Head of Facilities Appointment for International Media and Entertainment Group, Global

Global are one of the world’s leading media and entertainment groups with a portfolio of some of the most respected media brands. As home to some of the UK’s most popular radio stations including Heart, Capital and ClassicalFM, Global broadcasts to over 24 million people each week. In addition to this Global are one of the biggest festival companies in the UK selling more than 1 million tickets each year.

Global partnered exclusively with Maxwell Stephens to recruit a Head of Facilities role to be based in the organisation’s head office in London. Following initial consultations, Global made the decision to work exclusively with Maxwell Stephens to fill their Head of Facilities position. Maxwell Stephens worked extensively to gain a thorough understanding of the organisation, the corporate culture, the role requirements, and the attributes of the ideal candidate.

Within a week we had provided a shortlist of five exceptional candidates to submit to Global. Three of these candidates were invited to interview, resulting in one of the candidates filling the position.

“Maxwell Stephens provided a very professional service and they got to the heart of the brief very quickly, taking into account both the cultural fit and the functional demands of the role. The candidates put forward were of a very high standard and closely matched our requirements. I would recommend Maxwell Stephens to anyone looking to recruit in the Facilities Management sector.”

The Position

The Head of Facilities plays a pivotal role in creating and maintaining a working environment that is distinctive to Global’s brands and culture, embracing new technology where appropriate, and making sure the supporting providers and processes are robust and efficient.

The post holder would set the Facilities strategy along with plans and goals each year, in line with the wider business strategy so that the team and the rest of Global knew what needed to be done and when. They would be the go-to person for workplace and facilities questions including the central London HQ.

The successful candidate would need to motivate, develop and lead a brilliant team and build great relationships with external suppliers to ensure contracts were well managed and issues escalated and resolved as appropriate. Embracing innovation, the post holder would be expected to suggest the use of latest technologies where appropriate to streamline working, improve collaboration and contribute to a great media and entertainment environment.

“Maxwell Stephens took the time to fully comprehend my strengths and to source a role perfect for my career. Their timing was impeccable and their intuition in regards to the fit between my skills and the client was spot on. I am grateful for their support and will certainly use them to source applicants to fulfil any staffing requirements I have in the future.”

The Candidate

In terms of the key skills required for the role, the ideal candidate would have a broad understanding of building management, procurement, health and safety and technology. A deep expertise in Facilities Management was vital, combining multi-year planning with day-to-day operational delivery and ensuring legal and regulatory compliance.

The ideal candidate’s personal attributes were a major consideration for this senior position. They would need a bright, curious and enquiring mind with ideas of where new technology can make a difference. Personal gravitas, an ability to influence and excellent communication and stakeholder management skills were all desirable traits of the ideal candidate.

The post holder would need to be responsive and adaptable to changing business needs and have the ability to absorb complex technical, property and commercial information. Their approach and style would be coaching, not critiquing or micromanaging, with a passion for people.