Unigestion Facilities Manager Recruitment

Background

Unigestion is an independent global asset management firm with offices across Europe, North America and Asia. Managing billions of pounds on behalf of institutional and private clients, the firm has built an international reputation for disciplined investment strategies, innovation and operational rigour. Its London office plays a critical role in supporting clients, investment professionals and corporate functions, which calls for a workplace that reflects the firm's standards.

To support its continued growth, Unigestion appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Facilities Manager capable of leading all aspects of workplace operations, facilities services and front-of-house delivery.

The Challenge

Unigestion needed a Facilities Manager who could combine operational discipline with genuine customer service in a professional financial services environment. Reporting into senior leadership, the successful candidate would maintain a high-quality workplace while keeping the office running safely, efficiently and in full compliance with regulatory requirements. The role carried responsibility for:

• overall management of the London office environment
• facilities maintenance and statutory compliance
• health & safety, fire safety and business continuity planning
• building security and access control
• space planning and workplace moves
• office services and food service operations
• vendor procurement, contract negotiation and supplier management
• budget management and cost control
• coordination of workplace technology and infrastructure with the IT team
• leadership of the Front of House and Reception team
• delivering a strong employee and visitor experience

The appointment required strong technical facilities knowledge, good organisational skills and the confidence to operate within a fast-paced international investment management business.

A single-site brief of this breadth is harder to fill than it looks. The remit runs from statutory compliance and business continuity at one end to reception standards and catering at the other, and the two halves attract different candidates. Technically strong facilities managers often have no experience leading a front-of-house team; workplace and hospitality-led managers rarely hold the compliance depth that a regulated financial services occupier needs. In an office where clients visit, neither gap is survivable.

Our Approach

Maxwell Stephens worked closely with Unigestion's leadership team to build a detailed understanding of both the technical requirements of the role and the organisation's collaborative culture.

Drawing on our specialist facilities management network, we ran a targeted search focused on professionals with experience in financial services, corporate headquarters and international office environments.

Our search prioritised candidates with:

• corporate facilities management experience
• financial services or professional services backgrounds
• strong health & safety and compliance expertise
• building services and workplace operations knowledge
• vendor and contract management experience
• front-of-house leadership capability
• business continuity and workplace resilience experience
• professional qualifications including IWFM (formerly BIFM), IOSH or NEBOSH

Those qualifications matter at this level for a specific reason. In a sole-charge facilities role there is nobody above the postholder who can check the compliance judgement calls, so evidence of formal health and safety training is one of the few reliable signals that a candidate has treated the subject as a discipline rather than a box to tick.

Every shortlisted candidate went through a structured assessment covering technical competence, leadership capability, stakeholder management and cultural fit.

The Outcome

Maxwell Stephens appointed an experienced Facilities Manager who combined strong technical knowledge with people management and customer service skills. The successful candidate integrated quickly into the business, taking responsibility for the smooth running of Unigestion's London office while holding to the standards expected within a leading global investment management firm.

• Workplace operations. Efficient day-to-day management of the London office, giving employees and visitors a professional, safe and productive environment.
• Supplier performance. Effective contractor management and service level monitoring improved supplier performance while maintaining value for money across facilities services.
• Compliance and risk management. Health & safety, fire safety, statutory compliance and business continuity arrangements were strengthened, keeping the office compliant and operationally resilient.
• Workplace experience. Leading the Front of House function and holding service standards throughout the building supported a workplace experience aligned with Unigestion's values and brand.
• Operational efficiency. Better planning, vendor coordination and facilities management processes improved efficiency while supporting the firm's continued growth.

Why This Placement Worked

The appointment strengthened Unigestion's workplace operations by putting experienced leadership across facilities management, workplace services and office operations in one pair of hands. Combining technical expertise, commercial awareness and stakeholder management, the Facilities Manager has helped maintain a workplace that supports productivity, collaboration and consistent operational standards.

The transferable point is about how the brief is framed. Roles like this are often advertised as facilities posts with a reception team attached, which filters for the technical half and leaves the client-facing half to chance. Treating both as core from the start narrows the field, but it produces a shortlist that can actually do the whole job.

This assignment reflects Maxwell Stephens' experience recruiting senior facilities management professionals for investment management firms, financial institutions and global corporate organisations. If you are recruiting a facilities lead for a single high-profile office, get in touch with our team to discuss the brief.