Senior Facilities Manager

About the role

In this role, you will lead the safe, compliant and commercially controlled delivery of hard FM services for East Slope Residences, ensuring performance against contractual SLA, KPIs and statutory obligations and you will lead, support and develop the hard FM team, including maintenance management, technical supervisors/technicians, FM coordination and administrative support, creating a collaborative team culture focused on resident experience and service excellence.

You will also mobilise West Slope Residences in conjunction with the Head of Facilities Management and wider Sussex team, ensuring operational readiness across people, systems, suppliers, compliance records, spares, training, CAFM processes and phased handover activities. You will be expected to develop and maintain effective relationships with the University, RDP/client representatives, supply chain partners and internal stakeholders, promoting a proactive, can‑do approach.

In addition to this, you will provide clear operational, commercial and compliance reporting to senior management, the client and relevant boards, using data to identify performance trends, risk areas and improvement opportunities.

• Lead the East Slope hard FM operation, including planned maintenance, reactive repairs, statutory compliance, lifecycle planning, resident‑impacting defects, summer turnaround works, asset inspections and service recovery planning.
• Provide visible leadership and day‑to‑day direction to the hard FM team, administrative staff and technical staff, ensuring clear priorities, competent resource deployment, appropriate supervision and consistent standards of work.
• Lead and oversee mobilisation of West Slope Residences, including phased handover planning, commissioning witness activities, familiarisation, snagging support, operational readiness reviews, supplier onboarding, staff training and transition into live operation.
• Ensure PPM schedules, reactive workflows, statutory tasks, remedials and evidence records are properly maintained in the CAFM/compliance systems and are available for audit, client review and internal governance.
• Manage specialist subcontractors and suppliers: tendering, appointment, induction, RAMS review, permits, performance monitoring, commercial challenge, value for money and escalation of underperformance.
• Maintain strong control of budgets, purchase orders, rechargeable works, damage claims, temporary repair plans, accruals and monthly finance reviews, escalating commercial risks early.
• Lead health, safety and wellbeing standards, applying Zero Harm principles, ensuring safe systems of work, risk assessments, toolbox talks, contractor control and statutory compliance are embedded across the team.
• Ensure the estate remains operationally resilient, including business continuity arrangements, emergency response, out‑of‑hours escalation, critical spares, plant risk reviews and lessons learnt following service failures.
• Lead preparation for peak periods including arrivals, departures, summer lets, room readiness, annual intake, defect closure and coordination of access to residences with minimum disruption to residents and the University.
• Work with project, asset and construction teams to review design, maintenance access, commissioning information, O&M documentation, asset data, warranties and handover packs to protect long‑term maintainability.
• Develop, coach and performance‑manage the team, ensuring role clarity, training plans, succession planning, competence records and professional standards are maintained.
• Promote continuous improvement across East Slope and West Slope by standardising working procedures, dashboards, compliance evidence, mobilisation checklists and resident‑facing service standards.

• HND, degree or equivalent experience in facilities management, building services, construction, engineering, estates management or related discipline. A non‑construction‑related degree would also be acceptable.
• Demonstrable senior FM leadership experience in hard services, preferably within PBSA, higher education, residential, hospitality or complex occupied environments.
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