Client Overview
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is the professional membership body for pharmacists in the UK, with a long-established role in supporting the pharmacy profession through education, advocacy, publishing and professional development.
As an organisation with a significant heritage and a clear mission to support the safe and effective use of medicines, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society required facilities services capable of supporting its people, operations and members while maintaining strong standards of compliance, efficiency and service delivery.
The Challenge
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society was operating with a fragmented facilities management model, with soft and hard FM services outsourced to separate providers alongside several smaller contracts managed directly by the internal Facilities Manager.
This structure created a number of operational challenges, including:
• Limited service resilience across key facilities functions
• Fragmented contract management and supplier accountability
• Increased pressure on internal facilities management resources
• Ongoing compliance monitoring requirements
• Difficulty demonstrating value for money across multiple service lines
• Limited innovation and continuous improvement from incumbent suppliers
• Inconsistent visibility across service performance, risk and cost
The organisation required an experienced interim Facilities Manager who could quickly assess the existing FM operating model, identify service delivery gaps and implement a more structured, resilient and commercially effective approach.
Our Approach
Understanding the Requirement
Maxwell Stephens worked closely with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to understand the operational challenges within the existing facilities management structure.
The successful interim appointment needed to bring immediate credibility, strong contract management capability and the ability to review both hard and soft FM services through a commercial, compliance and service-quality lens.
Specialist Interim Search
Drawing upon our specialist Facilities Management network, we conducted a targeted search for an experienced interim FM professional with a proven background in:
• Facilities management optimisation
• Hard and soft services review
• Contract management and supplier performance
• Compliance and risk management
• Service level agreement development
• Cost control and budget management
• Stakeholder engagement
• Continuous improvement and service transformation
The requirement demanded someone capable of making an immediate impact while operating effectively within a professional membership organisation with multiple internal stakeholders and service expectations.
Candidate Assessment
Candidates were assessed against their ability to:
• Review existing FM contracts and service level agreements
• Identify compliance risks and operational inefficiencies
• Improve supplier performance and accountability
• Consolidate service delivery where appropriate
• Introduce measurable performance standards
• Engage effectively with internal teams and external service partners
• Deliver practical improvements within an interim timescale
The focus was on appointing a commercially minded facilities leader who could bring structure, clarity and operational control to the existing FM provision.
The Outcome
Maxwell Stephens successfully appointed an experienced interim Facilities Manager with a strong track record in facilities management review, contract improvement and operational service delivery.
The appointed interim quickly undertook a comprehensive review of existing contracts, service level agreements and supplier performance, identifying areas where the organisation could improve service resilience, compliance oversight and value for money.
Key actions included:
• Reviewing hard and soft FM service contracts
• Assessing supplier performance and service level agreements
• Identifying compliance risks and service delivery gaps
• Improving coordination between service providers
• Introducing stronger performance monitoring and reporting
• Supporting cost control through contract review and renegotiation
• Developing a more integrated approach to facilities service delivery
• Establishing clearer KPIs and continuous improvement measures
Results Delivered
The interim appointment provided the Royal Pharmaceutical Society with immediate facilities management expertise and a clear route to improving its FM operating model.
Key outcomes included:
• Improved oversight of hard and soft FM service delivery
• Stronger supplier accountability and contract performance management
• Enhanced compliance monitoring and risk reduction
• Greater visibility of service quality, cost and operational performance
• Improved value for money through contract review and service consolidation
• Increased service resilience across key facilities functions
• A more structured and integrated approach to FM delivery
The appointment enabled the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to move from a fragmented facilities model towards a more resilient, measurable and commercially effective FM framework.
Specialist Facilities Management Recruitment
Maxwell Stephens supports organisations across professional bodies, healthcare, education, corporate and not-for-profit sectors with specialist Facilities Management recruitment solutions.
Our expertise includes:
• Interim Facilities Management
• Hard & Soft FM Services
• Contract Management
• Supplier Performance Improvement
• Compliance & Risk Management
• Workplace Services
• Estates & Property Operations
• Facilities Transformation
By combining deep Facilities Management market knowledge with a practical understanding of service delivery, compliance and operational performance, we help organisations secure the facilities professionals needed to improve service quality, reduce risk and create more effective working environments.