Dunhill Facilities Manager Recruitment

Background

Dunhill, a luxury brand recognised for its heritage, craftsmanship and attention to detail, appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Facilities Manager to oversee a varied portfolio of locations.

The estate included exclusive clubs, flagship retail environments and operational facilities in Walthamstow, each requiring consistently high standards of presentation, safety and service delivery.

The successful candidate needed to combine strong Facilities Management expertise with commercial awareness, supplier management, project leadership and rigorous health and safety knowledge, while ensuring every location remained aligned with Dunhill's corporate identity and premium brand standards.

The Challenge

Managing facilities for a luxury brand demands more than effective day-to-day operations. In a flagship store or a members' club the building is part of the product: a failed light fitting, a tired finish or a contractor working in view of customers is noticed in a way it would not be in a back-office environment. Dunhill required a Facilities Manager who could maintain those standards across very different environments while balancing compliance, cost control, contractor performance and project delivery.

Key requirements included:

• Multi-site Facilities Management. Managing Facilities services across retail, hospitality and operational locations while maintaining consistent standards throughout the portfolio.
• Contract and commercial management. Negotiating and managing supplier contracts to secure strong service performance, appropriate commercial terms and value for money.
• Health and safety compliance. Maintaining robust health and safety processes across all sites and ensuring Facilities activity complied with both regulatory requirements and internal standards.
• Supplier relationship management. Acting as the principal Facilities contact for external suppliers, monitoring performance and developing productive long-term relationships.
• Budget management. Taking responsibility for the central Facilities budget and allocating expenditure effectively across the portfolio.
• Project delivery. Leading Facilities projects from initial planning through to completion while maintaining control over timescales, budgets, quality and health and safety.
• Brand standards. Ensuring Facilities Management activity supported Dunhill's corporate identity and maintained the quality expected within premium customer-facing environments.
• Team leadership and development. Developing the Facilities team, strengthening operational capability and ensuring employees understood their responsibilities around health, safety and service delivery.

Our Approach

Maxwell Stephens conducted a targeted search for Facilities Management professionals with experience of operating within high-quality, customer-facing and multi-site environments.

Given Dunhill's brand positioning, technical competence alone was not sufficient. Candidates also needed to demonstrate close attention to detail, strong communication skills and an understanding of how Facilities Management contributes to customer experience and brand reputation.

Our assessment focused on professionals with experience in:

• Multi-site Facilities Management in luxury retail or similarly high-standard environments.
• Supplier and contractor management, including contract negotiation.
• Health and safety compliance.
• Budget management.
• Workplace and property projects.
• Team development and senior stakeholder communication.

Following a detailed search and assessment process, Maxwell Stephens placed a capable Facilities Manager with Dunhill.

The Outcome

The appointment strengthened Facilities Management performance across Dunhill's portfolio:

• Contract management. The Facilities Manager introduced a more strategic approach to supplier contracts, helping improve service delivery while keeping close control over costs. Contract arrangements were managed with particular attention to the standards expected within Dunhill's luxury environment.
• Health and safety. Robust processes were maintained across all locations, supporting compliance with relevant requirements and strengthening workplace risk management.
• Budget control. Effective management of the central Facilities budget supported greater financial discipline and ensured resources were allocated appropriately across the estate.
• Supplier performance. By acting as the principal point of contact for suppliers, the Facilities Manager developed more productive relationships and strengthened oversight of service quality and delivery.
• Project leadership. Facilities projects were managed proactively from inception through to completion, with close attention to timelines, budgets, compliance and operational requirements.
• Team capability. Training and development strengthened the Facilities team's knowledge and performance, particularly around health and safety responsibilities and operational standards.
• Brand standards. Strong operational oversight helped ensure Dunhill's facilities continued to reflect the quality, presentation and attention to detail associated with the brand.

The placement gave Dunhill a Facilities Manager capable of balancing operational efficiency, compliance, financial control, supplier performance and premium workplace standards across a varied estate.

Why This Placement Worked

The search was built around the environments the role served, not just the FM disciplines it covered. Candidates were assessed on whether they had run facilities somewhere the customer could see the result, because that experience changes how a manager schedules contractors, specifies finishes and judges what "acceptable" looks like.

The appointment reflects Maxwell Stephens' experience in recruiting Facilities Management professionals for luxury and customer-facing environments, where the quality of the physical workplace is part of the wider brand experience. If you are looking for a Facilities Manager to oversee a premium retail, hospitality or multi-site property portfolio, get in touch with our team to discuss your requirements.