Background
Maxwell Stephens recruited a Facilities Officer for the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts (SFCT), based at The Peak, 5 Wilton Road, London. SFCT needed a facilities professional to support day-to-day operations and facilities management in a complex office environment, keeping maintenance standards, health and safety compliance and overall operational efficiency where they needed to be.
The Challenge
The Facilities Officer role was central to the smooth running of the SFCT office. The successful candidate would support the Operations and Facilities Manager across buildings and facilities maintenance, contractor management and health & safety compliance, and would coordinate the essential central services the office relies on: reception, security, maintenance and cleaning. Project management and contractor supervision sat within the remit as well.
SFCT was looking for:
- A recognised facilities qualification and substantial relevant experience
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- The ability to work independently
- A flexible, proactive and discreet manner, with the capability to manage emergencies and maintain high standards in a fast-moving environment
Officer-level facilities roles that report into an Operations and Facilities Manager are easy to under-specify. On paper the role is supportive; in practice the officer is often the person on the floor when a contractor arrives, a system fails or a visitor needs handling, and has to make sound decisions without waiting to be told. In an office that values discretion, the manner in which those decisions are made matters as much as the decisions themselves. The brief's emphasis on independence, flexibility and discretion reflected that reality, and it shaped how we assessed candidates.
Our Approach
Maxwell Stephens searched for candidates who held a recognised facilities qualification and had substantial experience in comparable office environments, then assessed them against the qualities SFCT had prioritised. We looked for evidence of coordinating central services and supervising contractors without close oversight, of handling emergencies calmly, and of communicating well with colleagues and suppliers alike. Cultural fit was treated as a requirement rather than a preference: the right person had to suit the organisation as well as the job description.
The Outcome
Maxwell Stephens placed a Facilities Officer at the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts who brought extensive experience in facilities management and a proactive, strategic approach to maintaining and improving office operations. The appointee combined the technical skills the role required with the right fit for the organisation, and their approach is set to support SFCT's operational goals and wider mission through consistently well-run facilities.
"Working with Maxwell Stephens has been an exceptional experience. Their expertise in facilities management recruitment ensured we found a Facilities Officer who not only met our technical requirements but also aligned perfectly with our organisational culture and values. The new Facilities Officer has already made significant contributions to our operational efficiency and compliance standards." — Operations and Facilities Manager, Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts
Why This Placement Worked
The search took the client's description of the person seriously, not just the description of the duties. Screening for a recognised qualification and relevant experience produced a credible field; assessing for independence, discretion and communication produced the right appointment from within it.
If you are recruiting a Facilities Officer or Coordinator to support an established facilities function, Maxwell Stephens can help you define what the role really demands and find candidates who fit both the work and the organisation. Get in touch with our team.
Planning a similar appointment? Explore our Facilities Management recruitment approach.