Building Services Manager

About the role

Do you thrive on keeping complex academic buildings running seamlessly and safely? As Building Services Manager for the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial, you will lead the delivery of all building‑related services - from facilities and stores to catering and audio‑visual - so students, researchers and staff can do their best work. You will manage a small, service‑focused team and partner closely with Technical Operations and Safety colleagues to provide responsive, customer‑centred support across all Departmental spaces and activities.

What you would be doing

You will have day-to-day responsibility for the Department’s offices, teaching rooms, meeting and social spaces, ensuring they are safe and ready for use with minimal disruption. That includes planning and delivering layouts for teaching, exams, meetings, conferences and Departmental events - stepping in hands-on when needed, including occasionally outside core hours. You will manage building access and car-parking requests in line with university security protocols, maintain accurate records of assets, space usage and access control, and act as the first point of contact for facilities and AV issues - reporting, tracking and resolving defects through Facilities Management and keeping users informed. Working closely with ICT and AV teams, you will oversee AV provision, coordinating maintenance, upgrades and repairs to keep teaching and meeting spaces reliable and up to date. You will also liaise on building works, refurbishments and relocations to minimise disruption.

Leading a small Building Services team (Stores Manager, General Technician and Catering Assistant), you will coordinate workloads and resources, set priorities, and support performance, development and a proactive, customer-focused culture. You will oversee the departmental stores - covering stock control, procurement and cost-effective supply of consumables and materials - and ensure catering and hospitality meet agreed standards for meetings, seminars and receptions. As the lead for general (non-laboratory) risk assessments, you will champion safe working with the Head of Technical Operations and Safety, ensuring compliance with fire safety, manual handling, DSE and contractor management, contributing to inspections, preparing briefing and training materials, and keeping safety documentation current so that inductions and mandatory training are completed. You will communicate building updates and safety information clearly, build strong relationships with Facilities, Security, ICT and Safety teams, undertake relevant professional development, and serve as a Fire Marshal and Departmental First Aider, alongside other duties commensurate with the role.

What we are looking for

We are seeking an experienced manager who is familiar with buildings, services and safety. The essential criteria for this role include:

• Education: A degree (or equivalent) or substantial relevant experience in facilities/building/operations management.
• Team leadership: Proven experience leading operational teams; motivating, developing and managing performance.
• Contractor oversight: Experience supervising contractors and service providers.
• Complex operations: Experience managing building operations in a large, complex organisation.
• Health and safety: Strong understanding of regulations and practice, including risk assessment, fire safety and manual handling.
• Digital proficiency: Confident with MS Office and administrative systems; experience with FM databases and space/room‑planning tools (e.g., Visio, AutoCAD, SketchUp).
• Communication and service: Excellent written and verbal communication; highly organised, solutions‑focused, and able to prioritise multiple tasks to deliver a responsive, customer‑centred service.

Additionally, we would value:

• A formal H&S qualification (e.g., IOSH Managing Safely, NEBOSH General Certificate).
• Experience with access control systems, facilities management platforms and audio‑visual systems.
• Hands‑on events and room‑setup coordination.
• Experience with managing car‑parking allocations and liaison with central parking teams.
• Experience of reporting and following up on building defects and maintenance issues.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to use science for humanity.
• Benefit from a sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days’ annual leave and generous pension schemes).
• Access to a range of workplace benefits generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities and cycle-to-work scheme.
• Interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel.
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Further information

Our mission is to deliver world-leading research, education, enterprise, leadership, and inspiration in chemical engineering, locally, nationally, and globally. Our department is consistently ranked among the top 10 globally in chemical engineering and the top 3 in Europe. We have 45 academic staff, 60 teaching, professional and technical staff and about 120 postdoctoral researchers. The Department offers a four-year MEng degree programme in chemical engineering, attracting about 160 entrants each year; a one-year MSc course with an intake of about 120; and around 200 PhD students.

This is a full-time, open-ended position. This post is on site only (5 days on campus).

If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Chemeng.staffing@imperial.ac.uk

Closing date: Midnight Sunday 17 May 2026.

Interviews: W/C 15 June 2026