Facilities Manager for Tascor

Background

Tascor, a specialist service provider operating in Sussex under a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract, appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Facilities Manager to oversee essential maintenance, compliance and contractor-management activities.

The role was critical to ensuring statutory and planned maintenance programmes were delivered effectively while maintaining the high standards of safety, compliance and customer service required within a complex PFI environment.

The successful candidate needed to combine technical Facilities Management expertise, contractor oversight, health and safety knowledge and strong stakeholder management with a detailed understanding of the procedures and controls required within a contractual environment.

The Challenge

Tascor required a Facilities Manager capable of taking responsibility for a broad and compliance-focused operational remit. The successful candidate needed to ensure maintenance activity was delivered efficiently and cost-effectively while meeting statutory requirements, warranty conditions and the organisation's internal procedures.

PFI settings raise the bar in a specific way. Every maintenance task sits inside a contract with defined service levels and audit expectations, so the evidence trail matters as much as the work itself. A facilities manager who is technically sound but casual about documentation will not last in that environment. Key requirements included:

• Planned and statutory maintenance. Managing comprehensive planned preventive and statutory maintenance programmes to ensure buildings, equipment and services remained safe, reliable and compliant.
• Contractor management. Identifying and appointing appropriately qualified contractors, checking insurance and safety documentation and ensuring works were completed to the required standards.
• Compliance and record keeping. Maintaining accurate records of inspections, testing and maintenance activity to provide a clear audit trail and demonstrate compliance.
• Health and safety management. Conducting risk assessments, implementing safe systems of work and ensuring Facilities activities complied with relevant health and safety requirements.
• COSHH management. Maintaining appropriate controls relating to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) and ensuring relevant procedures were followed.
• Permit-to-work and access control. Maintaining robust permit-to-work and access-authorisation procedures to ensure contractors and other personnel operated safely within controlled areas.
• Financial and administrative control. Managing purchase orders and supporting accurate administration in accordance with approved procedures.
• Incident management. Ensuring operational incidents were appropriately recorded, reported and followed up in line with company processes.
• Stakeholder and customer management. Acting as a key point of contact for Sussex Police, the Contract Manager and other stakeholders, maintaining clear communication and high standards of customer service.

Our Approach

Maxwell Stephens conducted a targeted search for Facilities Management professionals with proven experience across maintenance, statutory compliance, contractor management and health and safety.

Given the PFI environment, particular emphasis was placed on candidates capable of operating within clearly defined contractual and procedural frameworks. Our assessment focused on professionals with experience in:

• planned preventive and statutory maintenance
• contractor procurement and supervision
• permit-to-work systems
• risk assessment and safe systems of work
• COSHH requirements
• compliance documentation and record keeping
• purchase-order administration
• stakeholder communication
• working within PFI or similarly controlled operational environments

The successful candidate also needed to demonstrate a proactive approach, strong attention to detail and the ability to maintain excellent service standards while managing multiple operational priorities.

Following a detailed search and assessment process, Maxwell Stephens placed an experienced Facilities Manager with Tascor.

The Outcome

The appointment strengthened Tascor's Facilities Management operation across several important areas.

• Improved maintenance management. The Facilities Manager implemented effective maintenance programmes, helping ensure statutory and pre-planned activity was coordinated consistently and completed to the required standards.
• Stronger compliance. A rigorous approach to inspections, testing, risk assessments and documentation strengthened oversight of statutory and contractual requirements.
• Enhanced contractor management. Closer control of contractor selection, insurance, safety documentation and performance helped improve accountability and the quality of outsourced maintenance activity.
• Improved health and safety. The candidate maintained a strong focus on safe working practices, COSHH requirements and permit-to-work procedures, supporting a controlled and compliant working environment.
• Greater operational efficiency. Effective management of purchase orders, maintenance activity and reporting processes helped improve the coordination of day-to-day Facilities operations.
• Stronger stakeholder relationships. Professional communication with Sussex Police, the Contract Manager and other stakeholders helped maintain confidence in Facilities service delivery and ensured issues were addressed efficiently.

The placement provided Tascor with a Facilities Manager capable of balancing maintenance delivery, statutory compliance, contractor performance, health and safety and stakeholder expectations within a demanding PFI environment.

Why This Placement Worked

The search was framed around the contractual environment rather than the job title. Plenty of facilities managers can run a maintenance programme; far fewer are comfortable when every inspection, permit and purchase order may be examined by a client or auditor. Selecting for that habit of procedural discipline, alongside the technical basics, is what made the appointment hold.

The appointment demonstrates Maxwell Stephens' ability to recruit Facilities Management professionals for highly regulated and contract-driven operations, where attention to detail, procedural compliance and reliable service delivery are essential.

If you are looking for an experienced Facilities Manager to lead a PFI, compliance-driven or complex maintenance operation, Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief and reach candidates who are used to working under that level of scrutiny. Get in touch with our team.