Kennedys is looking for an interim Facilities Programme Manager to coordinate and deliver the firm's global programme of office moves, openings, fit-outs, refurbishments and workplace change projects. The role will manage a portfolio of approximately 10 to 12 concurrent projects across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring that each project is properly governed, coordinated and delivered to the agreed scope, programme, budget and quality standards.

Reporting to the Global Facilities Director, the role will lead multidisciplinary project teams and work closely with the Global Commercial Property Manager, Finance, regional Facilities leads, IT, Procurement, Risk, HR, Brand and local office leadership. The role will collaborate with Facilities Finance on project budgets, cost control, forecasting and financial reporting, while retaining day-to-day accountability for project delivery and commercial management within approved budgets.

The successful candidate will manage structure, pace and consistency of a complex global pipeline, combining strong programme controls with practical experience of workplace design, construction and office relocation. They will be comfortable managing multiple external advisers and contractors and communicating clearly with senior stakeholders in a professional services environment.

Team

Kennedys Facilities team ensure that the firm's offices are maintained and delivered consistently to a high standard. They drive the continuous improvement of all aspects of Kennedys facilities management and property portfolio globally.

The Facilities team deliver the full spectrum of office services, manage suppliers and budgets, lead deals and negotiations, support projects, and ensure the firm operates within Health & Safety policy and regulations.

The Facilities team have presence in all Kennedys offices.

Key Responsibilities

Programme leadership and governance

• Own and maintain the integrated global programme plan for approximately 10 to 12 concurrent office moves, openings, fit-outs, refurbishments, reconfigurations and closures.
• Establish proportionate governance for each project, including scope, milestones, responsibilities, approvals and reporting, and provide concise programme updates on progress, cost, risk, dependencies and decisions.
• Maintain complete and auditable project records, including briefs, plans, approvals, change controls, decisions and handover documentation.

Project planning and delivery

• Lead projects from approved business case through design, procurement, construction, move, occupation and close-out, always in close collaboration with Facilities colleagues.
• Develop realistic programmes; coordinate internal and external workstreams, working especially closely with the IT infrastructure team; monitor delivery and intervene early where scope, cost, quality or key milestones are at risk.
• Maintain risk, issue, dependency and decision logs, assigning owners, progressing actions and escalating material concerns with practical mitigation options.

Design and workplace standards

• Lead the development and coordination of project briefs, test fits, layouts, specifications and finishes, securing timely input and approval from local stakeholders and global colleagues.
• Balance global consistency with local operational, cultural and regulatory requirements, promoting accessible, sustainable, maintainable and efficient workplace solutions.
• Input to development of improved global design and workplace standards.

Cost and commercial

• Develop project cost plans and cash-flow forecasts in collaboration with Facilities Finance, managing delivery within approved budgets.
• Track commitments, forecasts, actual costs, contingencies and anticipated final cost, applying robust change control before additional expenditure is committed.
• Work with Procurement to select, appoint, brief and day-to-day manage required consultants, contractors, and other suppliers.

Stakeholders, collaboration, change and continuous improvement

• Build trusted relationships with Facilities colleagues, local office leaders and Business Services stakeholders including the IT infrastructure team, translating requirements into clear outcomes and securing timely decisions.
• Work with local Facilities teams to plan communications, engagement, operational readiness and handover so affected teams understand key decisions, impacts and required actions, and regional Facilities teams can operate new spaces effectively from day one.
• Develop consistent project tools, stage gates and reporting standards, applying lessons learned to improve predictability, value, sustainability and workplace outcomes.

Required Experience

• Significant experience managing a portfolio or programme of office moves, fit-outs, refurbishments and workplace projects, ideally across multiple countries or regions.
• Demonstrable end-to-end delivery experience from brief and design through procurement, construction, move, handover and close-out.
• Strong knowledge of workplace design, construction delivery, project governance, risk management, change control, quality assurance and contractor management.
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects with competing priorities, interdependencies and immovable business deadlines.
• Experience managing project budgets, cost plans, forecasts, contingencies, variations and final accounts in partnership with Facilities Finance.
• Experience procuring and managing external project managers, designers, engineers, cost consultants, contractors and specialist suppliers.
• Excellent stakeholder management, facilitation and influencing skills, including experience working with senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
• Clear and concise written and verbal communication, with the ability to produce decision-ready governance papers and programme reporting.
• Strong analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail and disciplined document control.
• Commercial judgement and the confidence to challenge scope, cost, assumptions and supplier performance constructively.
• Experience within a global professional services, legal, financial services or comparable corporate environment is highly desirable.
• A recognised project or programme management qualification, such as APM, PRINCE2, MSP or PMP, is desirable.
• Knowledge of applicable construction health and safety duties and experience coordinating statutory and regulatory compliance across jurisdictions.
• Proficiency in project planning, reporting and collaboration tools, with strong Excel and PowerPoint skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel internationally from time to time as required by the project portfolio.

Please let us know if you require any additional support or adjustments to be made in order to submit your application to Kennedys.

*where a level of experience is indicated, this is a guideline only and represents the amount of time we would usually expect a candidate to accumulate the requisite level of experience. This does not preclude applications from candidates with more or less experience.

About Kennedys

Kennedys is a global law firm with expertise in dispute resolution and advisory services. With over 3,000 people in 45 offices across 18 countries around the world we have some of the most respected legal minds in their field.

Our lawyers handle both contentious and non-contentious matters, and provide a range of specialist legal services, for many industry sectors but we have particular expertise in litigation and dispute resolution, especially in defending insurance and liability claims.

We're a fresh-thinking firm, and we're not afraid to bring challenging new perspectives to the table way beyond the traditional realm of legal services. We empower our clients with a diverse range of ideas, tools and technology to make their lives easier, as well as delivering exceptional results, every time.

What do we have to offer?

We welcome high-performing lawyers, business services professionals, secretaries, graduates and apprentices to join our rapidly expanding global firm. Whatever your role at Kennedys, you'll be involved in exciting and stimulating work, where your input will make a difference.

Our culture and values form a big part of who we are and we take them seriously. We make a difference by being approachable, straightforward, supportive, distinctive and ambitious. Our values are at the core of who we are and what make us a great firm to work with and for.

The Firm recognises the value of investing in our people's development and believes our culture and values contribute to the quality of our work and of our client relationships. With a culture of on-the-job and experiential learning, peer to peer learning, mentoring, resources and tools that enable you to drive your career, we can support your development in your current and future roles. A variety of other opportunities are available including secondments to clients and our global offices.

We strive to celebrate diversity, empower our people and ensure everyone can bring their authentic selves to work. We've created a culture based on client service, professional excellence, hard work and trust, where diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is a key priority. We recognise that many of our people want to work for an employer that is aligned to their values, which is why we are building an inclusive culture, decarbonising our operations and supporting our people to thrive at work. Our people are the key to driving this change and helping us to make a difference to our clients, our people and the communities in which we live and work.

Kennedys is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. We expect all employees to be aware of and comply with all relevant policies and procedures within their jurisdiction, including those relating to Information Security, Data Protection and Quality Management, refer any breach promptly to Risk & Compliance and to complete all mandatory training when requested.