Facilities Manager for Sotheby’s Institute of Art

Background

Sotheby’s Institute of Art – London engaged Maxwell Stephens to recruit a Facilities Manager. The position is central to maintaining a safe, efficient and welcoming environment across the renowned institute's two distinct sites, for staff, students and visitors alike.

Facilities roles in education settings carry a service expectation that is easy to underestimate. The buildings have to work, but the people using them — many of them students and visitors with no interest in how — also have to feel looked after. That dual requirement shaped the brief.

The Challenge

The role demanded a meticulous individual capable of overseeing diverse responsibilities, from managing reception operations through to ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations. Three aspects of the brief narrowed the field:

• Breadth across two sites. Responsibility for building operations and compliance on two distinct sites, with the front-of-house standards of a reception operation on top.
• Deputising for the Head of Facilities & Operations. The candidate needed the adaptability and readiness to step up when required, which calls for more judgement and stakeholder confidence than a typical facilities manager role.
• Flexibility around events. Willingness to work flexible hours to support special events and cover for colleagues was essential rather than desirable.

A comprehensive job description was drawn up, setting out the key responsibilities and essential criteria, so that the search attracted the most suitable candidates from the start.

Our Approach

Maxwell Stephens sought a candidate with the blend of professional experience and personal attributes the role required, and assessed both with equal weight:

• Experience in comparable roles. We looked for people with prior facilities management experience in similar environments, who already understood building operations, health and safety compliance and vendor management in practice.
• Service mindset. Because the role is visible to staff, students and visitors every day, we assessed how candidates dealt with people as well as buildings: a proactive, friendly manner and the habit of giving prompt, courteous help.
• Readiness to deputise. Candidates were tested on their ability to make decisions and coordinate across departments in the absence of the Head of Facilities & Operations.

The process was thorough throughout, from defining the criteria to interviewing against them.

The Outcome

We identified and placed a candidate well equipped to meet the demands of the Facilities Manager role. The selected individual demonstrated:

• Expertise in facilities management. Prior experience in similar roles and a thorough understanding of building operations, health and safety compliance and vendor management.
• A customer-centric approach. A proactive, friendly manner, ensuring that all staff, students and visitors received prompt and courteous assistance.
• Flexibility and initiative. Willingness to work flexible hours to support special events and cover for colleagues, with a proactive approach to problem-solving.
• Effective communication. Proficiency in written, verbal and interpersonal communication, coordinating between departments and stakeholders.
• Technical proficiency. Strong IT skills, including Outlook, Word and Excel, used to manage administrative tasks efficiently.

The appointment enabled Sotheby’s Institute of Art – London to uphold its commitment to a safe, healthy environment conducive to learning and collaboration. The new Facilities Manager integrated into the team quickly and took on the oversight of building operations and the management of events.

Why This Placement Worked

Facilities manager roles that combine front-of-house, compliance and a deputy function are frequently recruited on the compliance side alone, because that is the easiest part to evidence on a CV. The service and deputising elements are what actually determine whether the person succeeds in a busy education environment. Assessing all three from the outset produced an appointment that fitted the whole role.

If you are recruiting a similar position — a facilities manager for a multi-site education or cultural organisation, with reception, compliance and deputising responsibilities — Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief and reach the right candidates. Get in touch with our team.