Background
Leeds Castle, with its long history and extensive grounds, needed capable leadership to oversee a diverse range of services and maintenance requirements across the estate. The challenge was to find people who could uphold the castle's legacy while bringing fresh thinking and greater efficiency to its operations.
Maxwell Stephens worked with Leeds Castle across a series of appointments spanning facilities mobilisation, fire and safety, estate services and hard services. Each search called for a different blend of technical skill and heritage sensitivity, and each is described below.
The Challenge
Heritage estates place unusual demands on facilities leaders. The buildings and grounds are the asset, not just the workplace, so every maintenance decision carries a conservation dimension. Visitor-facing operations mean that failures are public. Regulatory authorities take a close interest in what can be altered and how. And the services being managed — from fire safety to grounds and infrastructure — span a wider range than most single-site roles.
Candidates for Leeds Castle therefore had to combine sound facilities or safety credentials with the judgement to apply them in a setting where the usual commercial shortcuts are rarely available.
Our Approach
For each role, Maxwell Stephens looked for candidates who embodied both the specific expertise the position required and the vision to meet Leeds Castle's particular demands. Rather than treating the appointments as generic facilities hires, we weighed each candidate against the pressures of the castle itself: the need to protect its buildings and lands, to keep staff and visitors safe, and to run services that visitors experience directly.
The Placements
FM Mobilisation Manager
Leeds Castle engaged Maxwell Stephens to source an FM Mobilisation Manager for a project requiring the mobilisation of facilities services. The role required extensive experience in facilities mobilisation, strong organisational skills and the ability to oversee the transition of services without disruption. The successful candidate was instrumental in setting up robust operational systems across the estate, ensuring readiness for future operations while aligning with Leeds Castle's long-term strategic goals.
Fire, Health & Safety Manager
We were also asked to identify a Fire, Health & Safety Manager. This role demanded a qualified professional with NEBOSH certification, a deep understanding of health and safety compliance, and the ability to promote a culture of safety across a diverse and complex estate. NEBOSH at this level signals someone who has studied the legislative framework rather than simply completed site inductions, which matters where staff, visitors and historic assets all need protecting. The appointed manager brought extensive experience in risk management and proactive safety practice, helping Leeds Castle safeguard its staff, visitors and assets.
Head of Estate Services
The appointed Head of Estate Services took responsibility for the management of support services across the estate. Tasked with stewarding the castle's buildings and lands, they led major restoration projects, liaised with regulatory authorities and managed a multidisciplinary team. Their oversight extended to budget management, environmental sustainability initiatives and building collaborative relationships both internally and within the local community, aligning corporate objectives with day-to-day operations so that Leeds Castle continued to deliver on heritage preservation and visitor experience.
Hard Services Manager
Reporting to the Head of Estate Services, the Hard Services Manager led frontline maintenance of the castle's infrastructure. With a focus on technical proficiency and teamwork, they organised maintenance schedules, supervised contractors and upheld rigorous health and safety standards. The role went beyond routine maintenance to include continuous improvement initiatives and proactive hazard identification. Through a customer-focused approach and a consistent commitment to quality, the Hard Services Manager played a central part in preserving the castle's fabric while adapting to changing visitor expectations.
Why These Placements Worked
Heritage organisations sometimes recruit facilities roles one at a time, with different criteria each time, and end up with a team that does not share a view of what the estate needs. Working with Leeds Castle across these appointments meant each search could be held to the same standard: technical credentials appropriate to the role, plus the judgement to apply them in a historic, visitor-facing setting.
Our work with Leeds Castle shows what focused recruitment can do for a heritage landmark. The right people in estate, safety and technical roles allow an organisation to preserve what it has while improving how it operates. If you are recruiting for a heritage estate or another visitor-facing site, Maxwell Stephens can help. Get in touch with our team.