The Client and Brief
The Parliamentary Maintenance Services Team (PMST) plays a critical role in maintaining one of the most iconic and complex estates portfolios in the world. The UK Parliament estate spans historic and modern buildings, including the Palace of Westminster and Portcullis House, and sits within a UNESCO World Heritage site. With over a million visitors annually and thousands of staff working across the estate, PMST ensures the environment remains safe, functional, and fit for the demands of a 21st-century legislature.
We were appointed to support the recruitment of nine senior leadership roles:
Portfolio Director | Assistant Director (Property and Estate Management) | Assistant Director (Property Strategy) | Director of Customer Experience | Deputy Director, Maintenance Projects | Deputy Director, Maintenance Operations| Head of Integrated Workplace Management | Technical Engagement Manager | Director of Capital Investment
Each role was pivotal to the delivery of a significant restoration programme and the ongoing operational excellence of the Parliamentary Estate.
Overcoming Challenges
The scale and complexity of the Parliamentary Estate presented a unique challenge. The estate includes over 1,100 rooms and 200 clocks (including Big Ben) and receives more than 45,000 maintenance enquiries annually. The successful candidates needed to demonstrate not only technical and operational expertise but also the ability to navigate a highly regulated, politically sensitive environment with multiple stakeholders.
The roles required individuals with a deep understanding of heritage conservation, modern engineering systems, and strategic capital investment, combined with the leadership skills to manage large, multidisciplinary teams and collaborate across departments such as Security, Digital, Safety, and Strategic Estates.