The Role
Lead and operate Rowden's multi-site workplace estate, managing facilities, reception and operations teams, health and safety systems, and physical security. Define requirements and project-manage new builds and expansions, coordinate with IT and cross-functional stakeholders, and ensure sites are safe, compliant, and fit for purpose to support the companys growth.
Summary Generated by Built In
We're building the UK's next generation engineering powerhouse, providing critical technology that strengthens national security and resilience.
We specialise in turning advances in sensing, AI, and communications into operational capability for the edge, where connectivity may be degraded or denied. Our work focuses on accelerating the deployment of technology, improving decision-making for frontline teams, and protecting people and critical assets in demanding environments.
Headquartered in Bristol, Rowden employs around 200 people and operates over 20,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing facilities. We have a growing international footprint and are one of Europe’s fastest-growing engineering businesses.
The role
Rowden is growing fast, and so is our physical footprint. We currently operate two large office units and a warehouse in Bristol, alongside a smaller office in London. We’re also expanding, with a large new site under construction and an additional unit in Bristol about to be brought into use.
We specialise in turning advances in sensing, AI, and communications into operational capability for the edge, where connectivity may be degraded or denied. Our work focuses on accelerating the deployment of technology, improving decision-making for frontline teams, and protecting people and critical assets in demanding environments.
Headquartered in Bristol, Rowden employs around 200 people and operates over 20,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing facilities. We have a growing international footprint and are one of Europe’s fastest-growing engineering businesses.
The role
Rowden is growing fast, and so is our physical footprint. We currently operate two large office units and a warehouse in Bristol, alongside a smaller office in London. We’re also expanding, with a large new site under construction and an additional unit in Bristol about to be brought into use.
With this growth comes the need to bring in a dedicated leader for our facilities. As Head of Workplace Operations, you will own the management of this estate – including the buildings themselves and everything inside that makes them work day-to-day, down to the coffee, the whiteboard pens, and the processes that support how we work. This is a broad, hands-on role with real ownership: your job is to make sure every space enables our people to do their best work and to ensure that they are safe, whether they are at a desk, in the warehouse or out in the field.
There are three key pillars to the role:
- Operation of our current sites. You’ll join Rowden to lead a team that already keeps our facilities running smoothly, including our Facilities Manager, who leads the day-to-day operation and maintenance of our Bristol sites; our Receptionist, who manages front of house; and our Exec Support & Operations Coordinator, who supports wider office management alongside wider responsibilities. Your job is to bring these individual strands together, set the direction, and be accountable for the effective overall operation of Rowden’s workplaces, so our physical environments and workplace technology enable people to do their best work.
- Facilities planning. You will also need to look ahead. As we scale, our space needs will continue to change, and you’ll shape what comes next. You’ll work closely with our Facilities Programme lead and leadership team to define the requirements of new facilities and then will ensure we are building to meet those needs. This will require strong elicitation and project management skills to keep complex builds on track. Once new facilities are online, you will assume responsibility for their operation.
- Health and safety. Beyond facilities, you will also take responsibility for Health and Safety across Rowden. You’ll manage our Health, Safety and Environment systems, policies and risk assessments, and build a culture where safety is everyone’s job. This extends beyond safety on our sites, you’ll ensure that safety is properly considered when our teams are travelling, on customer site, or out in other demanding environments.
Rowden is a fast-moving and highly collaborative business. You will need to work with legal, engineering, IT, people, and finance to do your job effectively, so you will need to build strong relationships and coordinate across functions while leading firmly on the areas that are yours. The right person for this role will enjoy taking ownership of a growing estate, keeping people safe, and turning empty units and new sites into spaces where great work happens.
You will work to the COO in this role. This is primarily a site-based role and we expect the successful candidate to spend a minimum of four days a week in our Bristol office. There will also be times when workplace projects or operational activities mean you'll need to be on-site five days a week.
The advertised salary range reflects the breadth of experience and expertise we're open to considering for this role. The final package will be based on the successful candidate's skills and experience.
Candidates must be eligible for SC clearance.
The advertised salary range reflects the breadth of experience and expertise we're open to considering for this role. The final package will be based on the successful candidate's skills and experience.
Candidates must be eligible for SC clearance.
More information about security clearance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels
Key areas of responsibility
- Be accountable for the effective operation of Rowden’s workplace estate, partnering closely with the Facilities Manager to ensure every site remains safe, compliant and fit for purpose.
- Lead the workplace operations team – including facilities, reception and vetting, and operations support – ensuring our workplaces run smoothly and employees, customers and visitors are well supported.
- Lead Health and Safety across every site and for people working off-site or travelling – building effective systems as well as personally leading to champion your cause.
- Define requirements for and help shape workplace projects that support Rowden’s continued growth, partnering with our Facilities Programme Lead on new builds and leading on office expansions, changes to existing facilities, and bringing our additional Bristol unit into operation.
- Work closely with IT to ensure our physical environments support the technology our teams rely on and continue to meet the needs of the business.
- Support the physical security of our sites, working alongside colleagues responsible for security to ensure workplace requirements are considered as our estate evolves.
- Build strong relationships across legal, engineering, IT, people and finance to coordinate work, balance competing priorities and deliver improvements across our workplaces.
Key skills, experience and behaviours
The behaviours that will make you successful here include being:
- Genuinely interested in how physical spaces shape the way people work, and motivated to get them right.
- Comfortable holding responsibility for safety and keeping standards high without needing to be chased.
- Confident coordinating across teams, functions, and sites, and bringing order to competing demands.
- Pragmatic and delivery-focused, with a bias toward fixing problems rather than adding process.
- Motivated by helping a growing business build the spaces and standards it needs to scale well.
Working at Rowden
We are committed to building a flexible, inclusive, and enabling company. Our aim is to create a diverse team of talented people with unique skills, experience, and backgrounds, so please apply and come as you are!
We also recognise the importance of flexible working and support this wherever we can. We typically operate a flexible, hybrid-working model, with an average 3 days in the office each week (dependent on the role). We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility, part-time working requirements and/or workplace adjustments with all our applicants.
Rowden is a Disability Confident Committed company, and we actively encourage people with disabilities and health conditions to apply for our roles. Please let us know your requirements early on so that we can make sure you have everything you need up front to help make the recruitment process and experience as easy as possible.
Finally, if you feel that you don’t meet all the criteria included above but have transferable skills and relevant experience, we’d still love to hear from you!
About
What matters to us? Our focus is on the end user. We exist to deliver the best possible outcomes for the users of our systems. Pace matters. The problems we solve are urgent. Our diverse skills and backgrounds make us better. Our team prides itself on being inclusive and multidisciplinary. We are radically honest. Saying what we mean, even when it isn’t easy. We are pragmatists. We provide realistic, focused solutions that get to the point. We improve continuously. We are relentless in our drive to make things better.
Skills Required
- Eligibility for SC security clearance
- Ability to be site-based in Bristol (minimum four days per week)
- Experience managing multi-site facilities and workplace operations
- Proven leadership of operational teams (facilities, reception, operations support)
- Experience leading Health, Safety and Environment systems, policies and risk assessments
- Project management and requirements-elicitation skills for site builds and fit-outs
- Experience coordinating with IT, legal, engineering, people and finance stakeholders
- Experience or responsibility for physical site security and vetting processes
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The Company
What We Do
We put the best technology into the hands of the people who make the world safer.
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