Experienced interim FM leaders who can take ownership from the first day.
When a Head of Facilities leaves, a Facilities Manager goes on leave, or a programme needs leadership it does not yet have, the service still has to run. Maxwell Stephens finds interim Facilities Management, workplace and estates professionals who can step in quickly, hold the standard and hand over cleanly.
We have recruited Facilities Management professionals since 2006, and we draw on more than 50,000 FM professionals in our network across the UK and Europe.
When an interim is the right answer
An interim is usually the right call when the gap is real but the permanent answer is not yet clear, or cannot arrive in time. The most common situations we see:
- Cover for a leader who has left, is on long-term leave or is on maternity leave.
- A gap while a permanent search runs.
- A move, mobilisation, refurbishment or contract transition that needs dedicated leadership.
- A facilities service that needs a hard look at contracts, suppliers or compliance before you decide on the permanent structure.
- A team that needs steadying after a difficult period.
Interim management is now a mainstream way to cover a gap or carry a change. The Institute of Interim Management's 2026 survey puts the average assignment at 10 months, and found change or transformation to be the most common reason for bringing an interim in, at 37% of assignments.
Not sure whether you need an interim, a permanent hire or to develop someone internally? Use our hire, develop or interim planner.
For a fuller picture of how interim appointments work in Facilities Management and estates, read our Interim FM and Estates Guide.
Interim roles we recruit
- Interim Heads of Facilities and Heads of Facilities Management
- Interim Facilities Managers and Assistant Facilities Managers
- Interim office services and workplace managers
- Interim facilities project managers for relocations, fit-outs and new premises
- Interim housing, estates and property operations managers
For senior permanent appointments, see Facilities Management executive search. For programmes of change, see FM transformation and mobilisation recruitment.
What a good interim does in the first weeks
Interim cover is unforgiving. There is rarely a long handover, the team expects continuity from day one, and the appointee has to hold the standard while they learn the building. The interims we put forward are chosen for how they work in that first month:
- They take ownership of the service without waiting for a full induction.
- They get on top of compliance, contracts and the open risks quickly.
- They keep suppliers and the team steady.
- They tell you plainly what they find, including what the permanent role will need.
- They leave the function in better shape for whoever comes next.
How we find the right interim
Interim hiring is fast, but it should not be careless. We agree the brief with you first: what the interim must own from the first day, what they must leave behind, the likely length of the assignment and the setting they will walk into. We then approach people we know can do the job and are available to start, and we put forward a short list you can decide from.
Many interim appointments sit alongside a permanent search. At the Royal Astronomical Society, the interim kept operations running across a Grade II* listed estate ahead of a permanent Facilities Manager appointment. At Brompton Bicycles, the interim covered a retiring Head of FM, strengthened the team and helped with the search for the permanent successor, and a three-month contract was extended to nine.
Recent interim appointments
- Interim Head of Facilities for the Premier League
- Interim Head of Facilities Management for Sporting Index
- Interim Facilities Manager for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
- Interim Housing Operations Manager for the University of Cambridge
- Interim Assistant Facilities Manager for the Royal Astronomical Society
- Interim Head of Facilities Projects for Brompton Bicycles
- Interim Facilities Project Manager for SailGP
- Interim Facilities Manager for Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex
- Interim Facilities Manager for Deluxe
- Interim Facilities Manager for Ready Steady Store
- Interim Office Manager for Education Support
Are you an interim FM professional?
If you work on an interim basis in Facilities Management, workplace or estates, send us your CV and tell us when you are next available. Our interim day rate calculator can help you compare assignments.
Talk to us about an interim need
Tell us what has to be covered, from when and for roughly how long. Call 0207 118 4848, book a scoping call, or send us the details and we will come back to you.