Westminster School - Interim Head of Facilities Management

Summary

We are currently seeking to fill the position of Interim Head of Facilities Management .

Detail

Required for: as soon as possible

Location: across both Westminster School and Westminster Under School
Contract: full-time, temporary (12-month fixed-term contract)
Salary: £55,000 - £60,000 per annum

Benefits include:

• Free school meals when on-site
• 25 days paid holiday, as well as a discretionary Christmas shutdown period
• Generous School pension scheme
• Free access to the School’s leisure facilities, including a fitness gym (restricted hours). 
• Cycle to Work Scheme and season ticket loans following completion of our standard probation period 
• Private medical insurance (opt in).

The deadline for applications is midday on Monday 5th January 2026. Interviews will take place in-person shortly after the closing date.

The Head of Facilities Management is responsible for the effective and efficient delivery of a wide range of facilities services (hard and soft) at Westminster School, and the overall presentation of both school sites. This includes overseeing security, fire safety, waste management, laundry, events, and logistics, ensuring all services meet the highest standards of safety, compliance, and customer satisfaction. 

The Head of Facilities Management leads multiple teams and manages key service contracts, working closely with internal and external stakeholders to support the smooth and sustainable daily running of large and busy sites. They will uphold high standards, ensuring compliance, and driving continuous improvement of services that directly impact the daily life of pupils, staff, and visitors.

This role will report to the Assistant Director of Estates and Operations

Immediate Line Management Responsibility

• Security & Fire Manager
• Senior Porter
• Laundry Supervisor
• Front of House (reception) team 

Key Responsibilities

Contract Management & Logistics

• Oversee pest control, laundry, linen supplies, and waste management services across the sites.
• Manage service contracts for recycling, bulk and confidential waste, and compacting machines.
• Order and maintain furniture for common spaces, Day and Boarding Houses, and coordinate replacements as needed.
• Manage the school’s vehicle fleet, including maintenance, tax and MOT, permits, and incident response.

Security & Fire Safety

• Lead 24/7 security team, overseeing access control (ACT system), CCTV, and key management.
• Manage School security operations and systems to safeguard pupils, staff and parents, visitors and property, including monitoring and advising on any serious breaches of security.
• Liaise with police, Abbey, and other agencies on security matters, including major events and incidents.
• Represent the school on the Dean’s Yard Security Forum and participate in the Critical Incident Control Team.
• Act as Fire Officer, overseeing statutory servicing, fire drills, alarm systems, and fire risk assessments.
• Chair the Fire Safety Committee, with oversight for preparing agenda and papers, and report to the Health & Safety Committee.
• Respond to security and fire incidents across both sites, ensuring robust emergency procedures.

Team Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Line management of aforementioned teams, ensuring effective performance, and professional development of individuals.
• Act as the main interface between the School and Loadstone House for the cleaning and hospitality staff on both sites.
• Attend weekly operational briefings with the Deputy Head (Co-Curriculum, Events & Planning) representing facilities management to inform stakeholders at the Great School, and Under School as appropriate. 

Events & Support Services

• Liaise with internal stakeholders (e.g., Senior Management Committee/Team, Westminster School Enterprise Ltd, Loadstone House, Events & Planning Administrator, Day and Boarding internal House Teams, and external partners (e.g., Abbey, Church House, contractors)), to ensure the smooth running of facilities management, and school events, including;
  • Managing the set-up and support for school events, 
  • Coordinating with the different teams and services required (e.g., events bookings, porters and security)
• Maintain inventory and manage logistics for post, parcels, and laundry across the estate.

Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure all operations comply with statutory and regulatory requirements, including health and safety, fire, and environmental standards.
• Maintain accurate records and logs for key systems (e.g., access, keys, fire safety).
• Drive continuous improvement in service delivery, resource allocation, and team efficiency.

Site Presentation

• Ensure presentation is maintained to a tidy and clean standard at both sites by conducting daily/weekly site inspections and taking action to resolve any identified issues.
• Implementing a schedule programme of reviews to ensure the above takes place.

Other

• Any other activities as are required to support the Assistant Director of Estates & Operations.

Working at Westminster

Westminster School is a busy, purposeful and vibrant place to be and an excellent workplace. The community is made up of around 750 pupils, 120 teaching staff and 108 support staff.

Our staff are friendly and welcoming, and all newcomers quickly become part of the rhythm of life here.

There is a real sense of community here as, being a boarding school many members of staff and pupils live on site and the School’s premises are very much treated as a home away from home. School life starts before breakfast and continues way beyond the working day; as a result, there is always a lively atmosphere in and around School and always someone to share a tea and biscuit with in the Common Room. Support staff as much as teaching staff are encouraged to embrace the School’s day-to-day activities, whether that be attending an evening concert or a morning service in the Abbey.

At Westminster we will always select the best candidate for every position. We do know, however, that we can only truly choose the best person on every occasion if a broad and diverse pool of candidates see the job advertised and are encouraged to apply.

As such, we continue to work on how our job roles are encountered, and particularly welcome applications from groups who have traditionally been underrepresented here.

Westminster School is for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. We hope you are encouraged to apply.

The School

Westminster School is an independent day and boarding school for boys aged 13-18 and girls aged 16-18, with a long history, a distinctive ethos, and a unique sense of place in the very heart of London. Pupils achieve exceptional examination results and entrance to some of the top universities in the world. It is a busy, passionate and purposeful place where independent and deep thinking is enjoyed, encouraged and respected by all, and where holistic excellence is nurtured and valued.

While the School is one of the foremost centres of academic excellence in the country, its commitment to academic life does not make it a hothouse for passing examinations. Pupils’ success at examinations and entry to leading universities is instead a result of their enjoyment of academic enquiry, debate and search for explanation, well beyond published syllabuses. Pupils are intellectually, socially, ethically and politically engaged and our aim is to ensure that their enthusiasm for learning is developed further, allowing them to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to them in the future. At Westminster, pupils have the freedom to lead on projects outside of the classroom and embrace a whole range of extra-curricular activities and interests. A host of pupil-led societies take place every week at the School, often with expert guest speakers, and pupils can choose to study an additional language, play an instrument or two, volunteer in local primary schools, row along the Thames, take part in plays and musicals, and much more. 

The School’s ethos resides in the enduring values of the liberal tradition reflected in the 1560 Charter of Westminster’s Elizabethan foundation, where it is stated that: ‘the youth which is growing to manhood, as tender shoots in the wood of our state, shall be liberally instructed in good books to the greater honour of the state’. Whilst academic and cultural attainments are highly prized at Westminster, the School is fully committed also to each pupil’s spiritual, moral, emotional and physical development and wellbeing – with a particular emphasis on drawing out individual talent wherever it lies – and to prepare young people for fulfilled private and public lives.

From September 2028, the School will welcome both girls and boys at 13+ entry, offering a Westminster education to all. By 2026, Westminster Under School will have opened its brand new pre-prep for girls and boys at 4+ and girls will have joined boys in Years 3 and 7, at the 7+ and 11+ entry points. By 2030, all year groups at Westminster School and Westminster Under School, from ages four to 18, will be fully co-educational, reflecting the School’s dedication to inclusivity and excellence.

Documents

• Interim Head of Facilities Management - person specification PDF Document