Maintenance and Facilities Manager

Independent Food Company is home to some of the region's most recognised hospitality concepts, including SALT, Somewhere, Parker's, Shalwa, Somewhere, and Public. We are a fast-growing organisation with an expanding portfolio of concepts, an active acquisition strategy, and ambitious plans for growth across new and existing markets. As we scale, the quality of our people remains central to everything we build. That is where you come in.Role SummaryThe Maintenance & Facilities Manager is responsible for ensuring all restaurants, offices, warehouses, and company facilities are maintained in safe, functional, and high-quality condition.The role leads preventive and corrective maintenance, facilities management, department structuring, AMC and vendor management, asset management, maintenance budgets, and emergency response. The position is responsible for establishing the right balance between in-house and outsourced maintenance capabilities while minimizing downtime, controlling costs, and ensuring facilities consistently meet operational, brand, safety, and regulatory standards.Key Responsibilities1. Maintenance OperationsLead all preventive, corrective, and emergency maintenance activities across company locations.Ensure maintenance requests are prioritized and resolved within agreed timelines and SLAs.Minimize equipment downtime and operational disruption across restaurants.Establish clear escalation procedures for critical maintenance issues.Conduct regular site inspections and proactively address maintenance risks.2. Preventive MaintenanceDevelop and manage comprehensive preventive maintenance schedules for all locations and equipment.Ensure planned maintenance is completed according to schedule and properly documented.Monitor recurring breakdowns and implement permanent corrective solutions.Maintain preventive maintenance records, checklists, and service reports.Continuously improve maintenance programs based on equipment performance and operational requirements.3. Restaurant Equipment & Technical SystemsOversee maintenance of kitchen equipment, refrigeration, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, drainage, and other technical systems.Ensure critical restaurant equipment remains operational and properly serviced.Maintain accurate records of equipment, warranties, service contracts, and maintenance history.Identify equipment requiring repair, refurbishment, or replacement.Coordinate specialist technical support where internal capabilities are not available.4. Facilities ManagementEnsure restaurants and company facilities are maintained to required operational and brand standards.Oversee general building maintenance, civil works, MEP, pest control, and facility-related services.Monitor the physical condition of restaurants and ensure defects are addressed proactively.Coordinate with landlords and mall facility management teams on building-related matters.Ensure BOH, FOH, external areas, and other facilities under company responsibility are appropriately maintained.5. Department Structure & In-House vs. Outsourced ModelDefine the optimal Maintenance & Facilities department structure based on the size and requirements of the restaurant portfolio.Assess which maintenance activities should be managed through in-house technicians versus outsourced specialist providers.Develop a clear in-house versus outsourced maintenance model based on capability, response time, frequency, cost, and operational criticality.Establish required manpower levels, technical specializations, roles, responsibilities, and geographical coverage.Continuously review the structure as the restaurant portfolio grows and recommend additional resources or outsourcing where required.6. Team Leadership & DevelopmentLead, manage, and develop the Maintenance & Facilities team.Establish clear KPIs, responsibilities, SLAs, and performance expectations.Allocate technicians and resources based on operational priorities.Monitor individual and team productivity, response times, and quality of work.Ensure technicians receive appropriate technical, safety, and equipment-specific training.7. AMC Contracts & Vendor ManagementOwn and manage all Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMCs) across restaurants and company facilities.Determine which equipment, systems, and services require AMC coverage based on operational criticality and cost effectiveness.Manage AMC renewals, scope of work, pricing, SLAs, exclusions, and contract performance.Work with Procurement to tender, negotiate, and appoint qualified maintenance contractors and specialist service providers.Regularly evaluate AMC and vendor performance and recommend renewal, renegotiation, or replacement where required.8. Spare Parts & Rate Card ManagementWork closely with Procurement to establish and maintain locked rate cards for frequently used spare parts, materials, and maintenance services.Identify critical and high-consumption spare parts and establish standardized specifications and approved suppliers.Negotiate competitive pricing and fixed rates to reduce ad-hoc purchasing and control maintenance costs.Establish minimum stock requirements for critical spare parts required to prevent operational downtime.Regularly review consumption, pricing, and supplier performance with Procurement to identify further cost-saving opportunities.9. Maintenance Helpdesk & SLA ManagementEstablish a structured system for receiving, assigning, tracking, and closing maintenance requests.Categorize requests based on urgency, operational impact, and required response time.Monitor open tickets, aging requests, response times, and completion rates.Ensure Operations receives visibility on critical and outstanding maintenance issues.Analyze maintenance data to identify recurring issues and opportunities for improvement.10. Budget & Cost ControlDevelop and manage the annual Maintenance & Facilities budget.Monitor maintenance expenditure against approved budgets by location and category.Review quotations and ensure repairs, AMCs, and replacements provide appropriate value.Identify opportunities to reduce costs through preventive maintenance, rate agreements, insourcing, outsourcing, and vendor consolidation.Track maintenance cost by restaurant, equipment type, vendor, and service category.11. Asset ManagementMaintain a comprehensive asset register for restaurant and facility equipment.Track equipment condition, age, warranty, maintenance history, and expected replacement dates.Develop lifecycle and replacement plans for critical assets.Identify recurring high-cost assets and recommend repair-versus-replacement decisions.Coordinate asset handover from Projects for newly opened restaurants.12. New Openings & Project HandoverSupport Projects during restaurant development and pre-opening from a maintenance and facilities perspective.Participate in technical inspections and snagging prior to restaurant handover.Ensure warranties, manuals, drawings, asset registers, and maintenance requirements are properly handed over.Establish preventive maintenance and AMC requirements for new equipment before opening.Provide Projects with feedback on recurring technical or design issues to improve future developments.13. Health, Safety & ComplianceEnsure maintenance activities comply with company safety standards and applicable regulatory requirements.Maintain required documentation, certifications, inspections, and service records.Ensure contractors and technicians follow appropriate permit-to-work and safety procedures.Coordinate statutory inspections and certifications for relevant equipment and systems.Immediately escalate technical conditions presenting safety or operational risks.14. Reporting & Performance ManagementPrepare weekly and monthly Maintenance & Facilities performance reports.Track preventive maintenance completion, reactive maintenance, downtime, SLA compliance, recurring issues, AMCs, and costs.Maintain clear visibility of critical and long-outstanding maintenance issues.Report department performance, risks, priorities, cost-saving initiatives, and improvement plans to management.Develop corrective action plans for recurring or systemic maintenance issues.Qualifications & ExperienceBachelor’s degree or technical qualification in Engineering, Facilities Management, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline.Strong experience in maintenance and facilities management, preferably within multi-site F&B, hospitality, retail, or similar operations.Strong technical knowledge of MEP systems, HVAC, refrigeration, kitchen equipment, electrical, and plumbing systems.Experience managing AMCs, preventive maintenance programs, vendors, spare parts, budgets, and technical teams.Experience designing in-house versus outsourced maintenance models and structuring technical teams.Strong commercial understanding of vendor negotiations, rate cards, maintenance contracts, and cost optimization.Ability to manage multiple locations and prioritize critical operational requirements in a fast-paced environment.Strong leadership, problem-solving, planning, and stakeholder management skills.