In this blog, you will learn:
- What a Facilities Manager does.
- The qualifications needed to be a Facilities Manager.
- The skills required to be a Facilities Manager.
- Where Facilities Managers work.
Where the latest Facilities Managers jobs are and how to apply for them.
Interested in pursuing a career as a Facilities Manager? In our latest blog, we’re taking a look at the skills required for a successful career within this role and the qualifications needed to ensure that individuals are able to carry out this role to the highest standard!
What does a Facilities Manager do?
Day to day, a Facilities Manager is responsible for supervising the functionality of buildings and the services they provide, through governing their maintenance and security.
Facilities Managers must ensure that buildings are meeting stringent health and safety regulations and that standards are maintained within this area. They must also manage various contractors if repairs and renovations are required on properties, whilst taking a lead on budgeting for facility operations.
Amongst maintaining the physical infrastructure of a building and upholding health and safety standards, Facilities Managers must also manage and supervise a team of maintenance staff and ensure that all tasks are completed in a timely manner.
Facilities Managers must also effectively allocate funding used to maintain, repair and upgrade buildings and keep an accurate inventory of equipment and supplies to guarantee the success of building projects.
What qualifications are needed to be a Facilities Manager?
Typically, to practise as a Facilities Manager, an individual will need a bachelor’s degree in facilities management, property management or another related field that will equip them with the necessary skills and experience.
The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) provides a Level 4 or higher professional certification that can significantly boost an individual’s career prospects.
Managing Consultant Joe O'Halloran, says “People who gain additional qualifications or invest time into Continuous Professional Development stand out amongst other candidates when it comes to finding a new role or progressing within their career.”
Many employers highly value relevant experience within building services, property management or facilities operations as this demonstrates that individuals will be able to begin a new contract with little need for time consuming training.
What skills are needed to be a Facilities Manager?
To effectively carry out the role of a Facilities Manager, there are many hard and soft skills a person will need.
Strong leadership skills are desired as Facilities Managers must successfully guide a team of property professionals to ensure positive outcomes. Facilities Managers must also be able to communicate effectively with others in order to coordinate various stakeholders and address the needs of tenants.
Strong financial acumen is also highly sought after because accurate budget management and allocation is essential when it comes to overseeing property management and ensuring that projects stay within their assigned budget. Should a project be over budget, this can be costly to the private organisation or local authority that a Facilities Manager is working for.
In order to ensure the smooth functioning of property infrastructure, it is also crucial that Facilities Managers are technically proficient and able to use their initiative to solve problems that may occur out of the blue. For example, if a property suffers a maintenance issue and is no longer habitable for tenants, a Facilities Manager could help to provide tenants with a safe solution to the problem and ensure that they are not inconvenienced any more than they have been. Facilities Managers must have a solid understanding of building systems and maintenance protocols to ensure a high standard of service for tenants.
Strong attention to detail is also crucial for mitigating problems before they become a big issue and this is especially important when conducting inspections and ensuring that regulatory compliance is met at all times.
Where do Facilities Managers work?
Generally, Facilities Manager jobs are found at large corporate organisations, commercial property management companies, property development companies or facility management firms.
However, there are also often Facilities Manager roles available within public sector entities such as local government authorities, healthcare organisations or educational institutions.
Built environment recruitment specialists
As specialist recruiters in the built environment, we support local authorities and private sector organisations across the UK with their temporary, interim and permanent staffing needs. Our expertise covers the full spectrum of the built environment including town planning, building control, construction and regeneration.
If you're struggling to recruit the right talent, simply request a call back and one of our experienced recruiters will contact you to discuss how we can help.
Looking for your next built environment job? Either search the latest jobs or upload your CV and one of our consultants will be in touch when a suitable opportunity arises.