Background
Maxwell Stephens has a long-standing track record of recruiting Facilities Management professionals for Cushman & Wakefield, one of the world's leading commercial real estate services organisations. Over the course of that relationship we recruited eight Roving Facilities Managers to support Cushman & Wakefield's UK operations.
Based from the organisation's UK head office at 125 Old Broad Street, London, these professionals were responsible for managing multi-site, multi-client portfolios across a variety of property types. The assignments called for experienced Facilities Managers who could move confidently between different buildings, clients and operational environments while maintaining consistent standards of service, compliance and commercial performance.
The Challenge
The Roving Facilities Manager role demands a particularly adaptable type of FM professional. Rather than taking responsibility for a single building or client account, the successful candidates needed to support multiple sites and stakeholders, quickly understand different operational requirements and maintain Cushman & Wakefield's service standards across a varied portfolio.
The primary objective was to support the delivery of high-quality Facilities Management services while contributing to service strategy, financial performance and continuous improvement. Key responsibilities included:
- Multi-site facilities management. Supporting the management of multiple properties and client accounts, adapting to different operational requirements and service environments.
- Budget management. Preparing and managing budgets across multiple locations, obtaining appropriate approvals and keeping expenditure within agreed parameters.
- Service delivery. Supporting the delivery of Facilities Management services in line with contractual obligations and agreed client expectations.
- Service strategy and business planning. Contributing to the development and implementation of FM service strategies and business plans across assigned portfolios.
- Client and tenant relationships. Building strong working relationships with clients, occupiers and tenants while maintaining a responsive and professional service.
- Supplier and service provider management. Working with contractors and service partners to ensure agreed standards of service were consistently maintained.
- SLA and KPI management. Monitoring performance against service level agreements and key performance indicators, identifying areas needing attention and supporting corrective action.
- Performance reporting. Coordinating performance reports, analysing results and using the information to identify opportunities for service improvement.
- Health and safety. Ensuring health and safety responsibilities were managed effectively across the relevant properties and portfolios.
- Business development support. Promoting Cushman & Wakefield's FM capabilities to existing and prospective clients and helping identify opportunities to strengthen client relationships.
Our Recruitment Approach
Recruiting for a roving role needs a different approach from a conventional single-site Facilities Management search. Candidates needed strong technical and operational FM knowledge, but they also needed the adaptability, organisation and interpersonal skills to move between multiple sites, clients and service environments without a drop in standards. Plenty of capable single-site managers struggle with that; the ones who thrive on it are a distinct group, and they are not always easy to spot from a CV.
Our assessment therefore focused on experience in:
- Multi-site Facilities Management.
- Multi-client property portfolios.
- Budget preparation and financial control.
- SLA and KPI management.
- Client and tenant engagement.
- Supplier and contractor management.
- Health and safety compliance.
- Performance reporting and continuous improvement.
- Commercial and business-development awareness.
- Working independently across changing environments.
Particular emphasis was placed on candidates able to get to grips with new properties and client requirements quickly while maintaining consistent service standards. Through our specialist Facilities Management network, targeted candidate searches and a detailed assessment process, Maxwell Stephens recruited all eight Roving Facilities Managers for Cushman & Wakefield.
Outcome and Impact
The eight appointments gave Cushman & Wakefield additional Facilities Management capability across its multi-site and multi-client portfolios. Filling eight positions of the same type also reflects the recurring nature of the requirement and Maxwell Stephens' ability to consistently identify professionals suited to this specialist kind of role.
Across their respective portfolios, the appointed Facilities Managers contributed to:
- Stronger multi-site service delivery. Effective FM delivery across multiple locations, helping maintain consistent service standards despite varying property and client requirements.
- Better client and tenant relationships. Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills enabled the successful candidates to build productive relationships with clients, tenants and service partners.
- Greater financial oversight. Budget management and expenditure monitoring supported Cushman & Wakefield in maintaining financial discipline across assigned portfolios.
- Stronger performance management. Regular monitoring of SLAs and KPIs gave greater visibility of service performance and helped identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
- Consistent health and safety management. A sustained focus on health and safety responsibilities, supporting compliant and professionally managed environments across multiple locations.
- Support for continuous improvement. Through performance analysis, client engagement and operational oversight, the successful candidates contributed to the ongoing improvement of Facilities services.
Why This Partnership Worked
These appointments required professionals capable of balancing multi-site operations, client relationships, budgets, compliance, performance management and commercial awareness while adapting quickly to different properties and working environments. The continued success of the assignments reflects Maxwell Stephens' expertise in identifying Facilities professionals who have not only the technical experience required, but also the flexibility, stakeholder skills and commercial understanding needed to succeed within complex outsourced and multi-client FM environments.
If you are recruiting Facilities Managers across multiple sites or client portfolios, whether a single roving appointment or an ongoing requirement, Maxwell Stephens can help you define what the role really demands and reach the candidates who are suited to it. Get in touch with our team.