Background
Close Brothers, a leading financial services group, appointed Maxwell Stephens to support two facilities management appointments across its Crown Place and Wimbledon Bridge House locations in London.
The business wanted to strengthen both the leadership and the day-to-day coordination of its facilities operation, while holding standards across health and safety, contractor management, workplace services, projects and customer support. Both roles needed people who could combine operational discipline with clear communication, sound judgement and a proactive approach to service improvement.
The Challenge
Close Brothers needed to strengthen its facilities management operation at two levels at once. The first requirement was for a Facilities Operations and Projects Team Leader to provide leadership across daily operations, projects and support teams. The second was for a Facilities Operations Coordinator to take ownership of a broad range of operational services and provide consistent support across multiple locations.
For both appointments, cultural fit mattered as much as technical capability. The successful candidates had to be professional, customer-focused and comfortable in a fast-paced financial services environment.
Role One: Facilities Operations and Projects Team Leader
Close Brothers required an experienced Team Leader to oversee daily facilities management operations while coordinating key support functions and workplace projects. The successful candidate would manage the Facilities Helpdesk Coordinators and Mailroom teams, while helping to ensure compliance, service quality and effective project delivery.
Key requirements included:
- Operational leadership. Providing clear direction across facilities management operations and keeping support teams to consistently high service standards.
- Team management. Leading Helpdesk and Mailroom employees, improving coordination and maintaining accountability across daily activities.
- Project delivery. Supporting and managing facilities projects, with works planned properly and delivered in line with operational priorities.
- Health & safety. Maintaining appropriate health and safety standards and keeping facilities activity compliant with relevant requirements.
- Budget management. Working within agreed financial parameters and delivering facilities activity with proper commercial control.
- Stakeholder engagement. Building strong working relationships with internal stakeholders, suppliers and contractors so that services responded to business requirements.
Maxwell Stephens ran a targeted search for candidates who combined facilities leadership, project management experience and stakeholder management capability, assessing technical knowledge alongside leadership style, communication and the ability to manage competing operational priorities.
Maxwell Stephens placed a highly experienced Facilities Operations and Projects Team Leader with Close Brothers. The appointment strengthened operational leadership across the facilities function, with the successful candidate managing the support teams while keeping a close focus on budgets, compliance and service performance, and helping create a more structured and efficient operation.
Role Two: Facilities Operations Coordinator
Alongside the leadership appointment, Close Brothers required a Facilities Operations Coordinator to support a broad range of workplace services across multiple sites. The position combined operational facilities management with customer service, contractor coordination, health and safety responsibilities and project support.
Key requirements included:
- Facilities operations. Coordinating day-to-day workplace services and resolving operational issues quickly.
- Health & safety compliance. Supporting health and safety processes and keeping facilities activities aligned with the appropriate standards.
- Security support. Coordinating security-related requirements and helping maintain a safe and controlled workplace.
- Contractor management. Managing relationships with third-party contractors and making sure works and services were delivered to the required standard.
- Project coordination. Supporting facilities projects and workplace changes so that they were properly organised and communicated.
- Quality assurance. Monitoring service standards and identifying where operational delivery could be improved.
- Front-of-house and customer service. Providing a professional and responsive service to employees, visitors and internal stakeholders.
- Space planning. Supporting workplace planning and space-related changes across the London estate.
Maxwell Stephens used targeted networking and detailed candidate screening to identify professionals with an operational mindset, a customer service orientation and experience managing external contractors. Particular attention went to candidates who could handle a varied workload with attention to detail, and who were confident across compliance, workplace coordination and front-of-house support.
The appointed Facilities Operations Coordinator integrated well into Close Brothers and strengthened several areas of day-to-day facilities management, including improved coordination of contractors, closer attention to compliance and effective support for space planning and workplace operations. Employees, internal stakeholders and external suppliers received consistent and professional facilities support.
The Outcome
By recruiting both the Facilities Operations and Projects Team Leader and the Facilities Operations Coordinator, Maxwell Stephens helped Close Brothers strengthen its facilities management structure across Crown Place and Wimbledon Bridge House. The two appointments provided complementary capability at leadership and operational level, and together supported:
- Stronger operational leadership, with clearer management and coordination across facilities teams and workplace services.
- Improved compliance, through a greater focus on health and safety, quality assurance and consistent facilities processes.
- More effective contractor management, with better oversight and coordination of external service providers.
- Better project and workplace coordination, covering facilities projects, space requirements and operational change.
- A more responsive internal service for employees and stakeholders.
Why This Placement Worked
Recruiting two connected roles at the same time adds a complication of its own: the Team Leader and the Coordinator would work closely together, so the search had to produce two people whose strengths complemented each other rather than two strong individuals chosen in isolation. Understanding Close Brothers' requirements at both leadership and coordination level meant the two appointments strengthen the wider operational structure together.
If you are looking to strengthen your facilities management team with linked leadership and operational appointments, Maxwell Stephens can help you scope both roles together and recruit them as a pair. Get in touch with our team to discuss your requirements.