Background
For more than 30 years, Workspace has been one of London's leading commercial property owners, providing flexible office, studio and industrial space to thousands of businesses across the capital. Today, the company manages a portfolio exceeding 3.7 million square feet, supporting over 4,000 customers across a diverse collection of commercial properties.
Maxwell Stephens has built a long-standing partnership with Workspace, successfully delivering recruitment assignments across a variety of Facilities and Property Management positions. One such appointment was the recruitment of a Support Facilities Manager, a unique and highly operational role responsible for providing management cover across Workspace's extensive southern portfolio.
The Challenge
The Support Facilities Manager occupied a pivotal position within the Facilities Management team, ensuring operational continuity whenever permanent Building or Facilities Managers were unavailable.
The successful candidate needed to step seamlessly into multiple locations at short notice, quickly establishing themselves as the operational lead while maintaining Workspace's consistently high standards of customer service and building performance.
Key responsibilities included:
- Providing management cover across the southern property portfolio.
- Leading day-to-day Building and Facilities Management operations.
- Managing planned and reactive maintenance programmes.
- Coordinating contractors and service providers.
- Acting as the primary point of contact for customers and occupiers.
- Overseeing cleaning, security, waste management and building services.
- Monitoring Health & Safety compliance.
- Reviewing service charge budgets and expenditure.
- Supporting Centre Managers with operational improvements.
- Maintaining excellent customer experience across multiple sites.
Unlike a traditional single-site Facilities Manager, this role demanded exceptional adaptability, with assignments often arising at very short notice across different properties throughout London.
Our Approach
Having supported Workspace on numerous successful recruitment campaigns, we understood both the organisation's culture and the unique challenges of this position.
We undertook a targeted search focusing on Facilities professionals with proven experience managing commercial office environments and the flexibility to operate effectively across multiple locations.
We prioritised candidates who demonstrated:
- Commercial Building Management experience.
- Strong customer service and stakeholder management skills.
- Contractor and supplier management expertise.
- Health & Safety knowledge and compliance experience.
- Budget and service charge awareness.
- CAFM systems experience.
- Excellent organisational and planning skills.
- The confidence to quickly integrate into different operational teams.
Given the varied nature of the role, particular emphasis was placed on identifying individuals who were adaptable, self-motivated and capable of making an immediate impact within unfamiliar environments.
Professional qualifications such as IOSH Managing Safely, NEBOSH, and relevant Facilities Management certifications were also considered throughout the selection process.
The Outcome
Following a comprehensive search and assessment process, Maxwell Stephens successfully appointed an experienced Support Facilities Manager who demonstrated both the technical expertise and operational flexibility required for the role.
The successful candidate quickly became a trusted member of the Workspace Facilities team, providing seamless operational leadership across multiple locations and ensuring continuity of service whenever management cover was required.
Since joining Workspace, they have successfully:
- Maintained consistent Facilities Management standards across numerous sites.
- Built strong relationships with customers, contractors and Centre Managers.
- Delivered responsive planned and reactive maintenance.
- Supported effective contractor performance and service delivery.
- Maintained high levels of Health & Safety compliance.
- Assisted with service charge management and operational budgeting.
- Helped ensure Workspace's customers continued to receive an outstanding workplace experience regardless of location.
The appointment further strengthened Maxwell Stephens' long-term relationship with Workspace and reinforced our reputation as a trusted recruitment partner for commercial property and Facilities Management professionals.
Supporting London's Leading Commercial Property Companies
Recruiting professionals capable of operating across multiple commercial properties requires more than technical expertise—it demands adaptability, strong communication skills and exceptional customer focus.
Through our specialist Facilities Management recruitment expertise and deep understanding of the commercial property sector, Maxwell Stephens successfully delivered a high-quality appointment that continues to support Workspace's operational excellence.
Candidate Testimonial
"Working with Maxwell Stephens was an excellent experience from start to finish. They invested real time in understanding what I was looking for and provided outstanding support throughout the recruitment process. I always had the information I needed before interviews, and they continued to stay in touch even after I accepted the role to ensure everything was going well. Their professionalism and genuine care made a real difference, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them."