Facilities Manager (Hard FM)

Location: Based on our site on the harbourside, the Estate covers approximately 6 acres in central Bristol including We the Curious Science Centre, Millenium Square Car Park, Millenium Square, Anchor Square and several leased buildings such as Leadworks and the Aquarium.  

We’re happy to support flexible working - both through hybrid working and your working pattern. You just need to be able to adequately support the team, attend key meetings, and deliver the responsibilities of the role. 

Department: Estates 

Report to: Head of Estates  

Responsible for: Maintenance Engineers (2) 

Salary: £45,000 per annum 

Contract: Permanent 

Working hours: Full time – due to the nature of the role you will be required to participate in our on-site support or out of hours on-call rotas (no more than one week per month including the weekend).  

About We The Curious 

We The Curious is an educational charity and one of the UK's leading science centres.  

We produce experiences that bring people together to play, get creative with science and explore different ideas.  

We work with partners, locally and nationally, supporting people to be inquisitive, develop new skills and improve their wellbeing. 

We are progressive, inquisitive, collaborative, playful and creative.  

Our Why, What & How 

Our vision 

What if everyone is included, curious and inspired by science to build a better world together? 

Our mission 

To connect and empower people through sharing creative experiences which celebrate unknowns in science. 

Our pledges 

_Cultivate Curiosity 

_Strive for Sustainable Futures 

_Include Everyone 

_Build Resilience 

_Open Up Science 

You can find out more about these in our Manifesto. 

Our Values 

_Inquisitive - Asking questions 

_Progressive - Thinking about what's next  

_Playful - Embracing the unexpected with a sense of fun 

_Creative - Generating and testing new ideas 

_Collaborative - Being inclusive, connecting and valuing 

Our Strategic Priorities 

/ SP1 - We will deliver collaborative, curiosity-led learning projects to reduce inequality and improve life chances. 

/ SP2 - Our team and those we work with will reflect the diversity of our city, delivering a more inclusive experience.  

/ SP3 -We commit to being a carbon net zero organisation by 2030 and will inspire audiences to take positive action for our planet  

/ SP4 - To deliver our charitable mission, we will strengthen existing income sources and seek new opportunities to deliver long-term financial security. 

/ SP5 - We will provide opportunities for people to explore new ideas, develop skills and influence scientific research. 

About the role 

Working as part of the Estates team to deliver a site that an environment that is safe and presentable for members public and employees. We want to create a space and atmosphere which encourages all visitors to return in the future. 

You’ll play a key role in the strategic planning of our cyclical maintenance programme and statutory maintenance approach, including driving forward our sustainability goals. You’ll also be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the in-house maintenance team.  

This role will oversee and audit the provision of planned, statutory and reactive (24/7) maintenance tasks to provide a secure, safe, and friendly environment.  

As well as manging the in-house maintenance team, you’ll be responsible for the tendering and procurement of maintenance contracts with external suppliers.   

What will you do in this role? 

Role specific responsibilities 

_Project management of small/medium maintenance projects including coordination with internal stakeholders, running pre-start meetings, overseeing CDM requirements, snagging and completion sign-off 

_Ensure best practice for maintenance and building management by undertaking regular reporting, audits, and analysis of maintenance and compliance data and implementing changes if required. 

_Assist the Head of Estates to develop a programme of cyclical maintenance and repairs over a 5-year plan.  

_Budget management responsibilities for Reactive & Statutory Maintenance.  

_Responsible for the sustainable procurement of goods and services required for repairs and statutory compliance across the site. Including the tendering of contracts for certain services (Generally under £10k) and managing the ordering/stock of spare parts where necessary but ensuring a “just in time” approach is maintained.  

_You’ll manage the performance of external contractors, including audits, performance review meetings, and developing approved contractor lists which match our company values. 

_You’ll manage the Estates Maintenance staff (x2) and will be first point of contact for all queries/issues. Carrying out staff appraisals, recruitment, inductions and ongoing training. 

_Using our FM System (IAM Compliant) schedule planned maintenance tasks to internal or external resource, manage the incoming reactive maintenance requests via our helpdesk function, and ensure we remain compliant with all the latest legal and regulatory requirements  

_With the assistance of the Health and Safety Manager you’ll ensure all risk assessments relating to the team and our spaces are up to date and safe working practices are being followed. You’ll also be responsible for contractor health & safety including reviewing RAMS and ensuring compliance with current legislation and company policy. Undertaking site inspections of all WTC spaces, to identify and resolve issues. 

_Ensuring any maintenance training required throughout the company is up to date and that there is continued knowledge and understanding of statutory and regulatory and best practice guidelines.  

What will you do in this role? 

General ​responsibilities 

_Safeguarding - Responsible for departmental safeguarding risk assessments, compliance and raising any concerns to manager/designated Safeguarding Officer. 

_Fundraising - Promote charity messaging across your area of work wherever possible, with support from the Development and Marketing teams. 

_Training – Take part in mandatory training and ensure you remain up to date with current legislation and regulations, undertaking CPD where necessary.  

_General responsibility for departmental compliance with GDPR. 

_Support the Head of Estates with larger maintenance works and capital projects when required. 

_Support the rest of the Estates team with projects when required. 

_Support our ambitious sustainability goals including being a fossil fuel site and driving improvements in building fabric and efficiencies in our mechanical & electrical equipment.  

What we're looking for from you 

_Recognised Facilities Management qualification of professional certification such as IWFM (BIFM) or CFM and/or demonstrable experience in facilities and building management at a strategic level.  

_Excellent knowledge of building and safety legislation regulations, and compliance requirements pertaining to planned and statutory maintenance. You might have a health and safety qualification i.e. IOSH although this is not mandatory 

_Knowledge of building systems, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and fire safety and an understanding of sustainable building practices would be a significant benefit. 

_Experience in hard facilities management ideally in a similar industry sector or size of organisation and an appreciation for prioritising urgency within a visitor facing environment.  

_Proficiency in facilities management software and other relevant technologies. 

_Strong leadership skills to effectively manage maintenance teams and external contractors including developing and managing SLAs to ensure service quality.  

_Ability to handle emergency situations, adapt to changing priorities and unexpected issues effectively, and willingness to work unsociable hours when required.  

_Strong problem-solving skills to address and resolve facility-related issues promptly. 

_Ability to analyse data and use it to make informed decisions regarding facility operations. 

_Ability to manage costs and identify opportunities for cost savings and handle contract negotiation. 

Application process 

Deadline for applications: 17th March 2025 at midnight

Interview date and location: 1st April 2025 – We the Curious 

Start date: Mid-May (depending on notice periods) 

Application process:  

If you would like to apply, please complete the application form. It contains questions designed to assess your interest in and suitability for the role.  

Please don't send in CVs or cover letters as we don't review them.  

We appreciate interviews can be stressful, so we try to make them more of a conversation and a chance for you to tell us about how your skills and interests make you the right person for the role.  

If you are invited for an interview, we'll send you the questions that you'll be asked beforehand so that you have time to prepare.  

If you have any particular needs or requirements, please do let us know so that we can make the required adjustments.  

If you would like to talk about the role or the application process, please email people@wethecurious.org 

Support during the process 

We The Curious is a Disability Confident Employer and we welcome applications from candidates who self-assess themselves as having a disability. We will guarantee an interview to applicants who advise that they have a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy. To help you, under the Equality Act 2010 a person is defined as having a disability if a) they have a physical or mental impairment, and b) the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. 

We want to work with you to ensure the recruitment process is accessible for you. 

If you are disabled, neurodivergent, or if you have a long-term health condition, we’ll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to our processes for you. 

You’ll have the opportunity to let us know about any adjustments you may need throughout the application and selection process. We’ll continue this conversation if you join us as a staff member, and we’ll work with you to make sure you have the adjustments you need to succeed in your role. 

Examples of adjustments could include: 

_providing alternative formats at every stage 

_options to apply  

_extra time for tasks 

_providing some extra information about what to expect 

_office orientation before an in-person interview. 

Including everyone  

We value the positive impact greater representation will have on our organisation, programmes and culture. It’s our goal to become an inclusive place to work and for our teams to better reflect our city and the people who visit us.  

We welcome applications from people of all lived experiences and particularly those that are not well represented* in the science centre sector.  

​*By not well represented we mean people with lived experience including but not limited to:​ 

_African and African-Caribbean heritage​ 

_South Asian and East Asian heritage ​ 

_Global Majority  

_Disabled​ 

_Neurodivergent ​ 

_Visually Impaired ​ 

_Deaf community 

_LGBTQIA+ and/or non-binary   ​ 

_Working class background​ 

_Didn’t go to university or first in your immediate family to attend University 

Working with us 

We value the people that work with us. Our staff have access to the following:  

Wellbeing & support  

_Flexible working  

_Hybrid working (if suitable and stated for role)  

_Cycle to work scheme  

_Free yearly flu jabs and eye tests  

_Paid sick leave for physical and mental health  

_Mental Health First Aiders  

_Confidential advice & counselling through the Employee Support Programme  

Leave  

_25 days in addition to bank holidays.  

_A day of extra holiday for every 5 years' service   

_An amount of paid leave for emergency dependent care, domestic emergency leave and compassionate leave  

New Parent Policy  

We are proud to be a family friendly organisation, which is why we work to develop our people practices in line with that value. We have recently introduced a non-gendered approach to Maternity and Paternity, re-branded as our “New Parent Policy”. There are eligibility criteria and terms and conditions, but the key take away is that anyone who is due to become a new parent, regardless of their gender, can take 1 year off work, and we’ll pay your full salary for the first five months.   

Facilities & discounts  

_Free tickets to the venue for you and up to four guests, plus 12 additional entry tickets per calendar year to give away.  

_15% off in the We The Curious café   

_20% off in our shop  

_Range of discounts with local businesses and free entry to other local attractions.  

_Social events  

_Secure cycle storage  

Pension  

_We offer a pension scheme with 5% company contributions.  

 Death in service benefit  

_Four times your annual salary.