Facilities maintenance managers ensure buildings and systems are in good repair, managing vendors and contractors, performing minor repairs, and managing warranty information. They may oversee an in-house maintenance team and require industry-specific certifications. They can work in various industries, including shopping malls, museums, and hospitals.
A facilities maintenance manager is typically responsible for ensuring that all buildings and systems at his employer’s location are in working order and in good repair. Specific responsibilities may include working with vendors and contractors on major repairs, performing minor repairs, managing warranty information, obtaining bids and reporting costs. Facility maintenance managers may or may not manage an in-house maintenance team, depending on the size and needs of the employer. Qualifications may include experience managing vendors, managing an in-house team, and in one or more commercial fields.
Smaller employers with fewer maintenance needs are often looking for a facility maintenance manager who can handle as many tasks as possible without attracting outside vendors. These jobs can include rekeying locks for new tenants, adjusting faulty doors or windows, interior or exterior painting, installing hardware, fixing plumbing leaks, and patching cement or drywall. Facility maintenance managers may also be required to perform regular system maintenance as recommended by the manufacturers. This can include developing a schedule for vacuuming cooling coils, changing filters, replacing smoke alarm batteries, discharge lines, and much more.
These professionals are usually formally trained in one or more trades, such as carpentry, plumbing, electricity, or HVAC. They must also be able to perform minor repairs, read schematics or blueprints, and must be able to read, understand, and have a system for managing warranty items and maintenance schedules. Some employers may also require industry-specific certifications.
Larger employers with greater maintenance needs are often looking for a facility maintenance manager who can perform these tasks as needed, but is more focused on managing an in-house team responsible for most of the actual work. This person may also oversee bids and the hiring of vendors. In this case, the manager will need to feel comfortable interviewing, hiring, training, performing performance reviews, and firing employees. She must create employee schedules, assign task lists, and maintain personnel files, including initial documentation and any annual training or recertification her staff may need.
She must also be able to choose suppliers whose price and quality of work meet the employer’s requirements. This may include checking potential suppliers.
references and verification of insurance coverage. Facility maintenance managers at large facilities are also often responsible for obtaining bids for large projects, such as installing a new HVAC system or remodeling a building. They should be able to write a comprehensive scoping document, objectively evaluate vendor bids, and follow all company policies on the bidding process, particularly if the employing company is publicly funded.
A trained and experienced facility maintenance manager has several job options. Most buildings and complexes of substantial size will include this position on their payroll. Potential employers include shopping malls, malls, office buildings or parks, museums, prisons, multi-family housing, airports, hotels, schools, hospitals, government facilities and university campuses.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
