Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Soft Service Manager

The closing date is 13 July 2025

Job summary

We have an exciting 12 month secondment or fixed term opportunity within Soft Services.

We are looking for a proactive individual with a strong background in catering and housekeeping management, excellent organisation, written and verbal communication skills to manage and engage with a large, diverse soft services facilities team.

The post holder would be expected to engage with stakeholders including clinical teams, manage their own workload, make decisions, proactively engage staff & problem solve in order to constantly deliver outcomes that support patients' experience.

Ability to understand policies, monitor, evaluate and train staff, manage absences and support staff well-being is required. Strong data analysis skills are a bonus.

Main duties of the job

Ensures the smooth and efficient running of the hospital buildings in relation to front line "soft" facilities management services within the Essentia scope namely. Housekeeping and Patient Food Services, as well as being the soft FM lead for the general environment of the hospital buildings.

Oversees the daily activities of Facilities Management contract providers, monitoring day-to-day performance metrics for Soft FM and ensuring that agreed standards are met and reports upon them to the appropriate operational line manager.

Manages all staff so as to ensure that local teams meet the objectives set and that the staffs themselves have excellent opportunities for development in order to fulfil their potential.

About us

We offer a dynamic challenging job, in a fast moving, flexible working environment. We have a strong commitment to your personal and professional development.

In addition, we offer excellent benefits, such as:

A minimum of 27 days annual holiday allowance (not including bank holidays), plus the option to buy and sell. Increasing to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
The NHS Pension Scheme - one of the most generous and comprehensive in the UK. When you start working for the NHS you automatically become a member and you will get an excellent package of pension benefits.
Interest free Season Ticket Loan
Long Term Service Awards
Subsidised on-site nurseries and childcare vouchers
A comprehensive staff health and well-being programme, '5 ways to a healthier YOU'
Ride to work scheme
Employee assistance programme
Free staff counselling service
Free stop smoking service

Our Trust values: We are Caring, Ambitious, Inclusive

If you would like to join the team, please apply today

Interview and assessment date 22 July 2025

Date posted

09 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£54,320 to £60,981 a year p.a inc HCA

Contract

Secondment

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

196-ESS1606-S

Job locations

St Thomas' Hospital

129 Westminster Bridge Road

London

SE1 7EH

Job description

Job responsibilities

Acts as the relationship manager with the building clients and users for all facilities management services and tracks existing and future building and service requirements/dynamics to enable them to be identified and addressed.

Works closely with the Building Maintenance and Engineering staff providing Hard Facilities Management services to the building to ensure a joined up approach between them and Soft services provided to the clients and service users at all times. The role of the Senior Soft Services Manager will act as the informed client to the occupiers of the buildings on behalf of Essentia Operations and will be the link between clinical and non- clinical teams and Essentia services.

Works with all operational services on an agenda of service and performance improvement, with a clear focus on the quality of customer service and aligned with both Essentia Way and Trust values.

Monitors service provision levels to ensure internal quality, contractual and other standards are met, and implements action to rectify any deficiencies.

Provides excellent services and establishes and maintains appropriate service agreements with wards and departments. Produces Key Performance Indicators and benchmarks of performance.

Acts as an on-site operational contact for clients to meet with, to review and improve all FM services performance and be a contact to escalate and resolve day-to- day issues.

Escalates operational issues and works closely with the Essentia helpdesk regarding the resolution and addressing of specific Facilities Management operational service issues in the building.

Assists in the investigation of complaints regarding services in line with Trust policy.

Meets with the building clients and users face-to-face on a regular basis to report upon, discuss and review Essentia Soft FM Services and potential improvements.

Works with colleagues providing services in the planning of day-to-day delivery of those services to ensure that building specific issues are considered and that clinical services are properly supported.

Supports conflict resolution between building service users, internal and external service suppliers and patients.

Supports the monitoring of compliance of service standards via internal and external governance and best practise requirements to ensure that PLACE and CQC assessments are held.

Contributes to strategic planning activities in relation to the development of new and existing FM services provided to the building.

Contributes to any tenders of Soft or Hard FM services delivered to the building, to ensure that service requirements are fully scoped and any soft FM building specifics are fully catered for.

Forms strong working relationships with the central service teams in ensuring that the specific requirements of the building clients and users in relation to services are correctly understood and delivered against.

Works closely with the business performance and improvement team in the implementation of new ways of working and efficiency policy and process improvements for the building.

Ensures value for money and efficiency and productivity of building FM services, by the implementation of new and improved ways of working.

Participates and contributes to change and improvement projects relating to the future FM service needs of the building clients.

Works with the asset management team in ensuring the optimum usage and allocation of space given the activities being undertaken in the building.

Ensures that over night and weekend resourcing arrangements, project plans and authorisations and escalation processes are in place and well communicated.

Provides accurate, reliable and timely reporting regarding Soft FM services and where appropriate contributes to reports to the Essentia Board on the performance of the department and progress against specific projects. Ensures accurate and satisfactory completion of any statutory or NHS returns and the provision of information within the Trust to the department and others on a timely basis.

Monitors and influences workforce allocations (staff bank and agency bookings) in line with the departments financial targets and Trust polices.

Ensures that the procedures and systems within the department meet all statutory requirements, through the development and implementation of appropriate policies and procedures and through appropriate audit and control.

Ensures team members are knowledgeable about expectations of performance and monitors capability taking remedial action when required with discussion and /or referral to Site Soft Services Manager regarding any issues of concern.

Responsible for the management of team leaders and operational teams. To motivate and develop staff and co-ordinate the education and training requirements of the team and in line with the objectives of any staff development initiatives internally or externally.