How To Become A Director Of Facilities: What It Is and Career Path

What is a director of facilities and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A director of facilities oversees the maintenance and management of a company's infrastructure, including buildings, equipment, and grounds. They develop and implement policies to ensure a safe, efficient, and compliant facility. The role involves managing budgets, negotiating contracts, and coordinating with others to ensure the facility meets the organization's needs. Directors of facilities also manage staff, including hiring, training, and evaluating performance. In summary, a director of facilities maintains the physical properties of an organization.

ScoreDirector Of FacilitiesUS Average

Salary

7.1

Avg. Salary $90,520

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.0

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.48%

Asian 4.30%

Black or African American 9.98%

Hispanic or Latino 13.77%

Unknown 4.32%

White 67.15%

Gender

female 20.21%

male 79.79%

Age - 51

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 51

Stress level

8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a director of facilities?

Pros

Opportunities for career advancement
Variety of tasks and responsibilities
Job stability and security
Opportunity for creativity and innovation
Ability to oversee multiple projects at once

Cons

High stress and pressure to meet deadlines
Long hours and little work-life balance
Responsibility for large budgets and financial decisions
Physical demands of the job, including exposure to hazardous materials and equipment
Staying up-to-date with industry trends and advancements

Key steps to become a director of facilities

Explore director of facilities education requirements

Most common director of facilities degrees

Bachelor's

58.4 %

Associate

17.7 %

Master's

14.1 %

Start to develop specific director of facilities skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	7.55%
Life Safety	6.22%
HVAC	5.48%
Project Management	5.03%
Patients	4.84%

Complete relevant director of facilities training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of facilities learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a director of facilities based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of facilities resumes.

Gain additional director of facilities certifications

Director of facilities certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific director of facilities certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for directors of facilities include Certified Facility Manager (CFM) and EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA).

More About Certifications

Research director of facilities duties and responsibilities

Manage hospital EVS staff assuring logs are document for terminal cleaning.
Lead the department through smooth and successful accreditation surveys by TJC.
Manage environmental health, safety and security program for entire organization, ensuring OSHA general duty compliance.
Manage, delegate and perform facility repairs, apartment renovations, preventive maintenance and inventory control utilizing CMMS program for maintenance.

Get director of facilities experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a director of facilities. The most common roles before becoming a director of facilities include facilities manager, project manager team lead and operations manager.

Prepare your director of facilities resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of facilities resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a director of facilities resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable director of facilities resume templates

Build a professional director of facilities resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your director of facilities resume.