What does a facilities manager do?
A Facilities Manager has different responsibilities depending on the line of work or industry. However, most of the time, they specialize in ensuring that the building or work area is in good condition and adheres to its policies and regulations. A facility manager's duties can also involve maintaining the amenities to ensure that they are up to standards, handle budgets, manage the space accommodation, create reports, and offer recommendations when necessary. Furthermore, they supervise the maintenance, parking, and security aspects while coordinating with the personnel in charge.
Facilities manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real facilities manager resumes:
- Plan and manage university sporting events while remaining NCAA compliant.
- Manage events and operations for all NCAA collegiate home varsity contests and special university functions.
- Manage special projects, submit RFP's, prepare quotes and contracts in order to drive new business.
- Manage all EHS programs, training, and associate regulatory requirements for compliance, licensing, and permitting.
- Manage all life safety services which include fire warden coordination, a and CPR training, and first aid.
- Manage work order data base and ensure all work request are being complete on time and KPI's are meet.
- Ensure facility compliance with OSHA and other applicable safety standards by meeting all regulatory compliance requirements.
- Maintain property management and evaluates facilities for mechanical, HVAC, electrical, structural integrity and operational reliability.
- Complete knowledge of EOC, CQI standards and JACO accreditations.
- Train EHS staff in require areas and direct all EHS operations.
- Work together to troubleshoot issue to eliminate or minimize downtime and to find more ways to bring efficiency to the facilities.
- Evaluate departmental needs through consultation with department managers and staff; and troubleshoot problems with department managers to ensure smooth operations.
- Develop quality control documentation necessary to maintain ISO certification.
- Coordinate the delivery of durable medical equipment for hospice patients
- Prepare, review and edit PowerPoint presentations for meetings.
Facilities manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Facilities Managers are proficient in Customer Service, Facility Maintenance, and HVAC. They’re also known for soft skills such as Leadership skills, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Facilities Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 10%
Determine common and unique requirements, then standardize and document terms and procedures in standard operating procedures for uniform customer service.
- Facility Maintenance, 6%
Demonstrated knowledge of project management, construction, building/facility maintenance and property management during multiple branch renovations and new branch construction.
- HVAC, 6%
Developed and implemented preventive maintenance programs for food service equipment, HVAC systems and electrical distribution.
- Building Maintenance, 5%
Maintained a positive, effective working relationship with base-building maintenance personnel and vendor leadership to coordinate efforts minimizing impact to operations.
- Real Estate, 4%
Close new real estate deals by coordinating requirements; developing and negotiating contracts, and integrating contract requirements with business operations.
- Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Maintained accurate records with regard to annual inspection of equipment and general preventative maintenance including rotational work assignment and over-time allowances.
"customer service," "facility maintenance," and "hvac" are among the most common skills that facilities managers use at work. You can find even more facilities manager responsibilities below, including:
Leadership skills. The most essential soft skill for a facilities manager to carry out their responsibilities is leadership skills. This skill is important for the role because "in managing workers and coordinating administrative duties, administrative services managers must be able to motivate employees and deal with issues that may arise." Additionally, a facilities manager resume shows how their duties depend on leadership skills: "provide a leadership role in all security crisis/emergency situations. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling facilities manager duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "much of an administrative services manager’s time is spent working with other people." According to a facilities manager resume, here's how facilities managers can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "coordinate power requirements, connectivity cabling and telecommunications for data centers and office space. "
Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of facilities managers is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday facilities manager duties, as "administrative services managers must pay attention to details." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "coordinated benefit packages with the hr department for existing employees included health, dental, and detailed 401k plans. "
Analytical skills. facilities manager responsibilities often require "analytical skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "administrative services managers must be able to review an organization’s procedures and find ways to improve efficiency." This resume example shows what facilities managers do with analytical skills on a typical day: "created disaster recovery procedures for emergency situations at production datacenter facility. "
The three companies that hire the most facilities managers are:
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Compare different facilities managers
Facilities manager vs. Administration vice president
An Administration Vice President oversees the administrative teams and operations of an organization together with the president. They have the authority to set objectives and guidelines, establish budgets and timelines, gather and analyze data, coordinate managers, delegate tasks, and develop strategies to optimize operations. They also liaise with internal and external parties, maintain records, address issues and concerns, and participate in hiring new members of the workforce. An Administration Vice President implements an organization's policies and regulations, creating new ones when necessary.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between facilities managers and administration vice president. For instance, facilities manager responsibilities require skills such as "customer service," "facility maintenance," "hvac," and "building maintenance." Whereas a administration vice president is skilled in "financial statements," "human resources," "risk management," and "business administration." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Administration vice presidents really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $126,763. Comparatively, facilities managers tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $83,160.administration vice presidents tend to reach higher levels of education than facilities managers. In fact, administration vice presidents are 6.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Facilities manager vs. Manager of environmental services
Although the duties will depend on one's place or industry of employment, a manager of environmental services is primarily responsible for overseeing the environmental programs in a company to ensure efficiency and execution. They are also responsible for examining a company's existing policies and regulations to ensure sustainability in particular areas, devising programs and strategies, coordinating departments across the company, and maintaining an active communication line within the workforce. Furthermore, as a manager of environmental services, it is essential to adhere to the vision, mission, and goals of the company.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that facilities manager responsibilities requires skills like "facility maintenance," "hvac," "building maintenance," and "real estate." But a manager of environmental services might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "healthcare," "human resources," "environmental services," and "patients."
On average, managers of environmental services earn a lower salary than facilities managers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, managers of environmental services earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $65,419. Whereas facilities managers have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $83,160.In general, managers of environmental services achieve similar levels of education than facilities managers. They're 0.6% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for facilities managers in the next 3-5 years?
Irene Thomas Johnson
Executive Director, Solutions Development
Facilities manager vs. Business office director
A business office director is an executive professional who is responsible for directing professionals who are involved in performing professional or clerical duties of an organization. This director must participate in developing and implementing the organization's business office policies and procedures and ensure that their employees are following them. The director is required to prepare payroll and monitor the clerical functions of employees as well as approve supply requisitions to maintain the inventory of office supplies. This director must also collaborate with the human resources personnel to address and resolve employee relations and performance issues.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a facilities manager is likely to be skilled in "customer service," "facility maintenance," "hvac," and "building maintenance," while a typical business office director is skilled in "human resources," "patients," "office management," and "leave administration."
Business office directors make a very good living in the professional industry with an average annual salary of $91,526. On the other hand, facilities managers are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $83,160.Most business office directors achieve a higher degree level compared to facilities managers. For example, they're 7.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Facilities manager vs. Chief administrative officer
A chief administrative officer's responsibilities revolve around overseeing the company's daily operations, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They typically devise strategies to improve workforce performance, perform research and analysis to identify new business opportunities, prepare progress and financial reports, delegate tasks to department managers, and set objectives for them to uphold. Furthermore, as a chief administrative officer, it is essential to lead and encourage different departments to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations, recommending new ones as needed.
Types of facilities manager
Updated January 8, 2025
