A facilities manager is a big role for many young professionals. People in this profession are required to manage membership, keep the facility staffed and cleaned, and promote a positive and safe working environment. It’s a very behind-the-scenes, yet customer service oriented position. In this article, we’ll uncover the details behind the facilities manager job description. We’ll explore their day-to-day duties, education, and qualifications and career advancement opportunities.
Job Overview: What Does a Facilities Manager Do?
Facilities managers are responsible for maintaining a positive work environment at their respective space. A working facility can include any physical place of employment. Common facilities with positions like this include: recreation centers, office buildings, inventory warehouses, restaurants, and gyms. The facilities manager will be responsible for maintenance, security, and the creation of an overall safe and positive working environment.
Facilities Manager Job Duties
- Fix, repair, or schedule routine check-ups for facility equipment and real estate.
- Hire, train, evaluate, and supervise maintenance staff.
- Respond to customer or employee maintenance concerns.
- Engage in negotiations regarding outside repairs.
- Oversee and adjust maintenance budget.
- Ensure facility meets government health and safety standards, and adjust accordingly.
Facilities Manager Job Essential Skills
Facilities managers have a lot to balance in their day-to-day work. This requires a large and diversified skill set. Here are a few of the most valuable skills required by the facilities manager job description:
Interpersonal Communication Skills. Facilities managers are tasked with customer service duties quite often. In this role, it’s imperative that they can connect to, settle down, and manage an upset or panicked customer. This requires empathy and the ability to listen to the customer. Interpersonal communication skills are the backbone of this process.
Negotiation Skills. Sometimes, the facilities manager has to put out bids for certain projects. They must have the ability to negotiate and find the best deal possible. They need to complete the projects on time, so it’s important that they can negotiate accordingly.
Time Management & Prioritization Skills. Facilities managers often get pulled in a lot of directions simultaneously. A facilities manager may be knee-deep in a project or focused on a spreadsheet, when an emergency situation like a busted pipe or building fire requires them to redirect their attention. They must be able to prioritize their tasks and manage their time well in preparation for these instances.
Research Skills. A facilities manager must be able to research and analyze contracts. Often, they’ll be called upon to enlist the help of an outside company to complete an internal project. This requires shopping around for the best deal. They’ll also be tasked with researching a problem before making the call to an outside contractor.
Project Management Skills. Many tasks in the facilities manager job description call for project management experience. Facilities managers must often oversee large projects from start to finish. Along the way, they must manage the budget, staffing, and equipment required to complete the project, and must also follow a specified timeline. Therefore, project management skills are a must!
Becoming a Facilities Manager
Facilities managers don’t necessarily need to have a specific degree according to the facilities manager job description, but knowledge of subjects like engineering, hospitality, or management can be helpful. Here are some specifics regarding training, education, work environment, and career advancement opportunities in this highly respected field.
Qualifications and Training
Most facilities manager positions require limited education or training. Many facilities managers have an Associate’s Degree, and some possess a Bachelor’s Degree in business or Administrative specialties. Most facilities managers have some sort of apprenticeship under their belt, doing actual maintenance or security work.
Work Experience
In order to get hired as a facilities manager, you don’t have to have previously worked in a similar position. This is good news for people who are just getting started with their career in facility management. However, as with all similar jobs, having a background in the actual field helps facilities managers transition more smoothly into a supervisory role.
Working Hours
Before you begin your career in facility management, you might want to make sure the working conditions and salary expectations align with your overall career and financial goals. Most facilities managers will have an office in the space that they manage. They are hired in both the private and public sector, so the type of office environment may vary depending on this factor.
Work hours in this role also vary in the facilities manager job description. Most facilities managers will work a forty hour week, but shifts may vary, and overnight or extended hours may be necessary at times. Additionally, encroaching project deadlines or facility emergencies may require weekend, night shift, or on-call work.
Job Outlook & Advancement Opportunities
Pay in this position varies greatly. Many facilities managers get paid on an hourly basis, but some have fixed salaries. The average annual salary of a facilities manager lands around $92,011. Most facilities managers who are hired on an hourly basis can expect to earn overtime pay, making their job a little more lucrative and rewarding.
Jobs in the facility management field are expected to grow an average of eight percent over the next ten years. These jobs are highly dependent on the economy and the facility’s ability to hire someone full-time for this position. However, this eight percent margin is higher than average.
There are also a ton of growth and career advancement opportunities in this field. Most people will begin as an assistant facilities manager. They can then move their way up the ladder to become the general manager. Many facilities managers progress even further to manage on a regional scale. Another option is to dive into consulting work. Regardless, anyone with operations experience is a highly valued asset and owns a very transitional skill set.
Conclusion
Overall, facility management is a demanding, but rewarding field. Facilities mangers have the opportunity to supervise others, think critically, and interact with a lot of people on a day-to-day basis. The field pays relatively well, and requires minimal schooling or formal training, according to the facilities manager job description we’ve detailed in this article. Facility management is a great route for anyone with the organizational and people skills required to effectively carry out projects and maintain a facility.
Leave a Reply