Background
As part of its long-term estates strategy, University College London (UCL) is delivering one of the largest and most ambitious capital investment programmes in the UK higher education sector. This multi-billion-pound transformation includes a series of landmark developments designed to enhance teaching, research and innovation for decades to come.
Major projects within the programme include:
- UCL East at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
- Institute of Neurology / Dementia Research Institute (ION/DRI).
- Project Oriel, the joint development with Moorfields Eye Hospital.
- The Royal Free Hospital Hampstead Campus Masterplan.
- The Bloomsbury Heat & Power Network Upgrade.
To provide strategic leadership across this portfolio, UCL sought to appoint a Director of Major Projects — a pivotal executive role responsible for overseeing the successful delivery of multiple capital projects, each valued at more than £100 million. UCL asked Maxwell Stephens to lead the search.
The Challenge
This was a highly influential appointment requiring a leader capable of operating at board level while managing complex stakeholder relationships across the University, NHS partners, government bodies, consultants and contractors.
The successful candidate would be responsible for:
- Providing strategic leadership across UCL's portfolio of major capital developments.
- Representing UCL Estates on project boards and governance committees.
- Ensuring projects were delivered safely, on time, within budget and in line with approved business cases.
- Embedding best practice, governance and consistency across all major programmes.
- Driving a zero-harm culture across construction and project delivery activities.
- Acting as the senior escalation point for programme risks and complex project challenges.
- Leading procurement strategies for consultants, contractors and professional teams.
- Developing high-performing project teams capable of delivering facilities of the highest standard.
- Providing clear reporting and assurance to the University's executive leadership.
- Acting as an ambassador for UCL throughout the construction and development community.
Given the scale, visibility and complexity of the appointment, UCL required an individual with a strong track record of leading major capital programmes, first-rate stakeholder management skills and the ability to influence at the highest levels. Roles of this seniority are also unusual in that the people best qualified for them are almost never looking: they are typically mid-way through a programme elsewhere, and reachable only through a direct, well-argued approach.
Our Approach
Recruiting for a role of this calibre required a highly targeted executive search strategy rather than reliance on traditional advertising alone. Maxwell Stephens worked closely with UCL's senior leadership team to develop a comprehensive understanding of the University's long-term estates vision, its organisational culture and the technical, commercial and leadership capabilities required for success.
Recognising that the strongest candidates for appointments of this nature are rarely active job seekers, we adopted a proactive headhunting approach supported by selective market advertising. Our search strategy included:
- Comprehensive market mapping across higher education, healthcare, commercial property and major infrastructure sectors.
- Extensive use of our specialist network across facilities, estates and capital projects.
- Detailed searches of our database of more than 35,000 senior property, estates and facilities professionals.
- Direct approaches to passive executive candidates with proven experience delivering complex, high-value capital programmes.
- Rigorous competency-based interviews assessing technical capability, strategic leadership, governance experience and cultural alignment.
- Thorough benchmarking of candidates against UCL's long-term objectives and organisational values.
This structured executive search process enabled us to identify and engage senior professionals who would not have responded to conventional recruitment advertising.
The Outcome
Following a comprehensive national search, Maxwell Stephens presented a carefully curated shortlist of 11 senior executives, each possessing the experience, leadership capability and strategic vision required to lead one of the UK's most significant university capital programmes.
The appointment was successfully concluded, providing UCL with a leader capable of delivering projects that will shape the University's estate for generations to come.
Why This Placement Worked
Director-level capital programme appointments are won or lost on reach. A search that depends on who happens to be applying will miss most of the people who have actually delivered work at this scale. By mapping the market across sectors, drawing on an established network and approaching candidates directly, we gave UCL a genuine choice at the top of the profession rather than a choice among those who were available.
If you are recruiting a director of estates, capital projects or major programmes, Maxwell Stephens can help you scope the role, map the market and reach the candidates who are not looking. Get in touch with our team.