Background
The Bader International Study Centre (BISC), located within Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, is the international campus of Queen's University, Canada. Set within a 600-acre estate, the campus combines higher education with a historic setting: a Grade I listed 15th-century castle, student accommodation, academic buildings, landscaped grounds and extensive recreational facilities.
Maintaining an estate of this scale and heritage requires specialist operational leadership. To support the long-term preservation and day-to-day management of the campus, BISC appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit a Buildings & Facilities Manager. The successful candidate would oversee the maintenance, development and operational performance of one of the UK's most distinctive educational estates.
The Challenge
This was a broad leadership role, combining heritage property management with modern Facilities Management, Health & Safety, project delivery and estate operations. The successful candidate would be responsible for maintaining the historic castle while ensuring the wider campus continued to provide a high-quality environment for students, staff and visitors.
Key responsibilities included:
- Leading the maintenance and operational management of the 600-acre estate.
- Managing the preservation and upkeep of the Grade I listed castle.
- Overseeing student residences, academic buildings and ancillary facilities.
- Managing planned and reactive maintenance programmes.
- Leading the in-house maintenance team.
- Delivering capital works and refurbishment projects.
- Managing Health & Safety compliance across the estate.
- Working with security teams to enhance estate safety and CCTV systems.
- Managing contractor procurement and supplier performance.
- Overseeing the maintenance of the vehicle fleet.
- Managing operational budgets and financial planning.
The breadth of the role required an experienced Facilities professional capable of balancing heritage conservation with the operational demands of a busy international university campus. Listed-building work brings its own constraints — consents, specialist contractors and materials, and a slower pace of intervention — and candidates who have only run modern commercial estates often underestimate how much of the job that becomes.
Our Approach
Recognising the specialist nature of the appointment, Maxwell Stephens undertook a targeted executive search focused on professionals with experience managing large estates, heritage properties and complex Facilities Management operations.
Working closely with BISC's senior leadership, we identified the key technical competencies and personal qualities required to succeed within this environment. Our search prioritised candidates with experience in:
- Heritage and listed building management.
- Estates and Facilities Management.
- Building maintenance and construction.
- Health & Safety leadership.
- Capital project delivery.
- Procurement and contractor management.
- Budget management and financial control.
- Team leadership and operational management.
Professional qualifications such as NEBOSH, IWFM/CIWFM, CIOB, City & Guilds, or equivalent construction and Facilities Management credentials were important considerations throughout the recruitment process.
In addition to technical expertise, we sought candidates with strong leadership and communication skills and a collaborative approach, able to work with academic staff, students, contractors and senior stakeholders alike.
The Outcome
Following a comprehensive executive search, Maxwell Stephens appointed a Buildings & Facilities Manager with extensive experience in estates management, heritage buildings and operational Facilities leadership, enabling them to take responsibility quickly for the maintenance and strategic development of the campus.
Since joining BISC, they have:
- Led the maintenance and preservation of the Grade I listed estate.
- Improved planned maintenance and operational efficiency.
- Strengthened Health & Safety governance across the campus.
- Managed capital improvement and refurbishment projects.
- Improved contractor performance and procurement processes.
- Supported the continued development of the estate while preserving its historic character.
- Maintained a high-quality environment for students, staff and visitors.
Their appointment has given the Bader International Study Centre professional estate leadership while safeguarding one of the UK's most distinctive educational environments.
Why This Placement Worked
Managing a historic estate requires a rare combination of technical expertise, strategic leadership and a genuine appreciation of heritage conservation. Recruiting for it as a standard Facilities Manager role would have produced a strong shortlist for the wrong job. Defining the heritage and estates dimension up front, and searching for people who had already done that work, is what made the appointment stick.
Candidate Testimonial
"Professional, knowledgeable and incredibly supportive throughout the entire recruitment process. Maxwell Stephens kept me fully informed at every stage, offering interview preparation, guidance and regular communication before and after each interview. Their expertise gave me real confidence, and I always felt they genuinely cared about helping me secure the right opportunity. Thanks to their support, I secured what I can honestly describe as my dream job."
If you are recruiting for a complex, heritage or multi-building estate, Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief and reach the candidates who have run comparable sites. Read about our specialist Estates Management recruitment service, or get in touch with our team.