A Career as a Facilities Manager

The job role

Organisations across a wide range of industry sectors, both public and private, employ Facilities Managers to ensure the effective and efficient management of their services and resources and to maintain their business premises.  The daily job role is a diverse one and can include coordinating office moves and refurbishments, organising cleaning and maintenance works, and maintaining IT and telephony systems.  They are also required to respond to any unforeseen situations that occur and to ensure strict adherence to health, safety and environmental legislation.

Relevant qualifications

Although not necessarily an essential requirement for the role, there are HND and degree qualifications available in Facilities Management which can assist career development.  Professional training is offered through the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) and accreditation can be achieved at student, associate and member level.

Skills requirements

Facilities Managers must, above all, be well organised and be able to deal with often conflicting priorities.  They should be familiar with IT systems, be capable of controlling costs, and be adept in communicating and negotiating with suppliers.  Many Facilities Managers will come from a background in construction or building services.

Career development

This can be a varied job role because of the sheer range of industry sectors that require Facilities Managers. They can work for independent companies who outsource their skills to other businesses or can be based within multi-service organisations. Either way, the salary is relatively good.