How We Engineered the Perfect Fit for Motability Operations

Background

Motability Operations is a leading organisation in the UK, specialising in providing affordable and worry-free vehicle leasing to disabled individuals. At its London office, City Gate House, the organisation needed a skilled professional to oversee and manage the technical side of its facilities, and engaged Maxwell Stephens to find one.

The role was Technical Coordinator. It sits beneath the Facilities Manager, but it carries real weight: the safety, efficiency and legal compliance of the site depend on it being done properly, and any gap shows up quickly in how the building runs.

The Brief

The Technical Coordinator would provide comprehensive support to the Facilities Manager across a range of technical and maintenance responsibilities. In practice that meant:

• Maintenance contract management. Managing the contracts that keep the building's plant and systems serviced, and holding contractors to them.
• Legal compliance and safety checks. Ensuring statutory requirements were met across the site and that safety checks were carried out and properly recorded.
• Health and safety audits. Overseeing audits and the documentation that sits behind them.
• Budgetary responsibility. Ensuring all planned and reactive works were completed to a high standard, within budget and in line with legal requirements.
• First point of contact. Acting as the main contact for any maintenance-related issue, both during and outside working hours.

The Challenge

The difficulty was the combination. Technical expertise alone was not enough: the client needed someone who could also manage contractors, oversee health and safety audits and take ownership of budgets. Those are distinct disciplines, and candidates who are strong in one are not always comfortable in the others.

The out-of-hours element narrowed the field further. A coordinator who is the named contact for problems at any hour has to be reliable, decisive and calm under pressure, and has to want that level of ownership. Not every capable technical candidate does.

The role also demanded a meticulous professional. Compliance records and safety documentation are only as good as the person maintaining them, and at coordinator level the habit of thoroughness matters as much as technical knowledge.

Our Approach

Maxwell Stephens began by building a thorough understanding of the position: the technical proficiency required, the project management skills the role would draw on, and the depth of health and safety knowledge the client expected. Defining that clearly at the outset meant candidates could be assessed against something concrete rather than a generic job title.

• Network-led search. We drew on our established network within the facilities management industry to identify candidates with the necessary technical skills, rather than relying on advertising response alone.
• Fit as well as capability. Candidates were assessed not only on technical competence but on how well they fitted the culture and strategic goals of Motability Operations. A coordinator at the centre of a building's maintenance activity has to work well with the Facilities Manager, contractors and building users alike.
• A rigorous selection process. We tested candidates against every element of the brief before presenting a shortlist, so the client's time was spent only on people who could genuinely do the job.

The Outcome

Maxwell Stephens placed a highly experienced Technical Coordinator who met every criterion Motability Operations had set. The candidate brought substantial facilities management experience, particularly in maintenance contract management, health and safety compliance and budget oversight.

On joining, the new Technical Coordinator took charge quickly. They ensured maintenance contracts were managed efficiently and that the lifts and other critical systems ran smoothly. They introduced best practice for safety checks, improved the process for health and safety documentation, and made sure legal compliance was met in full.

Beyond the core remit, the Technical Coordinator played a key role in project work and in managing the facilities helpdesk, FM FACTS. Their proactive approach and attention to detail meant maintenance issues were addressed promptly, and contributed to the overall operational efficiency of City Gate House.

Why This Placement Worked

Technical coordinator roles are often recruited on technical knowledge alone. This one was defined and assessed on the full picture: contracts, compliance, budgets, contractor management and the temperament to be the first call when something goes wrong. Matching the whole role, rather than the job title, is what made the appointment work.

If you are recruiting a technical coordinator or a similar support role within a facilities team, Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief and reach candidates who cover all of it. Get in touch with our team.