Job Description

Facilities Manager

Job title:	Facilities Manager
Employer:	Marston Vale Services t/a The Forest Centre Limited
Location:	The Forest Centre & Millennium Country Park, Station Road, Marston Moretaine,Bedfordshire MK43 0PR.
Contract & hours:	Permanent, full-time position, 37.5 hours per weekFlexibility over shift times wil be required and some out-of-hours, weekend andbank holiday working will be required.
Reporting to:	Director
Liaison with:	Internal: Senior Leadership Team, Forest Centre Management Team, Forest CentreTeam, Forest Team, VolunteersExternal: Suppliers and contractors, Forest Centre visitors and clients
Responsible for:	Contractors (including but not limited to: Cleaning, Hygiene, Waste Management,Security, Pest Control and Maintenance). Team members and volunteers assignedon an ad hoc basis.

Job Function and Purpose:

Management of the Forest Centre buildings, equipment, infrastructure and immediate environs to ensure visitors and staff can enjoy clean, functional and well-presented spaces in comfort and safety. Ensuring compliance with Company and statutory requirements and procedures at all times.

The Facilities Manager is the nominated Health and Safety Officer for the site and nominated Fire Officer for the organisation.

The Facilities Manager is the primary responder for alarm (security and fire) activations and other out-of-hours incidents and leads on site security.

Main duties and responsibilities

To maintain the Forest Centre, its infrastructure, equipment and immediate environs, ensuring that all areas are well-presented and safe for staff, clients and visitors, and the efficient operation of all systems.
To ensure compliance with all Company procedures, insurers’ requirements and statutory requirements, including Health and Safety, Fire Safety and Security.
To manage site and building access and egress, including providing visitor/client welcome, orientation and support when required.
To prepare rooms and other spaces for clients, visitors and internal needs, managing workload and shift patterns to ensure a seamless transition between different clients and uses of space.
To take responsibility for site security and Company property (including cash, stock and other assets), ensuring best practice and compliance with Company procedures.
To ensure PPM and other planned works are appropriately scheduled and completed, on budget and with minimal impact on building operations; and that failures, breakdowns and unscheduled maintenance tasks are addressed effectively and in a timely manner.
To manage suppliers and contractors effectively, maintaining the quality and integrity of all supplies; compliance with statutory and Company requirements; and budget controls.
To lead by example, championing and demonstrating best practice in Health and Safety, Fire Safety, Security and Environmental Management.
To regularly audit HSEQ systems to ensure their successful delivery; implementing corrective actions and cascading lessons learnt.
To investigate accidents and near misses in a timely manner; implementing corrective actions and ensuring opportunities for improvement are reported and cascaded.
To support new starter inductions and the nurturing and development of team members, identifying and supporting relevant team training needs.
To be a First Aider and Fire Warden.
To deliver great service and an effortless experience to visitors and clients, directly and via support to other teams. Acknowledging and acting upon customer needs in a positive and pro-active manner, responding to both customer approaches and operational observations.
To support the development and implementation of Company initiatives.
To recommend and deliver improvements to systems and operations to support improvements to service, budget savings or revenue opportunities.
To manage any volunteers, staff, budgets and other resources in a responsible manner to effectively deliver agreed duties and responsibilities.
To promote the Forest of Marston Vale, and represent the interests of the Forest of Marston Vale Trust and its subsidiaries – be an ambassador for the Forest.
To apply all policies and procedures of the Trust and its subsidiaries, including those relating to Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities.
To take a positive role in relation to Customer Care and Quality Programmes and actively foster good public relations.
To undertake duties of a similar level and responsibility as and when required, in accordance with delivering the aims and objectives of the Forest of Marston Vale Trust.

Prepared by:

Grant Sorrell, Director

May 2026

Person specification

Facilities Manager

Essential

A self-starter, confident in taking ownership of their designated areas of responsibility. Experienced in buildings management and maintenance; Health and Safety; security; AV/IT; customer facing; contractor management; budget management.

• A good mix of practical hands-on experience and skills to provide for the in-house completion of maintenance, repair and project tasks.

• Welcoming and approachable to clients, visitors and team members, delivering excellence in customer service as an ambassador for the Forest Centre and wider charity.

• Flexible in approach to duties, working hours and shift patterns; the nature of the role means that split shifts, out-of-hours and weekend work may be required, especially during the peak season.

• A planner by nature, able to schedule duties and activities to suit the ongoing and changing needs of the operation.

Understands and delivers best practice and statutory compliance across all areas of responsibility. Holds a recognised Health and Safety qualification (minimum IOSH Managing Safely, NEBOSH an advantage) and recognises the importance of a culture that prioritises the safety and wellbeing of staff and visitors.

Confident in managing external contractors to deliver routine and exceptional works (including cleaning, PPM, building and equipment repairs, and capital projects).

• Understands and can manage budgets to deliver required activities within departmental targets.

Leads by example and demonstrates best practice at all times.

Holds a full UK Driving Licence.

Good IT skills (MS Office).

• Willing to work flexibly outside the specific role if required by the needs of the organisation.

Desirable

Holds Emergency First Aid at Work or First Aid at Work (or the ability and willingness to successfully complete training within the first 3 months of employment).

• Forklift and Telehandler trained (or the ability to successfully complete training on appointment).

IPAF: MEWP Categories 1b – Static Boom; 3a Mobile Vertical; 3b Mobile Boom (or the ability to successfully complete training within an agreed timeframe).

Experience of biomass boilers would be an advantage.

Environmentally aware / experience of Environmental Management, including recycling (and Simpler Recycling), reducing the use of energy, water and other resources, minimising wastage and reducing environmental impact.

Awareness/understanding of “Martyn’s Law”.

Understanding of Food Safety requirements and how they impact buildings management and maintenance would be an advantage.

• Passionate about tree planting and improving our natural environment for the benefit of people and the planet.

THE FOREST OF MARSTON VALE TRUST

1 role available