Sentiem Facilities & Workplace Coordinator

Client Overview

Sentiem is a forward-thinking organisation that places significant emphasis on creating a productive, efficient and engaging workplace for its employees. As the business continued to evolve, maintaining a consistent workplace experience became increasingly important to operational performance, employee wellbeing and organisational growth.

To strengthen its Workplace & Operations function, Sentiem engaged Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Facilities & Workplace Coordinator capable of overseeing day-to-day workplace operations, managing service providers and ensuring the workplace remained safe, compliant and highly functional.

The Challenge

Sentiem needed a Facilities & Workplace Coordinator who could take ownership of workplace operations while supporting a positive employee experience across the organisation. The successful candidate had to combine strong facilities coordination skills with a proactive, customer-focused approach, so that workplace services ran efficiently and effectively. Key areas of responsibility included:

• Workplace operations and facilities coordination
• Contractor and vendor management
• Service Level Agreement (SLA) monitoring
• Health, safety and compliance support
• Maintenance coordination and issue resolution
• Access control and security administration
• Utilities and workplace services management
• Space planning and workplace reconfigurations
• Office moves and workplace change support
• Emergency response and incident management
• Stakeholder engagement and employee support

The role required someone able to manage multiple priorities while maintaining high standards of service delivery in a fast-paced working environment. Beyond technical and operational capability, Sentiem wanted someone who would fit its culture and contribute positively to the overall workplace experience.

Coordinator-level workplace roles are often underestimated. The title suggests an administrative post, but the list above is the operational backbone of an office: if vendors, SLAs, access control and moves are not handled well, everyone in the building notices. The pool of coordinators who are both operationally rigorous and genuinely service-minded is smaller than the job title implies.

Our Approach

Understanding the Requirement

Maxwell Stephens worked closely with Sentiem to gain a detailed understanding of the organisation’s workplace strategy, operational requirements and cultural values. The successful candidate would need to demonstrate strong organisational skills, excellent stakeholder management and the flexibility to respond to both planned and unexpected operational challenges.

Specialist Search

Drawing on our extensive facilities management and workplace operations network, we conducted a targeted search for candidates with experience across facilities coordination, workplace operations, contractor and supplier management, health & safety compliance, office and workplace services, workplace experience, space planning and workplace moves, and corporate facilities management. Particular emphasis was placed on people who combined operational rigour with a service-focused mindset and strong interpersonal skills.

Candidate Assessment

Candidates were assessed against a range of technical, operational and behavioural competencies:

• Facilities and workplace coordination expertise
• Vendor and contractor management capability
• Health, safety and compliance awareness
• Stakeholder engagement and communication skills
• Organisational and problem-solving ability
• Workplace service delivery experience
• Emergency response and incident management capability
• Cultural alignment and adaptability

The assessment focused on identifying individuals capable of supporting both operational efficiency and a positive workplace culture.

The Outcome

Maxwell Stephens appointed an experienced Facilities & Workplace Coordinator who brought a strong combination of operational expertise, workplace knowledge and a proactive approach to service delivery. The successful candidate integrated quickly into the organisation and took on responsibility for supporting workplace operations across a broad range of facilities functions. Key strengths included:

• Strong facilities and workplace coordination experience
• Effective contractor and supplier management capability
• Health, safety and compliance awareness
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Experience supporting workplace moves and reconfigurations
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach
• Strong alignment with Sentiem’s culture and values

Following their appointment, the Facilities & Workplace Coordinator became a key member of the Workplace & Operations team, helping to maintain a safe, efficient and engaging working environment.

Results Delivered

The appointment brought benefits across Sentiem’s workplace operations, including:

• Improved day-to-day management of workplace services
• Closer oversight of contractor and vendor performance
• Strengthened compliance with health, safety and workplace standards
• Better coordination of maintenance and operational activities
• Stronger support for office moves and workplace reconfigurations
• Greater readiness for workplace incidents and emergencies
• An improved workplace experience for employees and visitors
• Continued alignment of workplace services with organisational culture

Sentiem now has a Facilities & Workplace Coordinator capable of supporting operational performance while helping to create a workplace in which employees can perform at their best.

Why This Placement Worked

Workplace coordinator searches go wrong when they are run as administrative hires. This one was run against the full operational remit — vendors, SLAs, compliance, moves, incidents — and against Sentiem’s culture, with candidates assessed on behaviour as well as competence. That is what produced a coordinator who could hold the operation together and improve how the workplace felt to the people using it.

Maxwell Stephens supports organisations across corporate, technology, professional services and commercial sectors with specialist recruitment across facilities coordination, workplace operations, facilities management, workplace experience, health & safety compliance, contractor management, office moves and workplace change, and property and workplace services. If you are recruiting a similar role, get in touch with our team.