Client Overview
Mitchells & Butlers is one of the UK's largest and most successful hospitality operators, with a portfolio of more than 1,600 pubs, bars and restaurants across the country. Home to some of Britain's best-known brands, the business is committed to delivering outstanding customer experiences while maintaining safe, compliant and attractive venues throughout its extensive estate.
Supporting such a large property portfolio requires exceptional building maintenance expertise, making the recruitment of experienced Area Building Managers critical to protecting both the estate and the customer experience.
The Challenge
As part of its continued investment in property maintenance and operational excellence, Mitchells & Butlers partnered with Maxwell Stephens to recruit two Area Building Managers to join its Building Maintenance team.
Reporting to the Head of Building Maintenance, the successful candidates would each take responsibility for a substantial regional portfolio stretching from Norfolk to Southend, with the majority of sites located south of Cambridge.
The role demanded experienced professionals capable of managing multiple priorities across a geographically dispersed estate while maintaining consistently high standards of compliance, building condition and operational performance.
Key responsibilities included:
• Managing planned and reactive building maintenance across a large regional portfolio.
• Protecting the condition and long-term value of company assets.
• Managing operational and maintenance budgets of approximately £5 million.
• Ensuring compliance with all statutory building, health and safety regulations.
• Managing contractors, consultants and specialist suppliers.
• Maintaining accurate building data and asset information.
• Supporting refurbishment and capital improvement projects.
• Building strong relationships with Operations teams, contractors and senior stakeholders.
Mitchells & Butlers required candidates with a strong background in building surveying or construction, ideally gained within retail, hospitality or other customer-facing property portfolios. Equally important were excellent communication skills, commercial awareness and the ability to make sound decisions across a fast-moving operational environment.
Our Approach
Maxwell Stephens undertook a targeted recruitment campaign focused on identifying experienced Building Managers and Building Surveyors with extensive multi-site property experience.
Our search process included:
• Comprehensive Client Briefing – Developing a detailed understanding of the operational requirements, reporting structure and regional responsibilities associated with each role.
• Specialist Market Search – Leveraging our extensive Facilities Management and Property network to identify professionals with experience managing geographically dispersed commercial estates.
• Detailed Candidate Assessment – Evaluating candidates on technical knowledge, project management capability, contractor management, commercial awareness and their ability to work effectively within a large operational business.
• Quality Shortlisting – Presenting Mitchells & Butlers with highly experienced candidates whose technical expertise and leadership capabilities closely matched the requirements of the business.
The Outcome
Maxwell Stephens successfully recruited two exceptional Area Building Managers, both of whom brought significant experience in construction, building surveying and estate maintenance.
The successful candidates quickly established themselves within the Building Maintenance team, delivering immediate value through:
• Operational Excellence – Maintaining high standards across their regional property portfolios while supporting the day-to-day operation of hundreds of hospitality venues.
• Compliance Leadership – Ensuring buildings remained fully compliant with statutory regulations, health & safety requirements and company standards.
• Commercial Performance – Managing maintenance expenditure effectively while protecting the long-term condition of valuable property assets.
• Project Delivery – Supporting refurbishment programmes and capital works while minimising disruption to trading operations.
• Stakeholder Management – Developing strong relationships with operational managers, contractors, consultants and internal stakeholders across the business.
Their expertise, professionalism and commercial approach have strengthened Mitchells & Butlers' building maintenance capability, helping ensure its nationwide estate continues to deliver safe, efficient and welcoming environments for both employees and customers.
This project highlights Maxwell Stephens' expertise in recruiting experienced Building Management professionals for large, complex, multi-site property portfolios across the hospitality sector.