Facilities Appointments for the Institute for Government

About the Institute for Government

The Institute for Government (IfG) is an independent charity and think tank dedicated to improving the effectiveness of government and public administration. Through its research, policy analysis and public events it regularly brings together politicians, civil servants, academics and other influential stakeholders.

Its London headquarters at 2 Carlton Gardens, overlooking The Mall, therefore has to work as an efficient workplace and as a professional, welcoming venue for a varied programme of high-profile events. A building that hosts senior public figures, government officials and the media raises the bar on every facilities duty: standards that would pass unnoticed in a back-office building are visible to every guest, and there is rarely a second chance to get an event right.

Our work with the Institute for Government

Maxwell Stephens has recruited for the IfG's building and facilities function more than once:

• Venue & Facilities Manager, 2 Carlton Gardens
• Building & Facilities Manager, recruited on an initial six-month contract with the intention of a permanent appointment

Venue & Facilities Manager

The IfG appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit a Venue & Facilities Manager for 2 Carlton Gardens. The brief combined facilities management, venue operations, event coordination, financial control, health and safety, and stakeholder management:

• Day-to-day management of the building, keeping it safe, efficient, presentable and fully operational.
• Supporting the planning and delivery of Institute events, working with the Communications Team on branding, room presentation, audio-visual equipment and catering.
• Overseeing cleaning, maintenance and security contractors.
• Monitoring facilities and venue expenditure and allocating resources.
• Health and safety procedures, inspections and risk assessments.
• Building working relationships with internal teams, suppliers and building-management representatives.

We ran a targeted search for facilities and venue professionals able to operate in a high-profile, events-led environment. Candidates from pure facilities backgrounds were tested on their event instincts, and candidates from events backgrounds on their command of building compliance; the role needed both, together with real attention to detail in service delivery.

Following a detailed search and selection process, Maxwell Stephens placed an experienced Venue & Facilities Manager. The appointment brought more structure to day-to-day building management, professionally presented events, closer monitoring of expenditure across cleaning, maintenance and security, regular inspections and risk assessments, better supplier coordination and stronger relationships across facilities and venue operations.

I have thoroughly impressed by Maxwell Stephens’ professionalism, commitment and unceasing support throughout our dealings together. They are a credit to the industry and I would recommend them without hesitation.

Mark Haythorne
Venue and Facilities Facilities Manager, Institute for Government

Building & Facilities Manager

Having previously placed a facilities professional with the Institute, Maxwell Stephens was approached again to recruit a Building & Facilities Manager on an initial six-month contract, with the intention of securing a permanent appointment.

The successful candidate would run the day-to-day operational management of the Institute's Grade II listed headquarters, owning planned preventative maintenance, statutory compliance, contractor management and budget control while preserving the integrity of a historic building. In a listed building the fabric constrains what can be changed and how, so compliance and maintenance have to be achieved without compromising it. The role also meant working closely with the Events and Communications teams so that conferences, media events and high-profile speaker engagements ran without a hitch.

We targeted professionals who had managed complex commercial buildings, ideally listed or heritage ones, with knowledge of planned and reactive maintenance, health and safety and statutory compliance, fire safety and security systems, contractor management, budget control, event support and energy management. The ability to engage confidently with senior stakeholders weighed as heavily as technical credentials. Drawing on our existing relationship with the Institute and our facilities network, we introduced a shortlist within a short timeframe, recruiting from the outset for someone who could hold the role permanently.

The successful candidate brought the technical capability, commercial awareness and stakeholder management experience to oversee one of London's most prestigious heritage office environments, and the appointment strengthened our long-standing relationship with the Institute.

"The team at Maxwell Stephens were very impressive. After the initial interview with several of the team, they arranged a number of interviews within a week that matched my skills perfectly. I am now settled into my ideal role, and they negotiated an excellent package on my behalf. I would certainly recommend Maxwell Stephens to any Facilities Management professional looking to further their career."

Fiona Ingram, Facilities Manager, Institute for Government

Why It Worked

Both briefs looked like facilities roles on paper and were really something more specific. The Venue & Facilities Manager search treated the venue and facilities halves of the brief as one role, rather than a facilities job with events attached, which produced a shortlist that fitted how 2 Carlton Gardens actually operates. The Building & Facilities Manager search avoided treating a contract-to-permanent brief as a quick interim fill, and recruited from the start for heritage experience and the ability to stay in the role.

If you are recruiting a facilities or venue manager for a listed building, or for an organisation where events and senior visitors put the building on show, Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief and reach the candidates who have done it before. Get in touch with our team.