National Soft Services Manager

Excellerate Services; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A national cleaning service provider is seeking a National Soft Services Manager based in the UK. The role involves leading a cleaning services portfolio, ensuring client satisfaction and operational excellence. Responsibilities include stakeholder management, driving service quality, and introducing innovative technologies. Candidates should have significant experience in managing multi-site cleaning contracts, strong financial acumen, and excellent communication skills. This role offers a salary of up to £45,000 and benefits including a car allowance and IT equipment.

Benefits

Car allowance

Business mileage paid at 25p per mile

IT equipment

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing national or multi-site FM cleaning contracts.
• Strong financial acumen with experience overseeing P&L.
• Proven stakeholder management and client relationship skills.
• Excellent knowledge of cleaning operations and FM compliance requirements.
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing remote teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic, operational, and commercial success of cleaning services.
• Ensure client satisfaction and operational excellence.
• Introduce new technologies and methodologies.
• Implement quality inspection regimes and performance reviews.
• Manage employee relations and team development.

Skills

Financial acumen

Client relationship management

Leadership skills

Data analysis

Knowledge of cleaning operations

Job description

The National Soft Services Manager is responsible for leading the strategic,

operational, and commercial success of a national cleaning services portfolio. This

role ensures client satisfaction, operational excellence, contractual compliance,

financial performance, and continuous improvement across all assigned accounts.

Acting as the primary point of contact for senior client stakeholders, they drive

service quality, operational efficiency, relationship development, and long-term

retention through proactive facilities management leadership.

Key Responsibilities

1. Reassessing Client Needs and Expectations

• Conduct regular evaluations of client requirements, service delivery performance,and changing operational needs.

• Benchmark service levels, identify gaps, and implement improvements thatalignwith client objectives and industry best practice.

• Develop account-specific reinvigoration plans to ensure a modern, efficient, andclient-aligned service model.

2. Workforce Optimization and Engagement

• Review staffing structures, labour allocation, and productivity metrics to ensureanefficient and motivated workforce.

• Promote colleague engagement, wellbeing, and retention across all sites.

• Ensure workforce deployment aligns with contractual obligations andoperationaldemands.

3. Service Innovation and Modernization

• Introduce new technologies, equipment, methodologies, and service enhancements across the portfolio.

• Lead efficiency reviews and identify opportunities to modernize cleaning processes and FM delivery.

• Support continuous improvement initiatives and contract innovation projects.

4. Quality Assurance and Performance Enhancement

• Implement robust quality inspection regimes, audits, and performance reviews.

• Drive improvements in cleaning standards, statutory checks, productivity, and sitecompliance.

• Analyse quality and performance metrics, implementing corrective action plans asrequired.

5. Strengthening Client Relationship Management

• Act as the key escalation point for all client matters.

• Lead site meetings, contract reviews, and performance discussions.

• Manage contract changes, ad-hoc requests, site closures or additions, andongoing service improvements.

• Complete client surveys and action follow-ups to enhance satisfaction andretention.

6. Risk Reassessment and Compliance Alignment

• Oversee RAMS reviews, H&S documentation compliance, and incident/near-missmanagement.

• Ensure adherence to statutory, insurance, environmental, and policy requirements.

• Maintain fully compliant site documentation and operational risk registers.

7. Embedding Sustainability and CSR Alignment

• Incorporate environmentally conscious products, waste reduction initiatives, andsustainable methods into service delivery.

• Ensure alignment with client and company CSR objectives and reporting requirements.

8. Communication Strategy

• Communicate strategic initiatives, operational changes, and innovation programmes to clients and internal teams.

• Ensure all stakeholders understand the aims, benefits, and operationalrequirements of improvement plans

Operational and Commercial Responsibilities

Financial Management

• Review and manage Contract/Site/Division P&L performance.

• Monitor wage vs. revenue alignment and labour efficiency.

• Reconcile purchase orders (PO) and work orders (WO) across all sites.

• Conduct annual contract uplifts and financial reviews.

• Produce quotations for:- Internal extra works - External/bought-in services- Additional consumables or materials

• Complete reconciliation of consumable and material supply vs. billed usage.

Client Engagement Activities

• Lead site and contract meetings, ensuring actions are recorded and completed.

• Respond to ad-hoc client requests, queries, and escalations.

• Manage contract innovation, continuous improvement projects, and efficiency reviews.

• Coordinate site closures, new site mobilisations, and contract variations.

Equipment Management

• Conduct statutory and quality checks across all equipment.

• Ensure equipment levels, condition, and usage align with contractualobligations.

Reporting & Performance Monitoring

• Deliver accurate site-level reports (quality, attendance, H&S, etc).

• Produce consolidated contract reports (financial, performance scorecards, KPIs).

• Manage exceptions such as HUB tasks, incidents, and escalations.

Health & Safety

• Oversee RAMS creation, review, and implementation.

• Ensure full site documentation compliance (permits, manuals, H&S files).

• Manage near-miss and incident investigations.

• Ensure PAT testing and all statutory compliance activities are completed.

• Conduct regular compliance reviews across insurance, policy, and environmentalrequirements.

Training & Development

• Deliver or coordinate induction, health & safety, and values training.

• Provide training for cleaning tasks, equipment use, and site-specific methods.

• Maintain training on SOPs, assignment instructions, and managementdevelopment.

People Management

• Manage employee relations issues (grievances, disciplinaries, queries).

• Support recruitment and onboarding processes.

• Conduct performance reviews and ongoing team development.

Site Requirements Management

• Maintain site packs and documentation.

• Review consumables, materials, PPE, and uniform needs.

• Ensure work schedules and methodologies are accurate and up to date.

Periodical Works

• Plan periodical cleaning schedules.

• Oversee completion of internal window cleaning and other planned periodic tasks.

• Review and adjust periodic schedules as required.

Experience & Skills Required

• Significant experience managing national or multi-site FM cleaning contracts.

• Strong financial acumen with experience overseeing P&L, reconciliations, and contract uplift processes.

• Proven stakeholder management and client relationship skills at a senior level.

• Excellent knowledge of cleaning operations, equipment, methodologies, andFMcompliance requirements.

• Strong leadership skills with experience managing remote teams.

• Competency in reporting, data analysis, and performance improvement.

• High standards of written and verbal communication.

Location:

Covering sites in Hull, Derby, Nottingham, & Slough

Salary:

Up to £45,000

Benefits:

Car allowance, all business mileage paid at a rate of 25p per mile, & IT equipment