Office & Systems Manager Recruitment for The Royal Foundation

Background

The Royal Foundation was founded in 2009 as the principal charitable foundation of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince Harry. It was created to bring together charitable initiatives capable of delivering meaningful, long-term social impact across a range of causes, including mental health, conservation, young people and support for the Armed Forces community.

Operating from its offices within Kensington Palace, the Foundation needed an experienced Office & Systems Manager to oversee its workplace operations, facilities management and business support functions.

Recognising our specialist expertise in recruiting workplace and facilities professionals, the Foundation appointed Maxwell Stephens exclusively to manage the search.

The Challenge

The Office & Systems Manager plays a pivotal role in keeping the Foundation's offices running efficiently, securely and professionally while supporting the wider charitable objectives of the organisation.

It is a broad operational leadership position, combining workplace management, facilities management, health & safety, procurement and office systems in a single remit. Key responsibilities included:

• Managing the day-to-day operation of the Foundation's offices.
• Leading all facilities management services.
• Managing contractors and outsourced service providers.
• Overseeing utilities, maintenance, cleaning, catering and waste management.
• Managing reception, office services and archiving.
• Negotiating supplier contracts and lease agreements.
• Managing IT, telecommunications and office systems suppliers.
• Leading health & safety compliance and workplace risk management.
• Developing business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
• Managing office relocations, refurbishments and workplace improvement projects.
• Supporting the wider leadership team with operational planning and administration.

Briefs of this shape are harder to fill than the job title suggests. Candidates tend to come from one of two directions — office management with facilities duties attached, or facilities management with an administrative overlay — and comparatively few have carried the contractor-facing and business-support sides at the same time, at the same level. Given the profile of the organisation, the appointment also had to combine sound operational judgement with complete professionalism, discretion and strong stakeholder management skills.

Our Approach

As the Foundation's exclusive recruitment partner, Maxwell Stephens invested time in understanding not only the technical requirements of the role but also the culture and values of the organisation.

We held several detailed briefing meetings with senior stakeholders to build a clear picture of the Foundation's operational structure, workplace environment and leadership expectations before the search began. Where an appointment sits close to a confidential environment, that groundwork counts for as much as the person specification: it shapes who can realistically be approached and how the opportunity is described to them.

Our search focused on professionals with proven experience across:

• Workplace and facilities management.
• Office operations leadership.
• Procurement and supplier management.
• Contract negotiation.
• Health & safety compliance.
• Project management.
• Office relocations and refurbishment projects.
• Business continuity planning.
• Budget management.
• Stakeholder engagement.

Alongside technical expertise, the Foundation needed someone with strong emotional intelligence, diplomacy and discretion. Candidates were assessed for professionalism, integrity and the ability to operate confidently in a high-profile organisation where confidentiality and trust are paramount — qualities a CV evidences poorly, and which have to be tested in interview and in reference conversations.

The Outcome

Following a full executive search, Maxwell Stephens presented a shortlist of six candidates, all of whom progressed to formal first-stage interviews.

Several were then invited to complete further interviews and presentation exercises before the Foundation selected the successful appointment.

The appointed candidate brought extensive experience across workplace operations, facilities management and office services, together with strong organisational and communication skills.

The role covered the day-to-day running of the Foundation's offices, facilities and workplace services, supplier relationships, health and safety compliance, office projects, and operational and administrative systems.

Candidate Testimonial

Maxwell Stephens has successfully placed me in my current high profile opportunity. The team at Maxwell Stephens have prepared and coached me during the interview stage and regularly communicated throughout and after the process to ensure I had settled in the role. I have found job searching these days tends to be very remote and difficult to have that personal connection with someone who knows your skills and experience which is why I like working with Maxwell Stephens as my preferred agency.

Oona Hempenstall
Office and System Manager, The Royal Foundation

Why This Placement Worked

Appointments within internationally recognised organisations ask for more than technical capability. They demand judgement, integrity, professionalism and cultural fit, and a shortlist built on functional experience alone tends to fall down at exactly those points.

Working from our specialist workplace and facilities management network, Maxwell Stephens delivered a candidate with the operational skills the role required and the maturity, discretion and leadership qualities the setting demanded.

If you are recruiting an operational lead where discretion and stakeholder confidence matter as much as technical facilities capability, Maxwell Stephens can help you frame the brief and reach the people who genuinely fit it. Get in touch with our team.