Head of Hard Services

Description

You will lead on legislative and mandatory compliance, providing structure, guidance, and technical assurance to operational engineering teams. The remit includes building services, fabric engineering, and support to wider FM functions such as lifecycle planning and variation works. This role is critical in ensuring statutory compliance, supplier performance, defect management, hand back criteria, and adherence to CDM, SFG20, HTMs and British Standards.

• Lead compliance management across Fire, Water and Asbestos, ensuring timely completion of remedial activities.
• Work closely with Hard Services Managers to maintain legal compliance across all operational contracts through documented processes and controls.
• Lead the review of CAFM reactive and remedial activity to support lifecycle planning and forecasting.
• Oversee the management and timely closure of actions following internal/external audits.
• Develop and implement robust hard services policies and procedures to deliver a compliant, consistent, and efficient service.
• Take full ownership of the regional hard services P&L, ensuring financial rigour and commercial value.
• Oversee planned and reactive maintenance, ensuring delivery aligns with contractual, statutory, and financial obligations.
• Drive innovation by evaluating new technologies and products, ensuring commercial viability and operational relevance.
• Identify trends, improvements, and opportunities to enhance systems, processes, and delivery standards.
• Ensure accuracy and evidence-based maintenance of asset registers within CAFM systems.
• Maintain full accountability for service performance, compliance, client relationships, financial management, and team performance across designated sites.
• Lead the performance management of subcontractors, including monthly performance reviews and ensuring strong coverage, contingency, and best value.
• Ensure contractual SLAs and KPIs are consistently achieved across the region, attending client meetings and building strong, professional relationships.
• Provide specialist technical guidance and resolve major engineering or compliance challenges.
• Contribute to business development by evaluating additional service opportunities and supporting bids or proposals.
• Lead the recruitment, onboarding and ongoing development of Hard Services Managers.
• Collaborate closely with Lifecycle, PMO and Procurement functions.
• Ensure all colleagues receive appropriate technical and safety training.
• Champion a proactive culture of health and safety, ensuring standards are coached, measured, and embedded across the technical services function.
• Monitor performance of direct teams and subcontractors, addressing capability, conduct and attendance issues effectively.

Requirements

• Commercially astute with a track record of cost-effective technical service delivery
• Strong legislative and regulatory knowledge
• Strong operational knowledge of Hard FM services
• Highly organised, with strong audit and compliance experience
• Strong understanding of statutory and regulatory compliance including CDM, SFG20, HTMs, and British Standards
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building ability
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
• Experience within Private Finance Initiative (PFI) environments
• Senior operational management experience within a similar FM or building services environment
• Skilled in leading people, teams and organisational change
• Zero tolerance for harm and strong safety leadership
• Proven ability to deliver on-time, high-quality outcomes
• Strategic thinker with the ability to manage complexity
• Demonstrable experience managing lifecycle, PMO, and building defects
• Recognised Health & Safety qualification (IOSH) and CIWFM membership
• Experience in public-sector buildings such as schools or hospitals

Benefits

Salary: Up to £80,000 plus package

• Exposure to managing aged estates

Training + Development

Interview process

Visa Sponsorship

Security clearance