Background
University College London (UCL) Estates embarked on a £55 million Masterplan refurbishment for the Institute of Education (IoE). The programme aimed to improve the condition, functionality and use of space at 20 Bedford Way and the surrounding satellite buildings, upgrading infrastructure, welfare facilities and workspace allocation in line with UCL's Future of Work and its emerging Estates Strategy and Space Standards.
UCL asked Maxwell Stephens to find a Project Manager to help deliver it.
The IOE was founded in 1902 and merged with UCL in 2014. Its home at 20 Bedford Way, designed by Sir Denys Lasdun and occupied since 1977, is a Grade II* listed building, which adds heritage constraints to any refurbishment.
The Challenge
The task was to find a Project Manager capable of handling the complexities of an extensive refurbishment across an occupied academic estate. The role required a professional with a successful track record in space and staff planning, health and safety management and project coordination, who could keep delivery aligned with the Masterplan's objectives while encouraging a collaborative and adaptable approach among the IoE's staff and departments.
Refurbishment programmes in universities rarely have the luxury of an empty building. Teaching, research and administrative activity carry on around the works, and space that is being upgraded has to be given up, at least temporarily, by the departments occupying it. The project manager therefore needs as much skill in negotiation and stakeholder management as in programme control, and candidates from a purely construction-side background often find that part of the job the hardest. Maxwell Stephens focused the search on candidates whose experience covered all three strands of the brief, not just the programme management.
The Market for This Role
University estates across England face a large maintenance backlog. The National Audit Office found that £5.6 billion would be needed to return all university-owned research infrastructure in England to a fully operational condition.
The Outcome
We placed a well-qualified Project Manager who demonstrated expertise in:
- Strategic space planning. Managing space allocation and usage across multiple departments, ensuring equitable distribution and adherence to strategic academic requirements.
- Operational team leadership. Leading the internal contract compliance team and building strong stakeholder relationships in support of the Masterplan's goals.
- Health and safety compliance. Implementing and monitoring robust health and safety policies, aligned with the new model and compliant with statutory requirements.
- Project coordination. Using project management tools to track progress, manage issues and deliver project milestones on time.
The appointed Project Manager worked closely with the Masterplan Project Lead, the IoE Director of Operations and a range of UCL stakeholders, including the Technical Compliance Manager; Regional Directors, Managers and Property Managers; the Health and Safety Team; and Approved Contractors.
Why This Placement Worked
The brief was specific about what the role needed beyond generic project management: space planning, health and safety, and the ability to carry departments along with the programme. Recruiting against those requirements, rather than against a job title, produced an appointee who could operate credibly with estates, compliance and academic stakeholders at the same time.
If you are resourcing an estates masterplan or refurbishment programme and need project management that can work with the people affected as well as with the programme, Maxwell Stephens can help. Get in touch with our team.
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