Assistant Facilities and Operations Manager

The position

In the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter, the Aga Khan Centre (AKC) is a place for education, knowledge, cultural exchange & insight into Muslim Civilisations & is home to three organisations founded by His Highness the Aga Khan, The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS), the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC) & the Aga Khan Foundation United Kingdom (AKF(UK))

This role is responsible for supporting the Facilities & Operations Manager (FOM) in managing the effective functioning of the Aga Khan Centre to provide safe, efficient, legally compliant & environmentally friendly spaces for residents, employees, students & visitors

The Assistant Facilities & Operations Manager will be responsible for providing a seamless support service to assist with managing & delivering high quality proactive & reactive maintenance to a standard which is in accordance with the nature of the Aga Khan Centre & provides value for money. The role covers all aspects of repairs & maintenance including plumbing, air conditioning, electrics, building fabric, health & safety & emergency support & requires the postholder to be hands on, supporting the maintenance team with technical support, knowledge & coordination as well as executing PPM plans, managing contractors & overseeing & inspecting works

This role is an office-based role, Monday to Friday. Working hours: 8 hrs/day (including a 1-hour unpaid break) to be worked flexibly within the hours of 8am & 6pm

RESPONSIBILITIES

AKC Building Operations

• Assist in the supervision of teams responsible for the reception, security & cleaning, supporting the FOM in maintaining effective service delivery
• Support the preparation & ongoing maintenance of the Facilities Management (FM) Plan for AKC, contributing to the approach taken for each hard & soft FM service
• Act as a first POC for technical queries, ensure the correct supplier is allocated to resolve issues
• Support the monitoring of PPM completion, remedial actions, statutory gaps & contractor follow-up, ensuring issues are escalated promptly
• Act on defects highlighted in suppliers’ reports & support the resolution process, following up on any unresolved issues that could affect plant or equipment performance & safety
• Ensure the AKC maintenance reporting system & CAFM system are kept up to date
• Handle suppliers’ reports & supply a level of technical advice to ensure compliance with the relevant legislation
• Support supplier performance & audit records
• Support the implementation of the Health & Safety policy for AKC, liaising with outsourced consultants to help AKC remain compliant & required checks are carried out
• Adhere to the AKC environmental policy
• Liaise with the Estate Landlord & agents regarding estate management, central services, infrastructure & security issues & maintenance of the public realm around AKC

AKC Building Administration

• Assist in the preparation of the annual operational plan & budget for the AKC building management team
• Ensure that safeguarding processes are embedded into all building management operations, building management supplier contracts & building management policies & processes, along with the risk register
• Assist the building management team in supporting events management with all large & complex events

People Management

• Support the AKF(UK) Senior Management Team in promoting a culture of teamwork & service, high-quality, transparency & accountability, innovation, & inclusiveness
• Assist in the supervision, coaching & mentoring of building management staff, supporting the development of a highly skilled & motivated team

Carry out other duties assigned by the FOM.

The requirements

Qualifications

• A degree in Facilities Management or similar qualification would be an advantage.

Experience

• Staff management
• Managing third-party contractors
• Managing complex mechanical, electrical & plumbing systems
• Managing planned preventative maintenance for hard & soft services
• Working in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment
• Planning programmes of work for maintenance in accordance with the buildings requirements & identifying gaps in the maintenance strategy.
• Identifying trends & developing/implementing management reports.
• Experience in a similar field e.g. school, university or charity.

Skills

• Good interpersonal, customer care & liaison with a wide range of stakeholders
• Ability to explain technical issues to non-technical personnel, to work both strategically operationally, to successfully manage time, plans & other related tasks
• Ability to continuously meet targets & surpass expectations
• Ability to lead, inspire & motivate a team to meet objectives
• Excellent written & verbal communication skills in English
• Commercially aware with good negotiating skills
• Excellent client facing skills
• Capable of working independently & collaboratively as part of a wider team
• Self-motivated, action-focused & a proactive approach
• Ability to always maintain a professional appearance & approach
• Proven ability to deal with change

Knowledge

• Knowledge of statutory legislation (Pressure Systems Safety Regs, HSG 274 Parts 1, 2, 3, 17th Edition Electrical Regs, LOLER, Working at Height Regs, etc.) & capable of verifying certification relating to the relevant statutory legislation
• Thorough understanding of building systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire safety)
• Working knowledge of a CAFM system (Concept Evolution, TABS FM etc.)
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office

Attributes

• Demonstrates equity, transparency & integrity with high ethical standards; is fair, honest & trustworthy with respect for confidentiality; inspires & builds trust & respect
• Respectful of diversity; sensitive towards others; open & understanding toward other people’s cultures, values, autonomy, & faiths; demonstrates compassion & empathy; is courteous to others with respect for their background, religion, gender & age
• Committed to upholding safeguarding standards towards all staff, volunteers, & beneficiaries of the organisation

Behaviours

• Communicates clearly & concisely, individually & across a broad scope of stakeholders & communities; expresses complex ideas & concepts in simple terms; listens to the views of others; changes communication styles to meet individual & audience needs; encourages dialogue & effective communication by others
• Has a customer focused approach, is flexible & always puts the good of others at the centre of decision making; optimises the culture of volunteerism & respect for others & is dedicated to AKF’s purpose & fulfilling the mission
• Inspires self & others to greater performance, professional standards & results; likes to get things done; accepts new challenges & opportunities to enable self-reliance & achievement of full potential; gives & receives timely balanced feedback
• Acknowledges creativity; adapts established methods for new uses; is focused on improving systems & processes; open to change; analyses, synthesises & challenges conventional thinking
• Drives commitment to delivering high quality results with cost-effective use of resources; sets appropriate deliverables & uses innovative working methods to develop capacity, capability & a sustainable environment; has a clear vision of outcome & communicates this to inspire resources

Must include CV & why you want to work for AKF(UK)

Closing Date: 19th July 2026

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK