Maxwell Stephens

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CASE STUDY:

University of Cambridge

The iconic University of Cambridge is a collegiate research university in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world’s fourth-oldest surviving university. Known as one of the world’s best educational establishment, University of Cambridge is consistently in the top rankings wordlwide for education, reputation, and academic excellence.

As part of an extensive competitive tender process, Maxwell Stephens became the exclusive recruitment partner in the search for an Operations Manager to be based in a brand new development for the University, the Shared Facilities Hub.

This is the first building of its kind that the University has brought forward and has been designed to move away from the more institutionalised buildings on the site to provide a building which is welcoming and engages with the adjacent public realm and open space.

The Shared Facilities Hub has been designed to promote an integrated and lively research environment on the site, connecting people from different departments of the University and providing a central hub as required by the increasing staff and student population destined to be relocated to West Cambridge as the University implements its masterplan.

The Shared Facilities Hub

The Executive Search

Considering the amazing opportunity on offer to join one of the world’s leading Universities on a brand new development, we knew there would be no shortage of applicants for this position. The initial challenge for this recruitment campaign was being able to efficiently and effectively assess every single applicant against the role requirements. 

We conducted initial screening interviews with over 130 applicants, with 2 consultants in each interview so as to minimise any potential biases and ensure the most suitable candidates progressed through the process. 

Although appropriate experience and knowledge was important for this position, it was also vital that we found the right personality fit for the university and what they wanted to achieve with the Shared Facilities Hub development. The Operations Manager is a front-facing role, and we needed to find an outgoing, confident professional with the right attitude to really push the development forward.