Facilities Manager Recruitment for HENI

Background

HENI is an internationally recognised arts services company, partnering with many of the world's leading artists, studios and estates. Operating across publishing, printmaking, digital media, film, fine art logistics and archival research, HENI provides a range of specialist services that support the creation, preservation and presentation of contemporary art.

As the business continued to expand its London footprint, HENI identified the need for its first dedicated Facilities Manager to oversee approximately 10 sites across the capital and establish a professional facilities management function capable of supporting future growth. Recognising the specialist nature of the appointment, HENI appointed Maxwell Stephens to lead the recruitment campaign.

The Challenge

Unlike many facilities management appointments, this was a newly created position requiring someone who could build the facilities function from the ground up. The successful candidate would be responsible for developing policies, systems and operational standards while ensuring consistent service delivery across a diverse portfolio of offices, studios and specialist facilities.

Key responsibilities included:

• Establishing HENI's facilities management function.
• Managing facilities operations across approximately 10 London sites.
• Developing facilities policies, procedures and operational standards.
• Managing planned and reactive maintenance.
• Ensuring statutory compliance across the property portfolio.
• Leading health & safety and workplace risk management.
• Coordinating contractors and outsourced service providers.
• Supporting office moves and workplace change projects.
• Managing facilities budgets and expenditure.
• Reducing operational risk for employees and visitors.
• Driving continuous improvement across workplace services.

The appointment called for an experienced facilities leader equally comfortable developing strategy, implementing systems and running day-to-day operations. First-in-post roles of this kind are harder to fill than an equivalent role in an established function: there is no team, no CAFM system and no supplier framework to inherit, so the candidate has to be able to design the function as well as run it, and many capable managers have only ever operated inside one that already existed.

Our Approach

Working closely with HENI's senior leadership team, Maxwell Stephens developed a detailed understanding of the organisation's culture, operational requirements and future ambitions. Our search focused on experienced facilities professionals with a track record of establishing and developing facilities functions within growing organisations.

We prioritised candidates with expertise in:

• Multi-site facilities management.
• Building facilities functions from inception.
• Contractor and outsourced service management.
• CAFM implementation and workplace technology.
• Health & safety and statutory compliance.
• Facilities budget management.
• Planned and reactive maintenance.
• Workplace systems and operational processes.
• Change management and business growth.

Alongside technical capability, we looked for candidates with a proactive mindset, strong communication skills and the ability to work well within a creative, entrepreneurial environment.

The Outcome

Following a full search and assessment process, Maxwell Stephens placed a Facilities Manager who brought extensive multi-site facilities management experience together with the practical knowledge needed to establish a modern, scalable facilities function.

The role covered setting up a dedicated facilities function, standard processes across several sites, contractor and supplier management, and health and safety compliance.

Candidate Testimonial

"I've worked with Maxwell Stephens throughout my career and once again they delivered an outstanding experience. They took the time to understand exactly what I was looking for and kept me informed at every stage of the recruitment process. Communication was excellent throughout and I always felt supported. I would highly recommend Maxwell Stephens to anyone looking for their next Facilities Management opportunity."

Why This Placement Worked

Recruiting the first facilities leader into a growing business requires more than technical expertise. It calls for someone who can set direction, build the function from the ground up and still get the maintenance done on a Tuesday. Searching specifically for candidates who had already established a facilities function elsewhere, rather than simply run one, is what made the difference here.

If you are creating a facilities role for the first time, or need a manager to bring structure to a growing multi-site estate, Maxwell Stephens can help you scope the position and reach candidates who have built functions from scratch before. Get in touch with our team.