Soft Services Manager

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About the role: Soft Services Manager (Location: Limerick, Ireland; Salary: €80,000 – €90,000 + Sodexo Benefits).

We are seeking an experienced Soft Services Manager to lead the delivery of soft services across the Eli Lilly site in Limerick. This is a senior leadership role with full responsibility for the performance, quality, and compliance of services including cleaning, GMP cleaning, catering, hospitality, landscaping, and pest control within a highly regulated pharmaceutical environment. You will act as the single point of contact for all Soft Services operations on site, ensuring service excellence, strong client engagement, regulatory compliance (GMP/GDP), and high‑performing, engaged teams. This role is about operational leadership, service quality, and people management — with commercial accountability for a €4m+ contract and a workforce of 48+ colleagues.

• Lead the delivery of all soft FM services across the site, ensuring consistent, high‑quality standards.
• Drive excellence in GMP cleaning and regulated service environments.
• Ensure catering and hospitality services align with client expectations and compliance standards.
• Oversee vendor management for pest control, landscaping, and specialist soft services.

• Act as the primary client interface for all soft services.
• Lead service reviews, performance meetings, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure SLAs and KPIs are consistently met or exceeded.
• Identify opportunities for service innovation and contract growth.

• Ensure full compliance with GMP/GDP, health & safety, environmental, and statutory requirements.
• Maintain robust risk registers and business continuity plans.
• Ensure all SOPs and regulatory standards are adhered to across services.

• Manage budgets, forecasting, P&L and cost control.
• Monitor labour productivity and operational efficiencies.
• Deliver contract targets including margin and service performance metrics.

• Lead, coach and develop multidisciplinary soft services teams.
• Drive employee engagement, performance management, and development plans.
• Promote a culture of safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Essential
  • Proven senior leadership experience within Soft FM or integrated facilities management.
  • Strong background in cleaning and/or GMP-regulated environments (5+ years preferred).
  • Demonstrable experience managing large, diverse operational teams.
  • Strong commercial and financial acumen including P&L responsibility.
  • Excellent client-facing and stakeholder management skills.
  • Experience operating within a highly regulated pharmaceutical or similar environment.
• Desirable
  • Hospitality, Facilities, or Business-related qualification.
  • NEBOSH (or equivalent).
  • Experience in pharmaceutical or FMCG sectors.
  • Professional FM qualification. xcfaprz

A senior leadership role on a flagship pharmaceutical contract.

• Sector: administrative and support service activities

• Experienced [Non-Managerial]

• Essential
  • Minimum Experienced Required (Years): 1
  • Minimum Qualification: No Qualification
• Desirable
  • Ability Skills: Administration, Interpersonal Skills
  • Competency Skills: Collaboration, Teamwork