Background & Client Overview
TEDI-London, The Engineering & Design Institute London, was created through a collaboration between Arizona State University, King’s College London and the University of New South Wales with an ambition to develop a new approach to engineering education.
With a strong emphasis on practical learning, collaboration, social responsibility and global impact, TEDI-London required its campus environment to reflect the same high standards expected of its academic programmes.
Maxwell Stephens was appointed to recruit an experienced Facilities Manager who could take responsibility for the effective operation of the campus while supporting a safe, efficient and engaging environment for students, academics and staff.
The successful candidate needed to combine Facilities Management expertise, health and safety leadership, compliance knowledge and operational improvement with a strong cultural alignment to TEDI-London’s values of inclusivity, collaboration, inspiration, courage and integrity.
The Challenge
Managing Facilities within an innovative higher-education environment required a professional capable of balancing traditional FM responsibilities with the particular needs of students, staff and specialist learning spaces.
TEDI-London required someone who could take ownership of campus operations while establishing strong standards around safety, compliance, service quality and continuous improvement.
Key requirements included:
Campus Facilities Management
Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the campus and ensuring Facilities services consistently supported teaching, learning and wider organisational activity.
Health & Safety Leadership
Providing strong leadership around workplace and campus safety, helping establish clear procedures and maintaining appropriate standards across the organisation.
Regulatory Compliance
Ensuring Facilities operations remained aligned with relevant legislation, policies and recognised good practice.
ISO 45001 Awareness
Supporting an effective occupational health and safety management approach aligned with ISO 45001 principles and requirements.
Operational Efficiency
Reviewing Facilities processes and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, reliability and service quality.
Student & Staff Experience
Ensuring the physical environment contributed positively to the experience of everyone using the campus.
Facilities Best Practice
Introducing structured approaches to Facilities Management and ensuring services reflected recognised professional standards.
Stakeholder Engagement
Working collaboratively with academic teams, employees, students, suppliers and other stakeholders to understand and respond to operational requirements.
Cultural Alignment
Demonstrating a working style consistent with TEDI-London’s emphasis on inclusion, collaboration, innovation and integrity.
The Candidate Profile
Given the distinctive nature of TEDI-London’s environment, Maxwell Stephens focused on candidates with significant Facilities Management experience, particularly within education, engineering, technical or manufacturing environments.
Professional qualifications and continued development were also important.
Relevant credentials included:
- membership of professional bodies such as IWFM or IOSH
- recognised health and safety qualifications such as NEBOSH
- substantial Facilities Management experience
- health and safety leadership capability
- knowledge of compliance and recognised management standards
- experience within complex operational or educational environments
- strong communication and stakeholder-management skills
- a commitment to continuous improvement
The successful candidate also needed to demonstrate enthusiasm for the education sector and understand how high-quality Facilities Management could support TEDI-London’s wider academic mission.
Our Recruitment Approach
Maxwell Stephens worked closely with TEDI-London to understand both the technical demands of the Facilities Manager position and the organisation’s distinctive culture.
This allowed us to conduct a targeted search for professionals who could bring the necessary FM and compliance expertise while fitting naturally into an innovative and collaborative academic environment.
Our assessment focused on candidates with experience across:
- campus and Facilities operations
- health and safety management
- ISO 45001
- statutory and regulatory compliance
- operational improvement
- contractor and supplier management
- student and employee experience
- technical or specialist environments
- stakeholder engagement
- education-sector Facilities Management
Particular attention was given to cultural fit and leadership style. TEDI-London needed someone who would not simply maintain the campus, but actively contribute to creating an environment that supported its people and educational objectives.
Following a rigorous search and selection process, Maxwell Stephens successfully placed an experienced Facilities Manager with TEDI-London.
Outcome & Impact
The successful candidate brought extensive Facilities Management experience within educational environments and integrated effectively into TEDI-London’s distinctive campus culture.
Stronger Health & Safety Leadership
The Facilities Manager brought significant health and safety expertise, helping establish a structured and proactive approach to campus safety.
Their knowledge of ISO 45001 supported the development of robust health and safety practices and stronger operational control.
Enhanced Campus Operations
A systematic approach to Facilities Management strengthened the coordination of day-to-day services and helped ensure the campus continued to support students and staff effectively.
Improved Compliance
The candidate’s understanding of health and safety legislation, professional standards and Facilities best practice strengthened TEDI-London’s approach to regulatory and operational compliance.
Greater Operational Efficiency
By reviewing existing processes and identifying opportunities for improvement, the Facilities Manager supported more efficient and effective campus operations.
Improved Student & Staff Experience
The candidate maintained a strong focus on the needs of building users, helping ensure Facilities decisions contributed positively to the wider campus experience.
Strong Cultural Alignment
Importantly, the successful candidate’s collaborative and proactive working style aligned closely with TEDI-London’s values and enabled them to build productive relationships across the organisation.
Outcome
The successful appointment provided TEDI-London with a Facilities Manager capable of combining campus operations, health and safety leadership, compliance, continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement within an innovative higher-education environment.
The assignment demonstrates Maxwell Stephens’ ability to recruit specialist Facilities professionals for education and technical environments, where success depends not only on operational expertise but also on understanding how the physical workplace can support learning, collaboration and organisational culture.
Looking for an experienced Facilities Manager to lead a university, college or specialist education environment? Contact Maxwell Stephens to discuss your recruitment requirements.