Head of Facilities Appointments for The London Institute of Banking & Finance

About The London Institute of Banking & Finance

Established more than 140 years ago, The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF) is a specialist provider of financial education, professional qualifications and training, with close links to the financial services industry. Its programmes run from secondary education and undergraduate degrees to postgraduate qualifications, executive education and continuing professional development (CPD).

LIBF operates from two locations: its City of London campus and its administrative centre in Canterbury. The estate combines offices, teaching environments and commercial event and venue facilities, used by staff, students, members, visitors and corporate clients.

Our work with The London Institute of Banking & Finance

Maxwell Stephens has recruited LIBF's senior facilities leadership on two occasions:

• Head of Facilities Management, leading the Property and Facilities function (exclusive search)
• Head of Premises and Facilities Management, covering London and Canterbury

Head of Facilities Management

LIBF appointed Maxwell Stephens exclusively to recruit a Head of Facilities Management to lead its Property and Facilities function, with responsibility for the complete operational management of the estate. Key responsibilities included:

• leading all facilities management operations across the estate
• managing venue operations and commercial facilities, and optimising space utilisation
• facilities and venue budgets totalling approximately £865,000
• customer service for students, staff, visitors and corporate clients
• contractors, suppliers, procurement and tender exercises
• health & safety, statutory compliance, workplace improvement and capital projects

An estate that earns income from its event spaces adds a commercial dimension most education facilities roles lack: the same rooms serve a teaching timetable, a membership body and paying corporate clients, and the facilities lead is accountable for all three.

We searched for senior facilities professionals with backgrounds across education, commercial property and venue management, looking for multi-site FM, commercial venue and event experience, budget and procurement management, project delivery, knowledge of AV systems and workplace technology, and health & safety leadership. Every candidate was assessed against both the technical requirements and LIBF's collaborative culture. The Head of Facilities Management we placed brought extensive multi-site estate experience together with venue management and FM strategy expertise.

Candidate Testimonial

"Since first contacting Maxwell Stephens, I have found the team to be professional, supportive and genuinely encouraging throughout the recruitment process. They always took the time to answer my questions and clearly understand the Facilities Management market. Interestingly, I initially declined the opportunity, but after a few thoughtful conversations they encouraged me to reconsider. I'm incredibly pleased I did, as within a week of my interview I was offered the role. If you're looking for a Facilities Management position, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Maxwell Stephens."

Head of Premises and Facilities Management

LIBF also asked Maxwell Stephens to recruit a Head of Premises and Facilities Management to provide day-to-day leadership and long-term strategic direction across its London and Canterbury sites. The role covered multi-site premises management, venue operations, health, safety and statutory compliance, contractor and supplier management, procurement and contract negotiation, budgets, office relocations and refurbishments, sustainability, team leadership and strategic facilities planning.

The difficulty lay in the combination. Multi-site leadership means being accountable for standards in buildings you are not in most days. Venue operations carry a service expectation closer to hospitality than to a corporate workplace, and compliance failures are seen by a much wider audience. The appointee also had to work collaboratively in an organisation focused on adaptability and continuous improvement.

Our search targeted multi-site facilities, premises and venue managers from education and professional services environments. Project delivery is easy to claim and hard to verify from a CV, so we probed for relocations and refurbishments each candidate had personally run. We placed a Head of Premises and Facilities Management with more than 10 years' multi-site facilities experience, including leadership of permanent and temporary teams, office relocations and refurbishments, procurement and contractor negotiation, and budget control. They took responsibility for facilities operations across London and Canterbury, strengthening service delivery, compliance and strategic planning.

Why it worked

Head of Facilities appointments often go wrong in one of two ways: the organisation hires a strong operator who cannot plan beyond the next quarter, or a strategist who is uncomfortable with the daily reality of a multi-site estate. Both LIBF briefs needed both, plus the commercial sense to run event spaces that earn income, and the searches were built around that. As the testimonial shows, it can also depend on a recruiter keeping the conversation going with the right candidate after an initial no, which is only possible when the consultant understands the role well enough to explain why it fits.

If you are recruiting a senior facilities lead for a multi-site, learner-facing or commercially operated estate, Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief and reach candidates with the right blend of operational and commercial experience. Get in touch with our team.