You can get different facilities management jobs after completing an FM course but for the most part, facilities managers aren’t defined by the label their role is given and more by the responsibilities that they hold.
On Portobello Institute’s recent webinar, The Future of the Workplace Post Covid-19, Portobello brought together three FM professionals from different companies with completely different backgrounds.
Tomás Mac Eoin is the CEO of Hereworks specializing in integrating technology into buildings. Áine Mulcahy is the Managing Director of OCS Ireland and she is responsible for leading and strategizing a huge number of employees while handling the needs of clients who have to manage people. Joan Mulvihill is the Digitalization Lead of Siemens Ireland.
While none of them are labelled as Facilities Managers, each of them comes from a facilities background and has developed their careers through FM experience and education to rise to the top of their respective companies.
Facilities Management jobs used to primarily be about hiding in the background. Your work was done well when it went unnoticed, whether you were managing the cleaning, security or practical requirements of the building you were working in.
Now Facilities Managers are moving into roles where they need to be seen to assure people.
Companies are recognizing the huge value in the Facilities Market, a global market that is projected to be worth $80 billion by 2026. So since we don’t have clearly defined, specific labels for specific roles within each company, being a facilities manager is about working to the needs of the environment you exist in.
As such, a good FM qualification will aid you in generating a skill set that sets you up to be adaptive, predictive, and calm to solve problems when they arise.
If we take examples from the real world, we can break down what a job in Facilities Management can entail:
The Role of A Facilities Manager
They are expected to plan for and adapt to the workplace they exist in, which is why there are so many opportunities for qualified facilities managers across companies of different kinds and different sizes.
On a macro level, facilities managers are responsible for the safety of the people, the efficiency of the company’s output and the maintenance of the physical/technological elements of the building.
If we take an example of a recent specific job opening, we can see how that role manifests itself in a specific scenario.
AccorHotels in County Kildare are searching for a Director of Facilities. These are some of the responsibilities listed in the job scope:
- Lead and manage the day-to-day activities of the Maintenance department and ensure all standards are maintained.
- Oversee ongoing maintenance, repair and preventative maintenance in the Hotel with a focus to improve efficiency, profitability and service levels.
- Co-ordinate renovation, manage capital projects and CAPEX, managing outside contractors as required.
- Prepare and manage the annual maintenance budget and assist in the preparation of the capital plan.
- Effective contribution and participation as a member of the EXCOM team.
- Build a long-term strategy and capital plan over a 3-5 year period ensuring all mechanical and electrical support functions of the resort are proactively managed.
- Liaise and propose green initiatives in line with government support schemes and maximising the efficiency of the resort and the return on investment for the owners.
- Ensure the hotel complies with all government regulations pertaining to building code requirements, fire, health and safety programs.
- Review ongoing service contracts ensuring superior performance and competitive pricing.
- Monitoring energy and water management programs to ensure cost effective use of utilities.
In a hotel specifically, you are likely to be drawn into doing smaller tasks on occasion. But for the most part, the role of the Facilities Manager is to oversee and direct the team of maintenance workers while understanding the regulation requirements and reporting to general management.
An open hotel would have very different requirements to a facilities manager working on a building site or in a factory creating baked goods for example.
The application of anticipating problems, problem solving and overseeing the work at large are the same. But the specifics of what you’re doing changes based on the needs of the setting.
What Employers Look For In A Facilities Manager
Workable have a Facilities Management template that offers a good general outline for what employers look for from their facilities management professionals. That template outlines the goal of a facilities manager as ensuring the business’ accommodation is problem-free and safe so that employees can work under the best conditions. They do that by being responsible for preserving the good condition of infrastructure and ensuring the facilities are safe and well-functioning.
The three primary responsibilities outlined for facilities managers are:
- Planning and coordinating all installations and refurbishments.
- Managing the upkeep of equipment and supplies to meet health and safety standards.
- Inspecting buildings’ structures to determine the need for repairs or renovations.
Both the template and actual job outlines include a requirement for a qualification in facilities management.
Portobello Institute values the one in everyone and understands that education is only a part of your life. We don’t want to take up all of your time and create stress for you. You should go to college to improve your life outside of college and after college.
We are training the facilities management professionals of the future. If you would like to work in FM in a professional capacity, you can find a course that will provide you with the requisite education to do so.
Our FM course pages are listed here or read this article for a quick breakdown on what each course offers and who it is suitable for.
If you would prefer to have a direct conversation with our FM course advisor Sarah Regan, you can contact her on 01-892-0036 or by email at Sarah.Regan@portobelloinstitute.com.
For more articles on Facilities Management topics, you can explore our Knowledge Zone.
