Background
SailGP is an international sailing competition featuring high-performance F50 foiling catamarans, with teams competing across a global calendar of events.
Initially headquartered in New Zealand, SailGP made the decision to establish its headquarters in London as part of a significant organisational transition. That created the need for specialist facilities and project-management expertise to support the development and mobilisation of its new UK operation.
Maxwell Stephens was appointed to recruit an experienced Interim Facilities Project Manager on an initial six-month contract. The successful candidate would take the new property from project stage through to live operation, making sure the workplace, infrastructure and facilities services were ready to support the organisation. That required someone able to combine facilities management, project delivery, fit-out coordination, operational mobilisation and complex stakeholder management within a fast-moving international environment.
The Challenge
This was not a conventional facilities management appointment. SailGP required an experienced project professional who could take responsibility for the implementation of a new property and coordinate the numerous workstreams involved in bringing a large-scale facility into operational use. The successful candidate needed to understand both the technical demands of a workplace project and the operational requirements that would follow once the building was occupied. The key responsibilities were:
- Facilities project management. Managing the implementation of the new London property and maintaining control across the different stages of the programme.
- Operational mobilisation. Ensuring the new facility could move successfully from project delivery into day-to-day operation.
- Fit-out coordination. Overseeing elements of the workplace fit-out, including design coordination, logistics and practical implementation.
- Facilities service development. Establishing the facilities management services required to support the new workplace once operational.
- Programme management. Coordinating multiple activities and dependencies while keeping key deadlines and project objectives in view.
- Stakeholder engagement. Managing relationships between internal stakeholders and external parties so that requirements stayed aligned throughout the programme.
- Progress reporting. Providing clear updates on project progress, risks, priorities and emerging issues to relevant stakeholders.
- Problem-solving. Identifying and resolving issues as they arose to prevent unnecessary delays or disruption to the wider programme.
- Transition to live operations. Ensuring the building, services and operational processes were sufficiently developed for a smooth move into occupation.
Interim briefs of this kind carry an added pressure: the candidate has to be credible on day one, because a fixed-term assignment leaves no room for a settling-in period.
Our Recruitment Approach
The specialist and time-sensitive nature of the appointment required a tailored headhunting campaign. SailGP needed someone with direct experience of complex property and facilities projects who could become effective quickly within an interim assignment. Maxwell Stephens therefore focused on candidates with experience spanning:
- facilities project management
- large-scale workplace transitions
- property mobilisation
- office and facility fit-outs
- design and logistics coordination
- facilities service implementation
- stakeholder management
- contractor and supplier coordination
- complex project programmes
- operational handover and occupation
Our search combined a detailed review of our existing specialist candidate network with targeted advertising and proactive market outreach. In practice the campaign ran as follows:
- Market research and direct approach. Following detailed market research, Maxwell Stephens directly approached 57 suitable candidates whose experience showed potential alignment with the assignment.
- Comprehensive screening. Candidates were assessed against SailGP's technical, project and stakeholder requirements, with particular emphasis on their ability to manage the transition of a complex facility into operational use.
- A focused shortlist. Following screening and interview, Maxwell Stephens presented a shortlist of three candidates. All three were selected for interview by SailGP.
- Appointment. The process concluded with SailGP appointing its preferred candidate as Interim Facilities Project Manager.
The Outcome
The targeted search gave SailGP the specialist project expertise required to support the establishment of its London headquarters. From 57 candidates approached, Maxwell Stephens identified three highly suitable professionals, all three were interviewed, and the process resulted in a successful appointment.
- A focused search without loss of depth. Approaching 57 relevant professionals and narrowing the market to three carefully selected candidates delivered a concise shortlist that still reflected the whole market.
- 100% shortlist-to-interview conversion. All three shortlisted candidates were interviewed by SailGP, showing strong alignment between the individuals presented and the client's requirements.
- Specialist project expertise. The successful candidate brought the combination of facilities and project-management experience required to oversee the transition from fit-out and implementation into live workplace operations.
- Support for a critical business transition. The appointment gave SailGP dedicated facilities project leadership during an important period of organisational change and relocation.
- From fit-out to operational readiness. The role provided continuity across the full workplace journey, from design and fit-out logistics through to the development and mobilisation of facilities management services.
The placement provided SailGP with an Interim Facilities Project Manager capable of managing the complex transition of a new London property into a fully operational workplace.
Why This Placement Worked
The assignment demonstrates Maxwell Stephens' ability to recruit specialist interim facilities and workplace project professionals for complex relocation, fit-out and mobilisation programmes where speed, technical expertise and stakeholder management are critical. A direct-approach campaign, rather than a reliance on applicants, is what makes it possible to reach people who are already delivering comparable projects and are not actively looking.
If you are planning an office relocation, fit-out or facilities mobilisation project, Maxwell Stephens can help with both interim and permanent facilities recruitment. Get in touch with our team.