Background
Aspect Capital is a leading financial technology and investment management organisation specialising in systematic and automated trading strategies. Operating in a highly technical, data-led environment, the business needed a robust real estate and facilities strategy capable of supporting operational resilience, business growth and critical infrastructure requirements.
To support a major period of workplace and property transformation, Aspect Capital asked Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Facilities Project Lead for a two-year project term.
The Challenge
Aspect Capital needed a senior facilities and real estate professional capable of developing and delivering a long-term property strategy while leading a major corporate relocation and restructuring the organisation's facilities management model. The role was strategic and commercially complex, calling for strong project leadership, stakeholder engagement, procurement expertise and technical facilities knowledge.
Key responsibilities included:
- Developing a long-term corporate real estate and workplace strategy.
- Leading a major corporate relocation programme.
- Establishing a new facilities management operating model.
- Managing hard FM service procurement for new premises.
- Overseeing maintenance strategies across the property portfolio.
- Supporting critical infrastructure and business continuity requirements.
- Managing commercial and contractual negotiations.
- Coordinating IT colocation and data centre property requirements.
- Mobilising facilities services for newly built premises.
- Managing base build interfaces, defect periods, third-party rights and subcontractor warranties.
- Reporting on property and facilities performance to the Board.
- Supporting annual corporate planning and business strategy.
The role required someone who could combine strategic property thinking with practical delivery in a fast-moving, high-performance financial technology environment. In a systematic trading business, the estate is part of the trading infrastructure: power, cooling, connectivity and colocation arrangements carry a direct operational risk, and a relocation has to be planned around that rather than around the office alone.
Our Approach
Understanding the requirement
Maxwell Stephens worked closely with Aspect Capital to understand the full scope of the project, the strategic importance of the relocation and the operational risks associated with the transformation. That shaped the profile we searched for: candidates with corporate real estate strategy experience, major relocation and workplace transformation expertise, facilities management mobilisation experience, procurement and contract negotiation capability, critical infrastructure and business continuity knowledge, senior stakeholder and Board-level reporting experience, and commercial awareness backed by strong project governance.
Targeted search
Drawing on our specialist facilities management, workplace and corporate real estate network, we ran a focused search for professionals with a track record of delivering complex property transformation programmes. We prioritised candidates who demonstrated:
- Strategic planning ability, evidenced by strategies they had written and delivered.
- Strong project leadership credentials.
- Experience managing high-value relocation projects.
- Knowledge of hard FM procurement and mobilisation.
- Confidence operating in technical and commercially sensitive environments.
- The ability to influence senior decision-makers.
Candidate assessment
Candidates were assessed against a set of technical, commercial and leadership criteria: property strategy development, corporate relocation delivery, facilities management operating model design, supplier procurement and contract management, business continuity and disaster recovery planning, budget management and commercial negotiation, and stakeholder engagement and Board reporting. For a fixed-term project role, we also looked for people who could take ownership immediately rather than grow into it.
The Outcome
We appointed a highly experienced Facilities Project Lead who brought the strategic vision, technical expertise and project leadership Aspect Capital needed. The successful candidate quickly took ownership of the property transformation programme and became a key adviser to the business on all property and facilities matters.
Strategic property planning
The candidate developed and delivered a comprehensive property strategy aligned with Aspect Capital's long-term business objectives, so that the real estate portfolio supported future growth and operational performance.
Major relocation delivery
The appointed Facilities Project Lead led a £6 million corporate relocation programme, creating a new workplace environment and establishing the facilities management structure required to support it.
Facilities management mobilisation
The candidate procured and mobilised hard FM service contracts for the newly built premises, with maintenance regimes, service levels, warranties and base build responsibilities clearly defined and managed.
Commercial and contractual negotiation
Their expertise in complex negotiations supported favourable commercial outcomes across property, service contracts and IT colocation and data centre arrangements.
Critical infrastructure and business continuity
The candidate strengthened maintenance regimes and coordinated business continuity and disaster recovery plans to protect business-critical infrastructure.
Board-level reporting
Through clear reporting and performance monitoring, the candidate provided quarterly updates to the Board on property strategy, KPIs, risks and progress against project objectives.
Taken together, the appointment gave Aspect Capital:
- A clear long-term corporate real estate strategy.
- Delivery of a major relocation programme.
- A new facilities management operating model.
- Improved maintenance and service delivery structures.
- Stronger commercial control across FM and property contracts.
- Better business continuity and disaster recovery planning.
- Greater Board-level visibility of property and facilities performance.
- Closer alignment between workplace strategy and business objectives.
Why This Placement Worked
Project-term facilities roles are sometimes treated as a stop-gap, filled by whoever is available for the duration. This one was defined as a senior appointment with Board exposure and a fixed remit, and the search was run to that standard. The result was a candidate who could set the strategy, deliver the relocation and leave a working FM model behind.
If you are recruiting a senior facilities, workplace or corporate real estate professional to deliver a relocation, an FM restructure or a property strategy — on a project term or permanently — Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief and reach the candidates who have done it. Get in touch with our team.