office relocations
• Expertise in managing complex estates portfolios
• Proven leadership of multi-disciplinary FM teams
• Significant experience in compliance, contractor management and stakeholder engagement
The appointment provided the organisation with an Estates Manager capable of leading both the operational management of the existing estate and the transition to a new headquarters environment.
Key Success Factors
• Deep understanding of the facilities management and estates market
• Access to senior-level passive candidates
• Careful assessment of technical capability and stakeholder fit
• Efficient management of a specialist and competitive recruitment process
• Strong collaboration with the client throughout the assignment