Background
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is one of the world's leading learned societies for astronomy, geophysics and related sciences. It is based at Burlington House in central London, a Grade II* listed building that serves both as a workplace and as a centre for scientific collaboration, education and public engagement.
The Society was preparing for a significant programme of estate improvements and for the future appointment of a permanent Facilities Manager. In the meantime it needed experienced interim facilities support to keep operations running and maintain standards across a historic estate. Maxwell Stephens was engaged to find that person: an interim Assistant Facilities Manager who could take on the day-to-day immediately and help put stronger facilities processes in place ahead of the permanent hire.
The Challenge
The Society faced a resourcing gap at a point of organisational and estate transition. A major refurbishment programme was under consideration, the organisation operated a hybrid working environment, and Burlington House itself is a complex heritage property. The brief was for someone who could provide immediate operational support while helping to establish stronger facilities management processes.
The scope of the role was wide. Key areas of responsibility included:
- Day-to-day facilities management support, building presentation and workplace standards
- Health, safety and compliance oversight
- Planned and reactive maintenance coordination, including implementing a Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) programme
- Contractor management and supervision
- Facilities administration and record management
- AV and workplace support services, reception and front-of-house support
- Stakeholder engagement and user support
- Early-stage assistance with the refurbishment project
That breadth, within a small team, called for an adaptable individual able to balance practical facilities delivery against longer-term operational improvement. Experience of heritage or otherwise complex buildings was particularly valuable. A Grade II* listed property brings constraints on maintenance, alterations and contractor working that a standard office does not, and candidates who have not worked within them tend to underestimate how much they shape everyday decisions.
Our Approach
Understanding the Requirement
Maxwell Stephens worked closely with the Royal Astronomical Society to understand both the immediate operational challenges and the organisation's future estate plans. The appointee would need to provide stability through a transitional period while laying the foundations for future facilities and property initiatives — two different jobs in one, and the search had to test for both.
Specialist Search Process
Drawing on our Facilities Management network, we ran a targeted search for candidates with experience across facilities management, heritage and listed buildings, health & safety compliance, maintenance coordination, contractor management, workplace services, front-of-house operations, building improvement projects, and small-team or standalone FM environments.
Particular emphasis was placed on a proactive approach, strong organisational capability and the flexibility to operate effectively within a developing facilities function. In a small or standalone FM role there is nobody to pass the difficult jobs to, so self-management matters as much as technical knowledge.
Candidate Assessment
Candidates were assessed against a range of technical and behavioural competencies:
- Facilities and building management expertise
- Health, safety and compliance knowledge
- Maintenance planning and coordination
- Contractor supervision and control
- Stakeholder engagement and communication
- Problem-solving and operational delivery
- Adaptability and self-management
- Experience within heritage environments
The aim throughout was to secure someone who could make an immediate positive impact while supporting the Society's longer-term estate objectives.
The Outcome
Maxwell Stephens appointed an experienced facilities professional who integrated quickly into the organisation and provided immediate operational support. The successful candidate brought hands-on facilities management experience, health and safety compliance expertise, contractor management and coordination capability, experience of supporting maintenance programmes and workplace operations, strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, and the ability to operate independently within a small team.
Following their appointment they established effective working relationships across the organisation and introduced greater structure and visibility to facilities operations. Key achievements included:
- A clear and manageable PPM programme, improving maintenance planning and asset management visibility.
- Improved compliance monitoring and audit readiness, with stronger health, safety and compliance oversight.
- Stronger contractor management and control processes.
- Better building presentation and functionality, raising workplace standards and the user experience.
- Reliable support across facilities, workplace and reception functions.
- Support for the early planning stages of the refurbishment programme, increasing readiness for future capital and refurbishment projects.
- Strengthened facilities processes and operational controls, giving the function greater operational resilience.
The placement gave the Royal Astronomical Society immediate operational continuity, the facilities expertise required to support both day-to-day operations and its longer-term estate strategy, and a stronger foundation for the permanent recruitment to follow.
Why This Placement Worked
Interim facilities appointments are often treated as cover: someone to keep the building running until the permanent hire arrives. This brief asked for more than that, and the search was scoped accordingly. By assessing for process-building and heritage experience alongside day-to-day delivery, the Society gained an interim who added structure to the function rather than simply holding it steady.
Maxwell Stephens supports heritage organisations, learned societies, membership bodies, charities and commercial organisations with specialist recruitment across facilities, workplace and property management — including interim facilities leadership, heritage and listed buildings, health & safety compliance, maintenance management, workplace services, property & estates operations, and capital projects and estate transformation. If you are planning a similar transition, where interim cover needs to build as well as maintain, get in touch with our team.