Client Overview
East Surrey College is a leading Further Education institution committed to providing high-quality learning environments that support students, staff and visitors. Maintaining a safe, compliant and efficiently managed estate is fundamental to the college’s ability to deliver outstanding educational outcomes.
To strengthen its Facilities and Estates function, East Surrey College required a Deputy Facilities Manager to support the Head of Facilities in the operational management of the campus, ensuring statutory compliance, service excellence and the effective delivery of facilities management services across the estate.
The appointment was critical in supporting day-to-day operations while providing leadership across facilities, compliance and health & safety activities.
The Challenge
East Surrey College required a Deputy Facilities Manager capable of combining operational facilities management expertise with strong leadership and compliance knowledge.
The successful candidate would be responsible for supporting the management of the college estate while helping to maintain a safe, secure and high-performing learning environment.
Key areas of responsibility included:
• Facilities and estates management
• Health, safety and statutory compliance
• Team leadership and supervision
• Contractor and supplier management
• Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) oversight
• Reactive maintenance coordination
• Security management and CCTV oversight
• Fire safety and emergency preparedness
• Risk assessments and safeguarding support
• Budget and resource management
• Inventory and stock control
• Continuous improvement and digital transformation initiatives
The role required an individual capable of balancing strategic support with hands-on operational delivery while providing leadership to Premises Officers and facilities personnel.
Strong knowledge of compliance, safeguarding and health & safety legislation was essential, alongside the ability to deputise for the Head of Facilities when required.
Our Approach
Understanding the Requirement
Maxwell Stephens worked closely with East Surrey College to gain a detailed understanding of the role, operational challenges and the culture of the organisation.
The successful candidate would need to demonstrate strong facilities management capability, leadership skills and a commitment to supporting educational environments.
Specialist Search Process
Drawing upon our extensive Facilities Management and Education Sector network, we conducted a targeted search focused on candidates with experience across:
• Facilities Management
• Educational Estates
• Health & Safety Compliance
• Contractor Management
• Premises and Site Operations
• Security and Fire Safety
• Maintenance Management
• Team Leadership
• Operational Facilities Support
Particular emphasis was placed on identifying candidates with experience working within educational or similarly regulated environments where safety, compliance and service delivery are paramount.
Candidate Assessment
Candidates were assessed against a comprehensive range of technical, operational and leadership competencies, including:
• Facilities and estates management expertise
• Health, safety and safeguarding knowledge
• Contractor and supplier management capability
• Team supervision and people management experience
• Compliance and risk management awareness
• Emergency response and incident management
• Budget and resource management skills
• Problem-solving and operational decision-making ability
Our assessment process focused on identifying an individual capable of supporting both the operational requirements of the estate and the college’s long-term facilities objectives.
The Outcome
Maxwell Stephens successfully appointed an experienced Deputy Facilities Manager with a strong background in facilities operations, compliance management and team leadership.
The successful candidate brought the technical expertise and leadership capability required to support the effective management of the college estate.
Key strengths included:
• Extensive facilities management experience
• Strong health, safety and compliance knowledge
• Proven leadership and team management capability
• Experience managing contractors and maintenance programmes
• Strong understanding of security and fire safety systems
• Effective budget and resource management skills
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication abilities
• A proactive and service-focused approach
Following their appointment, the Deputy Facilities Manager quickly integrated into the Facilities team and assumed responsibility for supporting operational performance across the college estate.
Results Delivered
The appointment delivered significant benefits across East Surrey College’s facilities operations, including:
• Enhanced day-to-day facilities management and operational oversight
• Improved health, safety and statutory compliance performance
• Strengthened safeguarding and emergency preparedness measures
• Improved contractor and supplier management
• Enhanced team coordination and staff development
• Greater efficiency across maintenance and support services
• Improved resource utilisation and budget management
• Continued support for a safe, secure and effective learning environment
The successful placement provided East Surrey College with a Deputy Facilities Manager capable of supporting operational excellence while helping to drive continuous improvement across the estate.
Specialist Education Facilities Recruitment
Maxwell Stephens supports schools, colleges, universities and educational organisations with specialist recruitment solutions across facilities management, estates management and workplace services.
Our expertise includes:
• Deputy Facilities Managers
• Facilities Management
• Estates Management
• Education Sector Recruitment
• Health & Safety Compliance
• Contractor Management
• Premises Operations
• Strategic Facilities Leadership
By combining specialist Facilities Management recruitment expertise with a deep understanding of educational environments, we help institutions secure the professionals responsible for maintaining safe, compliant and high-performing estates that support learning and development.