Background
Travis Perkins, a leading supplier to the UK building and construction industry, appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Facilities Manager within its Group Property function.
The position carried responsibility for an extensive geographical portfolio of approximately 400 sites, and needed an FM professional who could hold consistent service standards across a large and operationally diverse estate.
The successful candidate would act as a key point of contact for facilities management matters across the region, overseeing hard and soft services, supplier performance, statutory compliance, procurement initiatives and cost control.
The role was required on a temporary basis with the potential to become permanent, so the appointment had to provide immediate continuity while also standing up as a longer-term fit.
The Challenge
The scale of the Travis Perkins estate made this a demanding appointment. The successful candidate needed to work effectively across hundreds of locations while managing suppliers, maintaining compliance and building productive relationships with colleagues and senior stakeholders throughout the business.
Key responsibilities included:
- Large-scale portfolio management. Managing facilities services across approximately 400 sites and holding consistent operational standards across a geographically dispersed estate.
- Hard and soft facilities management. Overseeing services including mechanical and electrical maintenance, cleaning, waste management and catering.
- Supplier relationship management. Leading relationships with outsourced FM providers, including direct management of supplier account managers, with clear accountability for service delivery.
- Supplier and building audits. Conducting audits to assess supplier performance, building condition and compliance across the portfolio.
- Asset condition reporting. Producing and reviewing asset condition information to support maintenance planning and property decisions.
- Planned preventive maintenance. Using inspection and asset information to shape effective PPM regimes across the estate.
- Procurement and value for money. Supporting regional and national procurement programmes aimed at strengthening commercial performance.
- Statutory compliance. Keeping facilities operations aligned with the relevant UK legislation and managing the associated statutory responsibilities.
- Incident management. Acting as a key contact for FM-related incidents and coordinating the response to operational issues.
- Senior stakeholder engagement. Working confidently with colleagues and senior stakeholders across the organisation, communicating facilities priorities and influencing decisions where required.
Estates of this size change the job. At a few sites a facilities manager can inspect and intervene directly; across hundreds, the work is done through suppliers, data and audit, and the postholder is judged on whether standards hold in buildings they rarely visit.
Our Approach
Maxwell Stephens built a search strategy focused on facilities professionals with experience of large, geographically dispersed estates and complex outsourced service arrangements.
We mapped the market for professionals with the right combination of facilities management, procurement and supplier-management experience, paying particular attention to candidates who had already run significant multi-site operations. Using our specialist facilities management network, we then approached candidates directly with experience across both hard and soft FM services.
Candidates were assessed against key requirements including:
- large-scale multi-site facilities management
- hard and soft service delivery
- supplier and contractor management
- procurement and commercial awareness
- budget management
- SLA and performance monitoring
- statutory compliance
- planned preventive maintenance
- asset condition reporting
- senior stakeholder engagement
- incident management
- ability to operate effectively across a large geographical region
The temp-to-perm nature of the assignment mattered too. Candidates needed to be capable of contributing immediately while showing the suitability and the motivation for a longer-term appointment. Throughout the process we worked closely with Travis Perkins to understand both the technical requirements of the position and the working style needed to fit into the Group Property team.
The Outcome
Following a detailed search and assessment process, Maxwell Stephens placed a highly experienced Facilities Manager on a temp-to-perm basis. The appointed candidate brought more than 10 years of facilities management experience, strong knowledge of both hard and soft FM services and extensive supplier-management capability. The appointment delivered:
- Continuity through the transition. The candidate settled into the role quickly, helping maintain facilities services across the portfolio during the transition period.
- Stronger supplier management. A proactive approach to supplier relationships, supporting clearer accountability and consistent service performance across sites.
- Compliance oversight. Regular monitoring and a sound understanding of statutory requirements, keeping facilities activity aligned with legislation and contractual obligations.
- Better performance visibility. Supplier audits, building reviews and asset condition reporting, giving the client a clearer view of performance and better-informed facilities decisions.
- Stronger maintenance planning. An understanding of building condition and maintenance requirements, applied to PPM activity across the portfolio.
- Commercial efficiency. Procurement and budget management experience supporting the client's focus on cost savings, operational efficiencies and value for money.
- Effective stakeholder management. Communication and influencing skills applied across senior stakeholders, colleagues and service providers in a dispersed organisation.
Why This Placement Worked
The placement gave Travis Perkins a Facilities Manager able to oversee approximately 400 sites while balancing service delivery, supplier performance, compliance, procurement and commercial control. The temp-to-perm route provided continuity at an important point and let both parties test the longer-term fit before committing to it.
The search worked because scale was treated as a requirement in its own right rather than a detail in the brief. On an estate of this size, operational expertise on its own is not enough: it has to come with commercial awareness, supplier leadership and the confidence to hold senior stakeholders to a facilities position.
If you are recruiting a Facilities Manager for a large or geographically dispersed portfolio, on a temporary, temp-to-perm or permanent basis, Maxwell Stephens can help you scope the brief and reach the right people. Get in touch with our team.