Head of Facilities
When a business has just one location, there’s always going to be a person whose job it is to ensure the building itself and all its functions are running properly. It might be an office manager, plant manager or such like. But businesses with multiple locations need a more strategic, joined-up and budgeted way to run the properties, and that task is fulfilled by the head of facilities.
The role will be a blend of planning the facilities for future needs, ensuring the books are balanced for all the locations and planning maintenance, cleaning, services, safety and so on – in summary, keeping the facilities functional, profitable, legal and sustainable.
Under the head of facilities, management usually acts on a hierarchical basis, more so in larger operations with multiple plants, offices, depots and storage facilities. That means the head of facilities will often be based in the head office and will delegate tasks and goals to facility managers at the locations, but there will also be regular attendance on-site within the region covered.
The skills required
Head of facilities jobs usually demand experience in overseeing multiple locations of an organisation, and successful candidates will be able to demonstrate a strong aptitude for delegation to, and communication with, the various location managers. The job will be a blend of strategic planning and more urgent decision-making – you could be where the buck stops when a location manager needs to troubleshoot a pressing issue and a potentially costly decision has to be made and then justified to the board.
For some positions, however, experience managing a single facility will be a sufficient qualification, as many of the budgetary and management skills scale up straightforwardly.
Head of Facilities Jobs in Herefordshire
Herefordshire, located in the West Midlands, is a historic English county that shares borders with Shropshire, Gloucester and Worcestershire, as well as Wales.
The region, which has largely been rural throughout its history, has an economy mainly based in agriculture - and it even gave its name to one of the world's most common breeds of cow. Over the years, manufacturing and the service sector have also grown in importance in the county.
Settlements include Leominster, Ross-on-Wye, Bromyard and Kington. The county town is Hereford; it's a cathedral city and also the only city in Herefordshire, making it a good location for those seeking Head of Facilities positions.
Herefordshire has long been known as an important location for the production of cider. H.P. Bulmer, which is owned by Heineken International, is a major employer in the region. It manufactures brands including the eponymous Bulmers, as well as Woodpecker and Strongbow. Other companies with cider or ale breweries in the county include Wye Valley, Weston's and Spinning Dog.
Meanwhile, Amcor is a packaging company based in Ledbury and Cargill Meats Europe operates in the region. Other products that Herefordshire is known for include leather, nickel alloys and chemicals, while the Rotherwas Industrial Estate is home to a number of heavy and light engineering companies, as well as various other businesses.
Popular locations
Heads of facilities use Cast UK
At Cast UK, we only deal with high calibre people and positions, so if you’re looking for a head of facilities for your business, please reach out, as we’ll be able to shortlist a superb selection of candidates for your role. If you want us to be your recruitment partner, call us on 0333 121 3345 and speak to one of our consultants.
If you’re looking to take a step up the ladder as a facilities manager and you’ve got the skills and experience, why not click the link below and register with us? We could have just the role for you.
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