Health, Safety, Sustainability & Environmental Manager Recruitment for Cluttons

Background

Cluttons is one of the UK's leading property consultancies, advising across the residential, commercial and infrastructure sectors. With a strong presence in London, the Middle East and international markets, the firm provides a comprehensive range of services including commercial property, residential, valuation, asset management, facilities management and strategic consultancy.

Having worked with Maxwell Stephens on several previous recruitment assignments, Cluttons appointed us again to recruit a Health, Safety, Sustainability & Environmental (HSSE) Manager — a specialist leadership role central to the firm's commitment to compliance, sustainability and responsible property management.

The Challenge

This appointment needed an experienced HSSE professional who could support both Cluttons' internal operations and its extensive property management portfolio on behalf of clients. The successful candidate would be the organisation's subject matter expert across health & safety, environmental management and sustainability, while keeping the business compliant with a changing legislative landscape.

Key responsibilities included:

• Providing strategic leadership across health, safety, sustainability and environmental management.
• Advising both internal stakeholders and external property management clients.
• Leading compliance with UK health & safety legislation.
• Acting as Cluttons' subject matter expert for sustainability and energy management.
• Managing the firm's Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) programme.
• Conducting property inspections and workplace risk assessments.
• Supporting statutory compliance across the corporate office portfolio.
• Mentoring and developing HSSE Coordinators.
• Working closely with outsourced facilities management providers.
• Driving environmental initiatives and continuous improvement.
• Supporting ISO accreditation and compliance programmes.
• Promoting best practice across the business and managed properties.

The role demanded strong technical knowledge, commercial awareness and the ability to influence stakeholders across a diverse property portfolio.

What makes an HSSE role in a property consultancy harder than the equivalent in-house post is the dual audience. The post-holder has to keep the firm's own offices compliant and, at the same time, give credible advice to clients about buildings the firm manages but does not own. Candidates who have only ever run compliance for a single employer often lack the advisory habit that the client side of the role requires.

Our Approach

Working closely with Cluttons' leadership team, Maxwell Stephens built a detailed understanding of the technical requirements, regulatory responsibilities and strategic objectives attached to the role.

Our executive search focused on experienced HSSE professionals with backgrounds in property consultancy, commercial real estate and facilities management. We prioritised candidates with expertise in:

• Health & safety leadership.
• Sustainability and environmental management.
• Commercial property and facilities management.
• ESOS compliance and energy management.
• Property inspections and statutory compliance.
• ISO management systems, including ISO 14001.
• Contractor management and workplace compliance.
• Risk assessment and operational governance.
• Stakeholder engagement and technical advisory services.

Professional qualifications such as GradIOSH, NEBOSH and IWFM, environmental management certifications, and progress towards professional memberships including IEMA were treated as highly desirable. At this level those credentials are less a tick-box than a signal that a candidate has treated health, safety and environmental management as a discipline rather than an add-on to a facilities role.

Throughout the search we placed particular emphasis on candidates who could combine technical depth with commercial pragmatism and strong stakeholder management.

The Outcome

Following a comprehensive executive search and rigorous assessment process, Maxwell Stephens appointed a Health, Safety, Sustainability & Environmental Manager with extensive experience across health & safety, environmental compliance and property management, who made an immediate impact across Cluttons' operations and client portfolio.

Since joining the business, they have:

• Strengthened health & safety governance across the organisation.
• Improved sustainability and environmental performance.
• Led compliance with ESOS and wider environmental legislation.
• Improved statutory compliance across managed properties.
• Supported ISO management and accreditation programmes.
• Provided expert technical guidance to clients and colleagues.
• Developed a stronger culture of compliance and continuous improvement.

The appointment reinforced Cluttons' commitment to responsible property management.

Candidate Testimonial

"I'd like to say a huge thank you to Maxwell Stephens for helping me secure this role. The team at Maxwell Stephens have been true professionals from start to finish, checking in with me every step of the way. If you're looking for a new role in Facilities Management, I can highly recommend speaking to Maxwell Stephens first! Thanks again!"

Health and Safety, Sustainability and Environmental Manager, Cluttons.

Why This Placement Worked

As environmental legislation, compliance requirements and ESG expectations continue to change, organisations need experienced professionals who can protect people, property and reputation. Because Cluttons had worked with Maxwell Stephens before, the search started with an existing understanding of the firm and could concentrate on the specifics of this role: the ESOS and ISO responsibilities, the client-facing advisory element and the qualifications that mark out a genuine HSSE specialist.

Maxwell Stephens combines facilities management recruitment expertise with specialist knowledge of the HSSE market. If you are recruiting a health, safety, sustainability or environmental leader, get in touch with our team to discuss the brief.