House and Facilities Manager

House and Facilities Manager

Sir John Soane’s Museum is the idiosyncratic house‐museum of the great Regency architect Sir
John Soane (1753–1837), and displays his collection of antiquities, furniture, models and paintings
as they were left at the time of his death as well as housing 30,000 architectural drawings and a
fine library.  We are required to keep the house and collection ‘as nearly as possible’ as they were
at the time of Sir John Soane’s death in 1837.

LOCATION        Holborn, London

REPORTS TO:   Deputy Director

MANAGES:       Facilities Co-ordinator
                           Facilities Apprentice

OVERALL PURPOSE AND ROLE

The Museum is seeking an exceptional House and Facilities Manager to work with the
Conservation, Curatorial and front of house teams to ensure the safe operation and maintenance
of the three Grade I listed buildings which comprise this small but high-profile national museum,
which has 150,000 visitors a year.

The postholder is responsible for building maintenance, fire safety and prevention, security and in
overall charge of Health and Safety, reporting to the Deputy Director.

The role includes regular review and updating of the Museum’s fire safety and security strategies,
procedures, procurement and staff training. The postholder is responsible for all matters of
compliance and best practice related to Health & Safety, Fire and other relevant regulations. The
House and Facilities Manager is the principal key holder and a member of the Emergency Key
team.

Key projects 2026-27: implementation of the recommendations of the Quinquennial review of the
building fabric and of a recent Health and Safety review (2026) .

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

General / Management

•  To be familiar with all aspects of the building and its services and related rules/procedures;
•  Line Manage the Facilities Co-ordinator and Facilities Apprentice

•  Prepare quarterly reports for the Board of Trustees and other reports as requested by the

Deputy Director;

•  Provide information and records for inspection as part of annual internal audit;

•  Develop a sustainability plan with colleagues and promote and advocate for environmental

sustainability with particular regard to buildings, facilities and security;

•  For exhibitions, major building projects or exceptional activities/events advise relevant

departments on health & safety, security and fire issues;

•  Provide security, fire safety and health and safety induction for all new staff;
•  Develop a detailed knowledge of the Museum, with training from the Museum’s curatorial

team, in order to be able to assist as required with events, tours etc

•  Be available ‘on call’ out of normal working hours and to attend the museum in an

emergency.

Buildings/Facilities Management

•

Liaise with the Museum’s architects, the Deputy Director and the Head of Conservation to
define and organise building maintenance and capital works ensuring that nothing is done,
however minor, that could damage or compromise our historic buildings; this will include
o  helping with submissions for funding, obtaining quotations, tendering contracts in

accordance with the procurement policy

o  obtaining Camden council permissions / assisting with listed building consent

applications

•  Supervise and manage external building and mechanical and electrical services contractors

and consultants;

o  Ensure all contractors receive appropriate induction
o  arranging access, ensuring materials and scaffolding are brought in and erected

safely;

o  ensuring all protocols are followed including those for hot work;
o  ensuring that contractors are escorted/supervised at all times.
o  ensure premises are secure 24/7 when building contractors are on site;

•  Oversee facilities management including internal and external staff/contractors for
cleaning, waste management, servicing of systems (lift, boiler) and equipment etc.,
•  Review and re-tender security, fire, lift, boiler and other systems maintenance/call-out

contracts as required;

•  Organise annual  electricaltesting and  PAT and emergency lighting tests;
•  Monitor all utilities implementing sustainable energy usage whenever possible;
•  Regularly check roofs, scaffolding etc. as well as the Museum’s historic interiors – this role

does require an appropriate level of physical fitness;

•  Carry out or organise routine maintenance e.g. renewal of light bulbs, batteries etc.
•  Ensure that staff are trained as necessary in the use of the fall arrest system and roof

access generally and in other areas as required e.g. ladder training; erecting the Museum’s
scaffold tower;

•  Assist with general deliveries and with the running of the various stores, on and off-site.
•  Support the front of house team with the set-up for events as required.
•  Support the exhibitions team with installation and deinstallation of table cases and taking
them to and from off-site stores, with the appropriate notice; it is important for the HFM
to be familiar with the exhibition programme and advise/assist as necessary with matters
such as temporary lighting/electrical/audio installations, deliveries etc.

Security

•  Monitor the national terrorism threat level and other security risks and developments

locally, nationally & internationally, via the Museum Security Group, and advise the Senior
Management Team as necessary.

•  Ensure adequate steps are being taken to safeguard and mitigate/eliminate risks to people,

buildings and collections 24 hours a day including making sure:
o  security systems meet operational requirements;
o  the night-guarding contract working well making sure there is regular contact with the
account manager and ensuring that guards are properly briefed on all aspects of their
role and that the SLA with the service provider and all emergency contact details are
up to date and fit for purpose;

o  night guards are booked for any bank holiday/additional cover required over and

above the core service;

o  all necessary security policies/procedures are in place & regularly reviewed;
o  security risk assessments of Museum activities are undertaken and recorded;
o  all Duty Managers, staff, volunteers and contractors receive appropriate security,

counter terrorism and incident response training;

•  Respond to alarm activations and other emergencies (including out of hours);
•  Administer the out of hours security contract;

Fire safety

•  Ensure the Museum complies with all relevant legislation;
•  Ensure Fire Risk Assessment, Policies and Procedures are in place, implemented and

regularly reviewed and updated;

•  Ensure Fire Alarms are tested weekly, fire equipment in place and regularly serviced,
evacuation drills take place and staff and volunteers receive fire safety training;

•  Ensure procedures are in place to minimise fire risk when contractors are on site - including

hot work permits and end of day site inspections;

•  Liaise with the Emergency Services as and when required;
•  Liaise with external advisors as required;
•  Monitor developments in fire safety and advise accordingly.

Disaster and Business Continuity

•  Part of the Emergency Key team;
•  Assist with the development and implementation of the Museum’s emergency plans,

including delivering staff training;

•  Ensure information on building services/utilities/procedures and contractor/provider

contact details are reviewed and updated regularly.

Health and Safety

•  Serve as Health and Safety Officer and ensure:

o  regular maintenance and testing of all building services;
o  equipment is tested annually, is safe to use and is used correctly by trained staff (e.g.

Museum’s tower scaffold)

o  safe movement of Museum objects (assisting conservation, curatorial & exhibitions

teams)

o  safe access is provided for disabled visitors including training Duty Managers and staff

to use lifts, wheelchairs, evac chairs etc.

•  Convene and chair the internal Health & Safety Committee (every 2 months), ensuring

meeting are minuted and a rolling action plan maintained

•  Ensure policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and implemented;
•  Ensure Health and Safety documentation, including risk assessments and method

statements, is in place and records are maintained and up to date;

•  Ensure Health and Safety training (including COSHH and First Aid) is up to date;
•  Liaise with external advisors as required;
•  Provide an annual report on health and safety annually (April) to the Trustees’ Finance,

Audit and Risk Committee.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

You will be a hands-on, practical and energetic buildings manager with a problem-solving
approach. Ideally, you will have experience of working in a historic house open to the public and
used to working with limited resources. You will also be happy working alongside visitor services
to ensure that the logistics of deliveries, building work, events etc. work smoothly and to maintain
excellent staff and volunteer training.  You must be able to work at height and need to be able to
go onto the Museum’s complex roofs when required.

Essential

•  Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work in a collaborative and diplomatic
manner and build strong, respectful and collaborative working relationships with
colleagues and external stakeholders;

•  Track record of anticipating/managing risks and the ability to take decisions/actions to

mitigate and resolve issues;

•  Experience in handling demanding situations demanding a rapid response;
•  Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and an appetite to learn.
•  Sound Health and Safety knowledge

Desirable

•  Experience of working in a historic building/museum/heritage setting where sensitivity to
that environment and attention to the care of collections, fragile surfaces and interiors is
paramount;

•  A relevant degree or professional qualification(s);
•  Experience managing teams;
•  Experience of running a listed building open to the public;
•  Knowledge of Government Procurement rules and process

Skills and Competencies

•  Knowledge of legislation and best practice in Health & Safety and of Fire safety and

Security;

•  Knowledge/experience of security systems e.g. CCTV, Intruder alarms etc.
•  Experience of managing and procuring fire alarm and/or security systems and in delivering

training in such systems to staff

•  Knowledge of relevant legislation and best practices in Fire Safety / building management

in historic buildings;

•  Knowledge/experience of maintaining a historic building and working with contractors;
•  Knowledge/experience of improving sustainability and taking measures to reduce

environmental impact;

•  Experience of financial management – ability to manage a budget;
•  Effective strategic planning skills;
•  Ability to prioritise and work on multiple tasks
•  Excellent communication skills (verbal and written)
•  Practical and hands-on approach;

•  A friendly, confident and approachable manner;
•  Demonstrable ability to work co-operatively with others;

You will be expected to live within a reasonable travelling time of the Museum and to be available
and/or flexible in case of emergencies falling within your off-duty hours.

The successful candidate will demonstrate that they are genuinely enthusiastic about working in
this unique institution.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

•  Senior Management team
•  Head of Conservation and the Head of Visitor Experience and Operations
•  Facilities Co-ordinator
•  Duty Managers
•  Volunteer Manager
•  The Museum’s Architects (Julian Harrap Architects)
•  External contractors e.g. Buildings Maintenance, Security and Fire system providers

WORKING HOURS
This role is full time, 35hours, Monday to Friday. Flexibility will be expected as occasional
Saturday, Sunday and evening work will be required for which TOIL will be given; out of hours call-
out arrangements are required.  Normal working hours will be worked between 8am and 6pm but
it is proposed that they are worked flexibly to suit the post-holder and the Museum’s operational
requirements. Our hybrid working policy allows for working from home one day a week, after the
completion of the probationary period.

SALARY  £43,190 p.a.

PERMANENT CONTRACT

ANNUAL LEAVE
26.5 days per annum plus an additional privilege day taken on Christmas Eve and all Bank Holidays

PENSION AND OTHER BENEFITS

The postholder will be entitled to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme

Free entry to a wide range of other museum and galleries in the UK and abroad.
Interest free season ticket or bicycle loan.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Please email a CV with a covering letter to recruitment@soane.org.uk outlining how your skills and
experience meet the person specification . Please include the details of 2 referees.

Closing date for applications is 5pm Wednesday 4 March 2026.
First stage interviews will be held in the Museum on Friday 20 March 2026

Sir John Soane’s Museum is an equal opportunities employer committed to equality, diversity and
inclusion and welcomes applications from all backgrounds.