Facilities Managers are instrumental in helping businesses to do business and jobs in Facilities Management (FM) firms oversee the functioning of operational buildings and can be involved with planning a proposed development; in fact, they are often contracted by Property Managers. FM is also one of the few construction areas that seems to be experiencing some growth.
Essentially, Facilities Managers ensure that a building functions smoothly throughout its operational life and that tenants are happy.
Facilities Manager jobs involve the complete management of services that support a business to do business. In essence, this involves:
working out what a client (usually a business occupying an office) needs from the building and facilities around them
building relationships and managing suppliers to ensure that those needs are met – everything from mechanical and electrical engineers to catering, reception and security teams
coordinating all the services within a building including its construction, workspaces and energy efficiency
ensuring that those teams deliver their objectives.
Skills required for Facilities Management
Those who do best in FM are ambitious and dedicated to providing high-quality service. You’ll also need:
management potential
the ability to handle pressure
an innovative mindset
decision-making
interpersonal and communication skills
Facilities managers usually oversee a broad range of services. However, on larger projects the work may be divided into ‘hard’ FM or ‘soft’ FM – hard FM involves everything to do with the physical building, such as maintenance and electricity, while soft FM involves the services provided by people, such as catering, cleaning and security. Alternatively, you could gain expertise in a specific industry or managing a particular type of building. Job titles include general manager and customer services manager.
Qualifications and training to become a Facilities Manager
You can enter FM with any background, but some employers require or prefer degrees in the built environment (construction, property, surveying or engineering) or business studies. If the role is particularly focused around hard FM, a building services, mechanical or electrical engineering degree is often required. It’s also possible to take a postgraduate course in FM that is accredited by the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM).
Membership of BIFM can be advantageous to your job hunt if you make the most of your membership by keeping up to date with industry trends and networking.
Contact the Construction Division Team
Email the Construction Division at construction@stafffinders.co.uk.