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 Maidenhead
To the west of London, just as the conurbation is beginning to fragment into more rural country, lies the town of Maidenhead. The town is on the commuter belt to London, whose centre is 25 miles (43 km) to the east, but also serves Reading 11 miles (18 km) to the west and Slough, its eastern neighbour. Maidenhead is served by trains on the London to Reading and Bristol line. The M4 and A404(M) pass to its south, and the A4 Bath Road passes through the town centre. Heathrow Airport is 12 miles (20 km) to the east.
The town appears to have grown around a bridge that was built to replace the ferry across the river in the middle ages, and some architecture from the period remains today, but the railway gave the town a real boost as it began to attract traders and new settlers. At the south eastern tip of the town is Eton Dorney, which was given international fame as the location of the rowing and canoe sprint events.
Although commuting is important to Maidenhead, and much of the local economy depends on it, there is some industry in the town, including software companies, the pharmaceuticals industry and plastics manufacture. The affluent populace, excellent communications to the capital and internationally, and a crop of local businesses mean that Head of Facilities jobs in Maidenhead or the surrounding area are offered relatively frequently.
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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