Facilities Manager

Main Purpose of the Job: 

To lead and manage the school's facilities, premises, health and safety, security, maintenance, cleaning and site development functions, ensuring the school provides a safe, secure, compliant and welcoming environment for students, staff, visitors and the wider community.

The Facilities Manager will be responsible for the strategic and operational management of a large and complex secondary school site, ensuring that all buildings, grounds and facilities are maintained to a high standard and support the school's commitment to excellence in education.

Responsibilities & Duties: 

Premises and Facilities Management

• Lead the day-to-day management of the school's buildings, grounds and facilities.

• Develop and implement planned preventative maintenance programmes.

• Ensure all school facilities are safe, secure, well-maintained and fit for purpose.

• Manage repairs and maintenance work, ensuring timely completion and value for money.

• Oversee site inspections and identify areas requiring improvement or investment.

• Monitor the condition of school buildings and prepare reports on maintenance requirements.

• Support school development and refurbishment projects.

• Assist with long-term estate planning and capital improvement programmes.

Health, Safety and Compliance

• Act as the school's operational lead for health and safety matters.

• Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation, regulations and guidance relating to premises management.

• Develop, implement and review health and safety procedures.

• Maintain accurate compliance records and statutory documentation.

• Oversee risk assessments relating to premises, facilities and contractor activities.

• Manage fire safety arrangements including drills, inspections and maintenance of fire safety equipment.

• Ensure statutory testing and inspections are completed, including:

  • Fire alarms

  • Emergency lighting

  • Electrical systems

  • Gas safety

  • Water hygiene and legionella monitoring

  • Lifts and lifting equipment

  • Asbestos management

  • Building condition surveys

Site Security

• Lead on site security arrangements and access control systems.

• Ensure robust procedures for opening and securing the school.

• Oversee CCTV systems, alarms and security infrastructure.

• Manage security incidents and investigations where required.

• Develop and maintain emergency response and business continuity arrangements.

Contractor and Service Management

• Procure, manage and monitor facilities-related contracts.

• Act as the main point of contact for external contractors and service providers.

• Ensure all contractors comply with safeguarding, health and safety and site procedures.

• Monitor contractor performance against agreed service standards.

• Support tendering exercises and contract reviews.

Typical contracts may include:

• Cleaning services

• Grounds maintenance

• Catering liaison

• Security services

• Waste management

• Mechanical and electrical maintenance

• Building maintenance contractors

IT Infrastructure and Digital Services

• Provide operational oversight of the school's IT infrastructure, working closely with the IT Manager, managed service provider and senior leadership team.

• Ensure that school IT systems, network infrastructure and digital facilities support teaching, learning and operational effectiveness.

• Lead on the facilities aspects of IT projects, including classroom technology installations, network upgrades, access control systems, telephony and audio-visual equipment.

• Manage contracts and relationships with external IT support providers, ensuring agreed service levels are achieved.

• Oversee the procurement, installation and maintenance of hardware, telecommunications systems and associated infrastructure.

• Ensure appropriate accommodation, power supplies, ventilation and security arrangements are in place for server rooms, communications cabinets and network equipment.

• Monitor the performance and resilience of core operational systems, escalating issues where necessary to minimise disruption.

• Support the development and implementation of the school's digital strategy.

• Oversee business continuity arrangements relating to critical IT systems and support disaster recovery planning.

• Ensure compliance with cyber security requirements relating to facilities-managed systems, including CCTV, access control, intruder alarms and building management systems.

• Support the effective management of school-wide inventory and asset registers for IT and facilities equipment.

• Work collaboratively with teaching and support staff to identify opportunities to improve facilities and technology provision across the school.

• Contribute to the planning and delivery of technology-enabled capital projects and estate developments.

Staff Management

• Lead, motivate and develop the facilities and site team.

• Allocate workloads and ensure effective deployment of staff resources.

• Conduct performance management and development reviews.

• Support recruitment, induction and training of facilities staff.

• Promote a positive culture of teamwork, customer service and continuous improvement.

Lettings and Community Use

• Support the management of school lettings and community use of facilities.

• Ensure facilities are prepared and available for evening, weekend and holiday activities.

• Monitor site usage and ensure appropriate standards of health, safety and security are maintained.

Environmental Sustainability

• Support the school's sustainability strategy and environmental objectives.

• Monitor energy consumption and identify opportunities to improve efficiency.

• Promote environmentally responsible practices across the site.

• Contribute to initiatives that reduce waste and carbon emissions.

Emergency and Operational Response

• Respond effectively to site emergencies and unforeseen operational issues.

• Coordinate responses to adverse weather and site-related incidents.

• Ensure contingency plans are in place to minimise disruption to school operations.

• Participate in on-call arrangements where required.

General Responsibilities

• Support and promote the school's vision, values and ethos.

• Maintain high standards of professionalism and confidentiality.

• Attend relevant meetings and training activities.

• Comply with all school policies and procedures.

• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion.

• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the grade and nature of the post.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

The post holder is responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and must:

• Adhere to all safeguarding and child protection policies.

• Complete all required safeguarding training.

• Report any concerns regarding the welfare of students immediately through the appropriate channels.

• Ensure contractors and visitors comply with safeguarding requirements whilst on site.

Person Specification

Essential

Qualifications

• Relevant facilities, building management or health and safety qualification.

• IOSH Managing Safely (minimum) or willingness to obtain.

• GCSE English and Mathematics (Grade C/4 or above).

Experience

• Significant experience of facilities or premises management.

• Experience of managing staff and contractors.

• Experience of health and safety compliance and risk management.

• Experience of managing maintenance programmes and building projects.

• Experience of budget monitoring and obtaining value for money.

Knowledge

• Health and Safety legislation.

• Building maintenance and compliance requirements.

• Fire safety regulations.

• Contractor management.

• Risk assessment processes.

Skills

• Strong leadership and people management skills.

• Excellent organisational and project management skills.

• Ability to prioritise a varied workload.

• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.

• Competent IT skills.

• Ability to problem-solve and make effective decisions.