Client Overview
St John’s Winchester is a long-established charitable organisation responsible for managing a historic almshouse estate and wider property portfolio in the heart of Winchester.
With a mission rooted in community, care and resident wellbeing, the organisation required a senior estates professional capable of balancing operational facilities management with long-term asset stewardship.
To support the continued performance and future resilience of its estate, St John’s Winchester required a Head of Facilities & Estates to lead property operations, maintenance, compliance and strategic estates planning across a sensitive and historically significant environment.
The Challenge
St John’s Winchester required a senior facilities and estates leader capable of managing both the day-to-day operation of a live residential estate and the long-term strategic direction of its property assets.
This was not a conventional facilities management appointment. The successful candidate needed to combine technical property expertise with empathy, leadership and an understanding of the sensitivities involved in managing heritage buildings within a charitable setting.
Key areas of responsibility included:
• Strategic estates management
• Operational facilities management
• Planned and reactive maintenance
• Heritage and listed building stewardship
• Health, safety and statutory compliance
• Contractor and supplier management
• Asset management and lifecycle planning
• Resident-focused service delivery
• Sustainability and energy improvement initiatives
• Long-term capital planning
• Team leadership and stakeholder engagement
• Board-level reporting and strategic advice
The role required an individual capable of delivering immediate operational control while developing a long-term estate strategy spanning 10 to 30 years.
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills were essential, given the need to work closely with residents, trustees, senior leadership, contractors and external advisors.
Our Approach
Understanding the Requirement
Maxwell Stephens worked closely with St John’s Winchester to understand the organisation’s values, property challenges and long-term estate ambitions.
The successful candidate would need to demonstrate not only strong estates and facilities management experience but also the judgement and sensitivity required to operate within a charitable, residential and heritage environment.
Specialist Search Process
Drawing upon our extensive Facilities and Estates Management network, we conducted a targeted search focused on senior professionals with experience across:
• Estates Management
• Heritage and Listed Buildings
• Residential Property Environments
• Charitable and Not-for-Profit Organisations
• Facilities Management
• Health, Safety and Compliance
• Asset Management and Capital Planning
• Contractor and Supplier Management
• Strategic Property Leadership
Particular emphasis was placed on identifying candidates who could combine hands-on operational leadership with long-term strategic asset planning.
Candidate Assessment
Candidates were assessed against a comprehensive range of technical, leadership and cultural competencies, including:
• Facilities and estates management expertise
• Heritage property management
• Compliance and health and safety leadership
• Asset performance and lifecycle planning
• Contractor management and procurement
• Budgetary control and financial awareness
• Team leadership and people management
• Resident care, empathy and stakeholder engagement
• Board-level communication and strategic planning
Our process focused on ensuring that every shortlisted candidate had the capability to lead both operational delivery and long-term estate transformation.
The Outcome
Maxwell Stephens successfully appointed a high-calibre Head of Facilities & Estates with strong experience managing complex property portfolios and sensitive operational environments.
The successful candidate brought a strong blend of technical knowledge, compliance expertise, leadership capability and strategic estates planning experience.
Key strengths included:
• Extensive experience managing complex estates and property portfolios
• Strong health, safety and regulatory compliance expertise
• Proven asset management and maintenance planning capability
• Experience leading in-house teams and external contractors
• Strong understanding of sensitive and regulated environments
• Ability to operate confidently with senior leadership and trustees
• A resident-focused approach to service delivery
Following their appointment, the Head of Facilities & Estates assumed responsibility for the estate and maintenance function, helping strengthen operational control while supporting the organisation’s long-term property and financial objectives.
Results Delivered
The appointment delivered significant benefits for St John’s Winchester, including:
• Strengthened leadership of the estates and maintenance function
• Improved oversight of planned and reactive maintenance
• Enhanced health, safety and compliance management
• Greater focus on long-term asset performance
• Improved contractor and supplier coordination
• Support for sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives
• Stronger strategic estates planning
• Continued support for residents through safe, well-maintained environments
The successful placement provided St John’s Winchester with a senior estates leader capable of protecting its heritage assets, improving operational performance and supporting the organisation’s long-term charitable mission.
Specialist Facilities & Estates Management Recruitment
Maxwell Stephens supports charities, heritage organisations, residential communities and property owners with specialist recruitment solutions across facilities, estates and property leadership.
Our expertise includes:
• Head of Facilities & Estates Appointments
• Estates Management
• Facilities Management
• Heritage & Listed Buildings
• Residential Estate Operations
• Health, Safety & Compliance
• Asset Management & Capital Planning
• Strategic Property Leadership
By combining specialist Facilities Management recruitment expertise with a deep understanding of heritage, residential and charitable environments, we help organisations secure the leaders responsible for maintaining safe, compliant and future-ready estates.