We believe in giving you more time to do the things you love outside of work
Job Title: Facilities Manager
Location: Abbey Gardens School, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 6SA
Hours: 40 hours per week | Monday to Friday | 7.30am - 3.30pm
Salary: Up to £35,000 per annum (depending on experience, not pro rata)
Contract: Permanent | 52 Weeks
Start: June 2026
UK applicants only – no sponsorship available
About the Role
We are looking for an experienced, proactive and hands-on Facilities Manager to join our team and play a vital role in creating safe, welcoming and high-quality spaces where pupils and staff can thrive. This is more than a facilities role — it’s an opportunity to lead, innovate and make a visible difference every day. You'll take ownership of the school environment, ensuring our facilities operate efficiently, safely and to the highest standards.
If you’re an organised leader who enjoys solving problems, managing teams and delivering excellent service, this could be the perfect next step in your career.
This is a varied, hands-on role where no two days are the same. Alongside leading facilities services, you’ll also play an active role in caretaking duties, carrying out repairs, troubleshooting maintenance issues and ensuring the school environment remains safe, welcoming and fully operational.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the facilities ensuring high standards across maintenance, domestic services, catering, and housekeeping.
- Plan, prioritise, and manage all responsive, cyclical, and planned maintenance, including capital and operational expenditure.
- Monitor, audit, and quality‑check all work schedules, contractor performance, and completed projects to ensure value for money.
- Ensure full compliance with Health & Safety, food hygiene, fire safety, COSHH, and all regulatory requirements.
- Oversee procurement and correct use of equipment, vehicles, chemicals, and supplies to support efficient service delivery.
- Respond to repair requests, assess needs, coordinate solutions, and act as first response to environmental or maintenance issues.
About You
- Proven experience managing facilities, maintenance teams, and contractors within a multi‑site or education/care environment.
- Strong knowledge of Health & Safety, fire safety, food hygiene, COSHH, and regulatory compliance.
- Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage planned and reactive workloads effectively.
- Confident people leadership skills, including supervision, performance management, training, and supporting staff wellbeing.
- A practical, hands‑on approach with sound problem‑solving ability and the resilience to respond to emergencies and out‑of‑hours issues.
- Driving licence required
About Us
Papworth Hall School is in the picturesque village in Cambridgeshire. It is within close proximity to Huntingdon and Cambridge. Our new specialist school caters for young people with complex communication needs, autism and associated learning and emotional needs and has the capacity for 30 students.
For over 19 years, Options Autism has provided specialist care and education for children, young people, and adults with autism, complex needs, and learning difficulties. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are pioneering innovative, evidence-based approaches that deliver meaningful, measurable outcomes for everyone in our care.
We are really proud to say that in 2025 Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.
Why Join Us?
We place pupils and vulnerable young adults at the heart of everything we do, so every day brings the satisfaction of making a real difference. We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.
- Life Assurance
- Pension scheme with options to increase contributions
- “Your Wellbeing Matters” – mental health support and physical health checks
- Flexible Benefits Platform (Vista), including:
- Health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
- Hundreds of UK and international discounts
- Cycle to Work Scheme & Electric Car Purchase Scheme
- Critical illness cover
- Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and paid fertility treatment support
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
Outcomes First Group is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, Outcomes First Group does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.
#1
