Role Overview

The Global Facilities Director provides strategic and operational leadership for Facilities Management (FM) across the organisation’s global estate. This role holds full accountability for Hard FM, Soft FM, and supporting oversight of FM-aligned Security KPIs, ensuring operational excellence, compliance, and best-in-class service delivery.

This position requires a forward-thinking, collaborative leader capable of balancing global consistency with local operational realities. The Director will champion innovation, drive performance, embed best practice, and ensure FM operations support the company’s strategic, financial, and sustainability goals.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Facilities Management

• Develop and deliver a unified global FM strategy integrating Hard FM and Soft FM under a framework of operational excellence, safety, and innovation.

• Oversee global FM performance to ensure asset reliability, service quality, customer experience, and operational efficiency meet or exceed KPIs.

• Ensure both in-house teams and outsourced partners operate to industry best practice standards, using global benchmarks while adapting to local markets.

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement through smart building systems, technology-enabled FM solutions, automation, and data-driven innovation.

• Maintain full compliance with all local legislative, health, safety, and environmental requirements while aligning with global FM governance and audit frameworks.

• Lead FM strategy across both in-house and outsourced delivery models, ensuring consistent standards and KPIs regardless of operating structure.

• Build strong partnerships with Property, Real Estate, Security, IT, HR, and Sustainability to deliver integrated facilities and workplace solutions.

• Partner with the Global Energy & Sustainability team to support decarbonisation initiatives, energy optimisation, and sustainability projects, leveraging both vendors and in-house teams.

2. Tendering, Procurement & Commercial Management

• Lead, in partnership with Procurement, the full tendering lifecycle for global and regional FM contracts — market analysis, specifications, negotiations, award, and mobilisation.

• Develop commercially robust service agreements with clear SLAs, measurable KPIs, and transparent governance frameworks.

• Ensure tender outcomes support competitive value, innovation, and alignment with corporate objectives.

• Establish performance-based contracts, incorporating incentive and penalty mechanisms to drive excellence.

• Conduct ongoing benchmarking and market testing to maintain value for money and service quality across both internal and external FM models.

• Collaborate with Procurement and Legal to oversee vendor lifecycle management, ensuring contractual compliance, ethical sourcing, and financial discipline across FM vendors.

• Manage and oversee the transition and mobilisation of FM contracts, ranging from £5m to £150m, ensuring minimal business disruption.

• Provide full accountability for project management and transition of outsourced services globally, delivered through a combination of hands-on oversight, remote leadership, and coordination with vendors, consultants, and in-house teams.

3. Performance Management & KPI Framework

• Design and govern a global FM performance and KPI framework, ensuring consistent expectations and outcomes across all delivery models.

• Define measurable KPIs in areas including:

  • Operational Performance: uptime, planned vs. reactive ratios, service reliability

  • Customer Satisfaction: workplace experience, resolution rates, feedback trends

  • Financial Performance: budget adherence, cost per sq. ft/m², efficiency

  • Compliance & Safety: audit results, HSE incidents, statutory maintenance

  • Sustainability & ESG: energy intensity, waste reduction, green building performance

  • Security Alignment: facilities contributions to corporate security and resilience

• Deploy data-driven monitoring tools (CAFM/IWMS, dashboards, analytics) to enable consistent evaluation across regions.

• Lead quarterly performance reviews with regional leaders and vendors to assess results, share best practices, and support global accountability.

4. Financial Stewardship & Budget Optimisation

• Own the global FM budgeting process, driving accountability and cost optimisation.

• Develop and manage OPEX and CAPEX plans, ensuring critical FM assets are integrated into the 2-year, 5-year, and 10-year capital forecasts.

• Identify operational efficiencies through innovation, automation, and strategic sourcing.

• Ensure consistent financial reporting and forecasting to support executive decision-making and long-term planning.

5. Leadership, Governance & Collaboration

• Lead, mentor, and inspire regional FM teams and strategic supplier partners.

• Promote a culture of safety, compliance, continuous improvement, and inclusion across all FM operations.

• Implement a robust governance framework ensuring adherence to global FM standards and ethical practices.

• Serve as the organisation’s global FM subject matter expert, advising senior leadership on industry trends, regulatory changes, and innovation opportunities.

• Partner with Security, Real Estate, and Sustainability to deliver cohesive workplace solutions with a focus on safety, resilience, and wellbeing.

Required Skills & Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a senior Facilities Management role within a global or multi-region organisation, overseeing both Hard and Soft FM.

• Proven experience leading blended FM models (in-house and outsourced) with strong governance frameworks.

• Strong knowledge of international FM legislation, compliance standards, and environmental regulations.

• Demonstrated success in FM tendering, contract management, and budget ownership.

• Experience building and managing global KPI and performance frameworks.

• Strong understanding of CAFM/CMMS systems and technology-enabled FM solutions.

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills across diverse cultures and business levels.

• NEBOSH or equivalent H&S qualification required.

• Professional accreditation (IWFM, IFMA, CFM, or equivalent) highly desirable.

• Technical background or qualification is beneficial but not essential.

We’re growing fast and alongside a fun and friendly environment, we offer a fabulous package and amazing prospects – ideal if you’re already fantastic and want to become even better (our magic can help here).  Benefits include Pension, Life Assurance, discretionary company bonus, 25 days’ holiday and, of course, a Merlin Magic Pass which gives you and your friends and family free admission to all of our attractions worldwide, as well as 25% discount in our retail shops and restaurants and 40% discount on LEGO.