Some facilities roles keep the lights on. This one contributes directly to whether the organisation wins.

Maxwell Stephens is engaged on a confidential basis by a globally recognised high-performance engineering and manufacturing business to appoint a Head of Facilities for its Midlands campus.

The position has been restructured and elevated. It now reports directly to the Managing Director and sits within the senior management team — a deliberate move, reflecting how closely facilities performance is tied to competitive output in this environment. Your working relationships will run across the MD, H&S and IT leadership, and the estate's contractor base.

The purpose of the role

Full accountability for the control, development and performance of all estates, facilities, infrastructure and site services — and the authority that goes with it. You will be the recognised expert on all facilities matters, responsible for legal compliance, operational excellence, and building the strategic infrastructure capability the organisation needs to compete at the very top of its field.

Central to that is creating and delivering a forward-looking Facilities & Estates Strategy: making sure the footprint, infrastructure, utilities and service delivery meet both current and future business demand, safely, legally and efficiently.

What you'll own

A complex single campus combining advanced manufacturing, test environments, controlled areas, storage, corporate offices and high-specification client-facing space.

Strategic accountabilities:

• Developing the long-term Estates & Facilities Strategy and securing genuine stakeholder buy-in for it

• Acting as custodian of the organisational footprint — optimising space allocation and shaping future campus planning

• Ensuring every facility, owned and leased, is fully compliant across building control, environmental protection and HSE

• Leading facilities integration through campus expansions, new buildings, refurbishments and acquisitions

• Delivering measurable value-for-money improvement across every service line Operational scope — full accountability for quality, delivery, budgets and continuous improvement across:

• Facilities and estate operations: teams, budgets and systems maintaining buildings, manufacturing, test, storage and campus infrastructure

• Hard services and engineering: plant, utilities, building systems and maintenance, with accountability for operational availability, energy optimisation and risk-managed infrastructure

• Capital projects and change: delivery on time, on budget and to standard, coordinating designers, consultants and handovers

• Soft services and contracts: leases, contracts, external providers, service levels and organisational support

Alongside the H&S team you will champion HSE culture and compliance, leading integrated management systems and the safe execution of all facilities, project, energy and waste activity.

You will also lead, coach and develop an established team — giving people clear responsibilities and objectives, and building a group that performs to the standard the organisation expects of itself.

Who we're looking for

A leader, not a caretaker. Someone who has built and sold an estates strategy, delivered the capital projects behind it, and held their nerve where downtime is expensive and expectations don't soften.

We are especially interested in candidates from advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defence, high-performance engineering, major venues and stadia, or other mission-critical campuses — anywhere facilities failure stops the operation.

You will bring:

• Proven ability to develop and implement long-term facilities, estates and infrastructure strategy, and to win support for it across a demanding business

• Experience leading high-performing multidisciplinary teams across facilities, plant, engineering, soft services and estates, with accountability for operational and capital budgets

• A real capital delivery record — projects, refurbishments, relocations and infrastructure upgrades, on time, on budget and to quality

• Credibility and influence at every level, with the instinct to anticipate operational need rather than react to it

• Proven risk management in both construction and operational environments

• Strong command of legal, HSE, environmental, energy and utility compliance, including ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and 50001

• Experience managing service contracts, contractors and leases to hold performance and standards

• Deep understanding of building systems, plant and equipment, and manufacturing, test and clean room environments

• A track record of driving process improvement, implementing FM systems and leading operational change in fast-paced, technical settings

• Composure and confident decision-making under pressure, to demanding timescales

Degree or equivalent experience in Facilities, Estates, Engineering or Building Management. NEBOSH qualification, Diploma preferred. IWFM membership or equivalent desirable. UK driving licence and willingness to travel occasionally.

What's on offer

A competitive senior-level salary reflecting the seniority of the appointment, plus relocation support for the right person this is a national search, not a local one.

The wider package includes:

• 33 days' annual leave (inclusive of two mandatory company shutdown periods, summer and winter)

• Pension contributions matched up to 5%

• Life assurance at 3x annual salary

• Private medical insurance from day one, 50% subsidised, plus a medical cash-back plan covering dental, optical and wellbeing treatment

• On-site gym, exercise classes, monthly personal training session and a weekly on-site injury clinic

• Discretionary company performance bonus scheme

• Car scheme, tech scheme, cycle to work and a wide employee discount programme

• Up to 42 weeks' paid maternity and 4 weeks' paid paternity leave, with further family-friendly policies

• Wellbeing support including elder-care assistance, specialist health services and a health and wellbeing app

• On-campus meal allowance and a full programme of company events

This is a site-based role at the client's Midlands campus, with occasional UK travel.

This is a confidential appointment handled exclusively by Maxwell Stephens. If you would rather understand the opportunity before committing your name to anything, contact Peter Forshaw OR William Pryke for a private, no-obligation conversation.

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