Building Services Manager for the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)

Background

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is one of the world's leading professional engineering bodies, supporting innovation, knowledge sharing and professional development across the engineering and technology sectors. Operating from a portfolio of prestigious UK locations, including IET London: Savoy Place, the organisation required a Building Services Manager to provide strategic and operational leadership across its facilities estate.

The IET asked Maxwell Stephens to run the search.

The Challenge

The IET sought an experienced Building Services Manager to oversee mechanical and electrical services, facilities operations and compliance across multiple high-profile sites. The successful candidate would be responsible for keeping the organisation's buildings safe, efficient and fully operational while supporting conferences, events, members, visitors and employees.

Key responsibilities included:

• Managing hard and soft facilities services across multiple UK locations
• Leading the operation and maintenance of critical M&E infrastructure
• Developing and implementing a long-term building services strategy
• Managing operational and capital expenditure budgets
• Overseeing contractor performance and service delivery
• Leading tendering and procurement exercises
• Ensuring compliance with health & safety and statutory regulations
• Managing refurbishment and infrastructure improvement projects
• Supporting listed and heritage building requirements
• Driving operational efficiency and service standards across the estate

The role required a capable professional with strong technical expertise, commercial awareness and the ability to manage complex facilities operations across a diverse property portfolio. Building services roles at this level are harder to fill than generalist facilities posts: the M&E knowledge has to be genuine, not delegated, and it has to sit alongside budget ownership, procurement and the judgement to manage heritage buildings and a busy events calendar without letting any of them slip.

Our Approach

Understanding the requirement

Maxwell Stephens worked closely with the IET to gain a detailed understanding of the organisation's estate, operational priorities and long-term facilities objectives. Particular emphasis was placed on identifying candidates with:

• Senior-level building services and facilities management experience
• Strong electrical and mechanical engineering knowledge
• Multi-site operational leadership capability
• Contract and supplier management expertise
• Experience managing significant budgets
• A strong understanding of compliance and health & safety legislation
• Proven project and refurbishment management experience
• The ability to operate effectively within high-profile environments

Targeted search

Using our specialist facilities management and building services network, we ran a focused search for professionals with extensive experience managing complex estates and critical building infrastructure. We prioritised candidates who demonstrated:

• Strong technical competence
• Strategic planning capability
• Commercial and financial management skills
• Experience delivering operational improvements
• Excellent stakeholder and contractor management abilities

Candidate assessment

Each shortlisted candidate went through a rigorous evaluation designed to test technical knowledge, leadership experience, project delivery capability and cultural fit.

The Outcome

We appointed a highly experienced Building Services Manager with a strong background in engineering, facilities management, contract management and operational leadership. The successful candidate established themselves quickly within the organisation, taking responsibility for the performance, compliance and long-term development of building services across the IET estate.

Results delivered

• Strategic facilities leadership. The appointed manager developed a clear long-term strategy for building services and facilities operations, so that infrastructure investment was aligned with organisational objectives.
• Improved operational performance. Through effective management of M&E systems and contractor performance, operational reliability and service delivery standards improved across all locations.
• Budgetary control. Operational and capital expenditure budgets were managed effectively, delivering value for money while maintaining high service standards.
• Compliance and safety. Robust governance and compliance processes strengthened health & safety performance and ensured adherence to statutory obligations across the estate.
• Project delivery. The manager led refurbishment projects, infrastructure upgrades and procurement exercises, helping modernise facilities while minimising disruption to operations.
• Contractor and supplier management. Improved contract management and supplier oversight raised service quality and delivered operational efficiencies.

Taken together, the appointment has strengthened facilities and building services management across the IET's UK portfolio, providing both strategic direction and reliable day-to-day operations: more reliable critical building systems, better compliance and health & safety performance, stronger contractor and supplier management, effective control of operational and capital budgets, successful delivery of refurbishment and infrastructure projects, and greater consistency of facilities services across multiple locations.

Why This Placement Worked

Senior building services appointments go wrong when the technical bar is set by the job description rather than by the estate. Here the search started from the buildings themselves, including their heritage constraints and their role as event venues, and looked for people who had already run critical infrastructure in comparable settings. Assessing strategy, budget ownership and stakeholder handling alongside the engineering meant the shortlist could lead the estate, not just maintain it.

If you are recruiting a building services or facilities leader for a complex, multi-site or heritage estate, Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief and reach the candidates who can manage critical infrastructure and deliver long-term operational value. Get in touch with our team.