ESTATES & FACILITIES MANAGER CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
ABOUT US HISTORY OF GUNNERSBURY THE PARK JOB DESCRIPTION HOW TO APPLY
ABOUT US
A vibrant oasis in west London, Gunnersbury has so much to offer. A Grade II* listed heritage park, a recently renovated museum celebrating west London’s rich multi cultural and multi faith histo- ry, summer festivals, a brand-new sports facility, an inclusive, exciting public programme, 1 million visitors per year… and we're just getting started. Where are we going? We want to make Gunnersbury not just good but outstanding. First and foremost this means that Gunnersbury must be welcoming with excel- lent facilities which are always maintained to the highest standards. But more than this, we want to excite and delight. We want Gunnersbury to offer a rich variety of experiences and services that attract the widest possible range of visitors and add value to their lives. Gunnersbury is exceptionally fortunate in both heritage and landscape. We want to restore and
open up our buildings and gardens and parkland, and provide a rich mix of cultural and museum and learning services. We want to encourage dis- covery, with opportunities for people to explore and learn about the past that has shaped our present times, and understand and appreciate the natural world we inhabit. Furthermore, we want Gunnersbury to be known as a resource for health and well-being, with ar- eas of natural and informal beauty, quiet spaces, family activity, sport and exercise, recreation and play. Above all we want Gunnersbury to be alive all the year round with people, from all backgrounds and cultures, income levels and walks of life. And beyond the park we want our offsite work and digital platforms to reach out and engage peo- ple from every part of Ealing and Hounslow, and beyond.
HISTORY OF GUNNERSBURY
A good starting point for the history of Gun- nersbury is the late 7th century, when the Saxon Kings of Essex were establishing a new Christian Bishopric and Cathedral for London. The Bishop of London was endowed with the Manor of Ful- ham, a vast west London estate administered from the Bishop’s Palace through local manors (a form of sub-contracted management and tax collection). Within it, Gunnersbury is first re- corded in 1347, and a description of it around 30 years later is of a small estate of both arable and pasture, in a rather run-down condition. For the next 200 years it was held by the Frowykes, a family of London merchants and lawyers. There would have been a manor house, which may possibly have been near to the junc- tion of today’s Popes Lane and North Circular Road. Archaeological evidence suggests it may have been enlarged and upgraded in the late 15th century, as fashionable brick and tile was replacing timber and thatch. This was the estate acquired by John Maynard during Cromwell’s Protectorate in the mid-17th century. Maynard was a successful lawyer from Tavistock who had been called to the bar in 1626. He practiced in the West Country and in the courts at Westminster Hall. His wife Eliza- beth (the mother of his children) died in 1655. Maynard’s second wife, Jane, was wealthy in her own right. By 1658 they were transforming the estate by building a mansion in the Palladian style and laying out a new walled garden. With 44 hearths, it was the largest house in the area, even visible from across the river in Richmond. It stood until 1800. Maynard’s will was so complex it took nearly 50 years of court cases and Acts of Parliament to settle, and the estate was in a run-down condi- tion by the time it was bought by the merchant Henry Furnese, MP, in 1730.
merchant whose yard was close to Copland’s in Westminster. Two new villas were built in 1802 – Gunnersbury Park House for Copland (today’s Museum) and Gunnersbury House for Cosser. Both estates were walled around. Copland laid out the Italian Garden behind the Temple with a circle of plant- ing and basket beds. When Nathan and Hannah Rothschild bought Copland’s estate in the 1830s, they added the Orangery beside the Horseshoe Pond and the Stables beyond their neighbour’s south wall. They also re-modelled their mansion. Under the Rothschilds the farm building on the west side of the estate was converted into a thatched or- namental farm. Cosser’s villa went through a number of owners and was enlarged and remodelled, particularly after a major fire, until it too was acquired by the Rothschild family in the 1880s. The wall between the estates was demolished – it is now a main tree-lined path. Both estates invested heavily in horticultural improvements,
and both head gardeners remained employed even after the merger. The estate was also greatly enlarged to the west by the purchase of Brentford’s Common Field and the clay pit and pottery which were converted into the Potomac Lake and Tower. The 18th century perimeter wall was demol- ished and a new carriage entrance and gate- house was built in the south-west corner. Leopold de Rothschild died in 1917. His son Eve- lyn, who would have inherited Gunnersbury, died in the same year fighting in Palestine. The planned Great West Road would change the area, and the estate was becoming neglected. Despite the pressure for house-building, the Boroughs of Ealing and Acton thought Gun- nersbury would make an ideal public park and invested in converting it for 13 different sports and recreation activities, hoping the income would reduce the cost of maintenance. The Boroughs of Brentford and Chiswick joined in soon after. The grand opening ceremony was on the 21st May 1926.
Furnese was fashionable, aware of aesthetic trends and a wealthy collector of pictures. His first actions in his garden were to try to make the walls of the terraces more authentic, but very soon he followed the new trend of shaping a more natural landscape by opening up to the west, converting farmland into parkland, con- structing the Round Pond and Temple, setting up a new walled kitchen garden, replacing the terracing with sloping lawns and water and add- ing some garden buildings (now lost) around the new perimeter wall. It was this estate which Princess Amelia bought in 1762. She added the shell grotto and a chap- el. She may also have added “The Mews” to the forecourt - for 14 horses and 7 carriages. In 1800 this large estate was bought for devel- opment – the mansion demolished, its materi- als sold, and the parkland divided into 13 plots for fashionable villas. Gradually the estate was re-assembled by Alex- ander Copland, a wealthy Scottish builder, save for one plot bought by Stephen Cosser, a timber
JOB DESCRIPTION Job Title:
Estates & Facilities Manager Head of Operations & Commercial
Reports to:
Responsible for:
Parks & Gardening team, GM contract, FM contract, Buildings Assistant
Hours:
F/T not less than 37.5 hours/week
Location:
Gunnersbury Park & Museum (the role is site-based)
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE • To lead on the Planned Preventative Main- tenance program and Improvement & Up- grade works of the buildings and park, day- to-day repairs and facilities management • To engage with and manage external con- tractors whilst ensuring the conservation and upkeep of the heritage buildings and parkland • To focus on sustainable and ecologically sound solutions to maintenance and up- grade issues • To lead on Health & Safety management for the organisation • Adhere to financial protocols and manage the Estates and Facilities budget • To lead on the security of buildings includ- ing the management and maintenance of the CCTV system • Provide leadership and support to the Parks and Gardens team and Buildings Assistant • Support the wider Gunnersbury Park & Mu- seum management team as required, col- laborating particularly closely with the Op- erations Manager to ensure that all aspects of the estate provide a safe and welcoming environment for all staff and visitors • To lead on Health & Safety management by undertaking regular audits of the buildings and parkland, identifying hazards and tak- ing corrective action • To ensure Risk Assessments, Method Statements and safe working practices and paperwork are up to date and in place for all areas • To keep up to date records of accidents, in- cidents and near misses; investigate causes and carry out corrective action as required, ensuring information/updates/procedural change is presented at operations meetings • To carry out Health & Safety training ses- sions and refreshers with all staff and volun- teers on a periodic basis, ensuring that any MAIN DUTIES AND ACTIVITIES Health & Safety
changes in legislation are communicated to the whole team • To ensure all contractors attending the site have completed the Safety Induction be- fore commencing work and are adequately monitored whilst on site • To perform weekly fire alarm tests and quarterly fire evacuation drills of the main building • To perform other regular H&S checks such as call point testing, fire extinguishers checks and evacuation chair checks • To ensure all first aid kits are maintained and topped up as required Estate Maintenance & Facilities Management • To lead on all estate maintenance, repairs and facilities issues including buildings, heritage structures, park infrastructure and listed features within the Gunnersbury Park Estate • To identify and prioritise maintenance and infrastructure upgrade issues, develop fea- sibility options and business cases, deal with procurement and project manage im- provement and upgrade works • To seek sustainable solutions to mainte- nance issues to minimise adverse environ- mental impact • To ensure a Maintenance Log is maintained with details of works pending and actions taken • To liaise with external contractors as neces- sary with regard to specialist works, planned preventative maintenance and regular cy- clical tests (e.g. water testing, emergency lighting, etc) • To ensure that all regulatory certificates and records are up to date and retained on site for inspection • To manage the estates and facilities con- tracts (e.g. cleaning, refuse collection, fa- cilities management contract, grounds maintenance contract) to ensure value for money, H&S compliance and Service Level Agreements are being adhered to
THE PARK
Gunnersbury Park boasts 72 hectares of Grade II* listed parkland in the heart of west London. From open lawns perfect for a picnic, formal gardens to delight any budding horticulturist and tranquil lakes to go boating on in the summer months, Gunnersbury Park offers something for every- one. As a Grade II* listed park in west London, Gun- nersbury has a rich history. The estate formed part of the private country estate of Princess Amelia, daughter of George II and later was home to Baron Lionel de Rothschild and his family, be- fore becoming a public park in 1926. Thanks to multi-million pound grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Parks for People programme, the park has been extensive- ly renovated in recent years.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
• To actively monitor the condition of the buildings and carry out day-to-day repairs as necessary or advise on longer term specialist repairs • To read the main and sub-water meters periodical- ly and provide the readings to Finance Equipment and Room Set-ups • To maintain resources and equipment for effec- tive on-site maintenance • To take responsibility for the IT and projection equipment in rooms used for hires, ensuring it is well maintained and ready for use • To compile and maintain an inventory of equip- ment by location • To assist with room set-ups/take downs for events and activities as required Security • To be the main lead on the security of the build- ings and estate, ensuring areas are secured and alarmed as necessary • To lead on the management and maintenance of the CCTV system, ensuring appropriate controls are in place for GDPR purposes • To lead on the security of keys, fobs and security codes ensuring that all keys and fobs are retained after staff/contractors have left and security codes are periodically changed Financial • To adhere to the Financial Regulations as directed by the Head of Finance • To manage the Estates and Facilities budget en- suring value for money through alternative quotes • To periodically review contractor services and ac- tivities to ensure effectiveness and value for mon- ey Other • To act as Duty Manager as required • To attend meetings and training courses as nec- essary • To manage the work of the estates and facilities team and provide support with their personal de- velopment • To supervise the duties of volunteers as necessary • To respond to out of hours emergencies, includ- ing attending the site and resourcing staff and contractors as required • To be flexible with working hours, including some evenings and weekends • To undertake other duties as may be requested from time to time and commensurate with the re- sponsibility level of the post
SKILLS/QUALITIES/EXPERIENCES
Essential: • Degree or equivalent professional qualification in a recognised building / facilities management or engineering discipline • Significant experience in estates and facilities man- agement, including knowledge of current building regulations and managing a listed estate • IOSH/NEBOSH H&S qualification or the willing- ness to train to achieve • Excellent working knowledge of H&S and able to carry out risk assessments • Experience of undertaking surveys, audits and producing reports • Proven experience of planning and reporting on a diverse range of building activity, including com- plex maintenance programmes • Excellent project management skills with the abili- ty to lead on numerous capital projects across the estate • Experience of managing external contractors and Service Level Agreements in contracts • Good IT skills and proficient user of Microsoft Of- fice • Ability to manage a budget effectively • Proven track record of delivering results against KPIs • Highly organised and flexible, with the ability to manage competing priorities • Experience of effectively leading diverse teams, both direct team members and indirect team members across the organisation • Creative and pragmatic problem solver • Excellent interpersonal communication skills and confident dealing with people at all levels • Physically fit to carry out practical requirements of the job Desirable: • RICS, CIOB, RIBA or IWFM membership • Experience of operating in a heritage environment
HOW TO APPLY Gunnersbury Park Museum has engaged The Management Recruitment Group for the execu- tive search process for this position, in addition to the public advertisement. Should you wish to discuss the role in strict con- fidence, please contact our appointed recruit- ment partner James Gregory at The Manage- ment Recruitment Group on james.gregory@ mrgpeople.co.uk Following the closing date, applications will be reviewed and The Management Recruitment Group will undertake preliminary meetings with selected candidates. Applications should consist of a CV and cover- ing letter and sent to james.gregory@mrgpeo- ple.co.uk
Page 1 Page 2-3 Page 4-5 Page 6-7 Page 8-9 Page 10Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker