Executive Facilities Leadership Opportunity at Bidvest Facilities Management
Bidvest Facilities Management is recruiting a highly experienced Head of Facilities & Engineering to join its BFM Operations 2 division on a permanent basis in Johannesburg, Gauteng. This executive-level opportunity is designed for a senior facilities and engineering professional with a proven record in large-scale facilities management, maintenance engineering, and strategic operations leadership.
The role carries full accountability for ensuring that all strategic, critical, and operational facilities, as defined by customer contracts, meet both business objectives and contractual requirements, while being delivered efficiently, economically, and in full compliance with governance and safety standards.
About the Role
The Head of Facilities & Engineering is responsible for developing and leading a robust operating model across people, processes, and systems, ensuring that facilities services are delivered at the highest possible standard. This includes oversight of financial planning, customer engagement, operational execution, governance, and continuous improvement across multiple facilities contracts.
This role requires the ability to interpret customer business strategies and translate them into effective facilities management solutions, while maintaining service excellence, managing risk, and supporting long-term sustainability. The successful candidate will operate at a senior strategic level, engaging with customers, service providers, and internal stakeholders to ensure seamless service delivery.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Strategy and Budget Management
The successful candidate will take full accountability for the development and governance of short-, medium-, and long-term capital expenditure strategies across associated contracts. This includes establishing financial mechanisms and guidelines that support asset sustainability, developing facilities management operational budgets, and ensuring strict compliance with approved financial plans.
The role also requires close monitoring of expenditure to ensure service delivery remains cost-effective while meeting all contractual and operational obligations.
Customer Engagement and Strategic Alignment
A key component of this role involves engaging with customers at a senior executive level to understand their business plans, operational environments, and strategic priorities. The Head of Facilities & Engineering will interpret these requirements into facilities management strategies, assess the impact on existing service level agreements, and ensure customer satisfaction is achieved in line with agreed performance standards.
Strong relationship management is essential, with a focus on building long-term partnerships based on trust, performance, and value delivery.
Operational Leadership and Service Delivery
The role requires a comprehensive understanding of the business environments in which customers operate. Responsibilities include defining key performance areas, developing and implementing KPIs, and ensuring consistent contract compliance across all service streams.
The incumbent will work closely with service providers to develop and refine service delivery strategies, define high-level contract principles in collaboration with supply chain teams, and ensure that services are delivered in line with quality, safety, and environmental standards.
Growth, Culture, and Change Management
The Head of Facilities & Engineering plays a critical role in shaping the organisational culture and service strategy required to meet customer expectations. This includes leading communication and change management initiatives, embedding performance-driven behaviours, and educating customers on contract-specific requirements to ensure mutual understanding and alignment.
Continuous improvement and capacity building within teams form a core part of this responsibility.
Governance, Compliance, and Risk Management
The role ensures that all statutory, regulatory, and customer-specific compliance requirements are identified, implemented, and maintained. This includes adherence to the Integrated Management System (IMS), Occupational Health and Safety legislation, ISO 9001 quality management systems, and broader risk management frameworks.
The incumbent is responsible for ensuring that policies, procedures, and controls are consistently applied across all facilities operations.
Minimum Requirements
To be considered for this executive role, candidates must meet the following requirements:
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B-Tech, BEng, or BSc Degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, or Management
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Postgraduate qualification (EDP, MBA, or MBL) – advantageous
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Matric (Senior Certificate)
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Valid South African Driver’s License
Experience and Professional Background
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Minimum 15 years’ relevant working experience
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At least 8 years’ experience in facilities management and maintenance engineering
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8 years’ senior management experience
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Proven exposure to CRM and property management
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Experience leading complex, multi-site facilities operations within a contractual environment
Key Skills and Competencies
The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong capability in:
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Facilities management and general building maintenance
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Senior people management and leadership development
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Strategic supply chain and procurement, including strategic sourcing
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Commercial, contract, and vendor management
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Financial, legal, and auditing principles
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Negotiation and stakeholder engagement
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Risk management, OHS Act compliance, and ISO 9001 systems
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Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Outlook, and SAP
Fundamental Competencies
This role requires a leader who is:
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Results-driven, proactive, and deadline-focused
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Highly motivated with strong stress tolerance
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An excellent written and verbal communicator
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Skilled in supervision, coaching, and team development
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Customer-focused with strong business acumen
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Analytical, structured, and strategic in decision-making
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Collaborative with strong relationship-building ability
Employment Details
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Position Type: Permanent
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Division: BFM Operations 2
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Location: Johannesburg, Gauteng
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Industry: Facilities Services
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Job Functional Area: Operations
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Experience Level: Executive
Apply for Head of Facilities & Engineering
Qualified candidates who meet the above requirements are encouraged to submit their applications before the closing date.
Closing Date: 23 January 2026
Applications can be submitted via the official recruitment platform below:
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