OneSavings Bank Head of Estates & Facilities Recruitment

Background

OneSavings Bank (OSB) is a specialist UK lender and retail savings bank, providing a range of residential and commercial lending products through a portfolio of well-established brands. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, OSB has built a reputation for responsible growth, sound operations and strong customer service.

Following previous consultancy work with the bank, OneSavings Bank appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit a Head of Estates & Facilities: a strategic leadership role responsible for overseeing the Group's property portfolio, workplace services and corporate facilities function.

The Position

Reporting at senior leadership level, the Head of Estates & Facilities was responsible for leading the Group's Estates, Facilities and Corporate Services function, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality workplace and property management service across the organisation.

The role combined strategic leadership with operational oversight, managing a multi-disciplinary team responsible for property, facilities, workplace services and corporate support functions. Key responsibilities included:

• Developing and implementing the Group's Estates and Facilities strategy.
• Leading the Facilities and Corporate Services teams.
• Managing the organisation's property portfolio.
• Developing estates, workplace and facilities policies and procedures.
• Leading Health & Safety, physical security and statutory compliance.
• Managing property maintenance, workplace services and corporate facilities.
• Driving service quality through performance management and KPI reporting.
• Working closely with the Risk function to support business resilience.
• Managing supplier relationships and outsourced service contracts.
• Leading asset management and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Managing departmental budgets and delivering value for money across the estate.

Direct reports included senior managers responsible for Building Maintenance & Projects, Corporate Services and Office Services.

Given the strategic nature of the appointment, OSB required an experienced estates and facilities leader capable of combining commercial thinking with operational delivery. Equally important was cultural alignment: OSB sought a collaborative leader who could build strong cross-functional relationships, encourage joined-up thinking across the organisation and communicate effectively with stakeholders at every level. In financial services, the estates function typically sits close to risk and business resilience, which raises the bar on governance and compliance well above that of a standard corporate head office role.

Our Approach

After gaining a detailed understanding of the organisation, its culture and the requirements of the role, Maxwell Stephens undertook a targeted executive search. Following comprehensive market mapping, candidate screening and assessment, we presented a carefully selected shortlist, recommending the individual we believed was the strongest overall fit.

Following a two-stage interview process, that candidate was appointed.

The Outcome

The appointment gave OneSavings Bank a senior facilities leader capable of supporting both its operational requirements and its long-term property strategy. The successful candidate demonstrated:

• Significant senior Facilities Management experience.
• Proven Estates and Property Management expertise.
• Strong leadership of multi-disciplinary teams.
• Extensive Health & Safety and statutory compliance knowledge.
• Experience managing corporate property portfolios.
• Budget ownership and financial management capability.
• Supplier, contract and stakeholder management expertise.
• A track record of driving service improvements and operational efficiencies.

They combined strategic thinking with an engaging leadership style, enabling them to influence senior decision-makers while maintaining a highly visible operational presence. Once in post, they quickly established themselves within the business, strengthening estates governance, enhancing workplace services and leading improvements across the Group's property portfolio.

The success of this assignment led to an ongoing partnership, with OneSavings Bank continuing to engage Maxwell Stephens on a number of subsequent senior facilities, property and workplace recruitment projects.

Candidate Testimonial

"I would like to thank Maxwell Stephens for the support and assistance they gave me throughout the whole recruitment process. Having been through various recruitment processes before, I have to say that Maxwell Stephens provided the smoothest recruitment experience I have had. I am absolutely delighted to have been offered the role and accepted it without hesitation. It was a fantastic opportunity to join an excellent organisation and I was excited to bring my skills, enthusiasm and experience to the business."

Why This Placement Worked

Head of Estates appointments in financial services are rarely won on technical facilities knowledge alone. The candidates who succeed are those who can speak the language of risk, governance and cost to a senior audience while still being seen on the floor. This search was built around that combination from the outset, and the shortlist reflected it.

The assignment reinforced Maxwell Stephens' position as a specialist recruiter for senior Facilities, Property and Workplace leadership roles. If you are recruiting a similar position, get in touch with our team.