Facilities Manager Appointments for The Salvation Army

Background

The Salvation Army's Property & Facilities Service looks after buildings across the UK. It asked Maxwell Stephens to find a Facilities Manager for its team in West Malling, reporting to the Head of Facilities Management.

The Challenge

At the centre of this role is statutory compliance for an assigned geographical area. The Facilities Manager instructs periodic inspection and testing, resolves no-access situations, obtains alternative quotes for remedial work, answers client queries and complaints, and tracks changes in best practice and legal requirements. Compliance reporting has to be accurate and kept up to date.

Alongside that, the post manages the day-to-day running of assigned contracts using KPIs, service levels, meetings, a risk register and escalation procedures. It holds supplier review meetings, monitors the approved supplier list and the pre-qualification process, and can contribute to tender work such as preparing specifications and scoring bids. Annual compliance budgets and expenditure monitoring are part of the job, with management information provided as needed.

The role has no line management but a lot of influence. The specification asked for a proven record in facilities and supplier management, strong supply chain experience, data analysis, and a record in statutory compliance for commercial properties, with domestic property and the not-for-profit sector helpful. Excel skills, report writing, travel within the UK and sympathy with the organisation's aims were all part of the picture.

Working as part of a small team meant reliability and teamwork were weighed alongside technical ability. The post holder provides cover for colleagues when needed, promotes the service to internal and external clients, and spends a minimum of two days a year working with the Mission function in a local setting. Honesty and integrity were described as paramount.

Our Approach

• We took the brief from the Property & Facilities Service, including the area covered and the compliance workload.
• We searched for compliance-focused facilities managers from multi-site property owners, housing providers and the not-for-profit sector.
• We screened for statutory compliance depth, supplier management and the ability to write clear reports and handle client relationships.
• We presented a shortlist with full CVs and notes, then managed the process to offer.

The Outcome

Maxwell Stephens made the appointment.

If you hold a distributed estate and need compliance managed properly, talk to Maxwell Stephens about how we would approach the search.