What is the Difference Between a Facilities Coordinator and a Facilities Manager?

Job titles within the facilities and workplace management industry can often be quite similar. Not only that but one title in a certain company might have different responsibilities to the same title in another company, reflecting the diverse nature of FM.

Two titles that are quite common across FM are facilities coordinator and facilities manager. While they might sound alike, they do in fact have different roles and responsibilities.

Let’s take a look at what sets them apart.

Facilities Coordinator

According to the employment resource company, Workable, a facilities coordinator is in charge of maintaining a building. This usually refers to the premises of the company they work for, but it could also be a residential building. They ensure that these buildings are safe and that all equipment and devices operate properly.

Facilities coordinators oversee all activities inside a building, ensuring that health and safety standards are met and arranging for repairs when needed. They usually report to the facilities manager and the two of them work together in tracking expenses and coordinating with external vendors.

In smaller companies, these roles could overlap. In larger companies, with multiple offices, the company may hire a coordinator per building and have them report to a facilities manager.

Some responsibilities include:

• Fixing minor issues in appliances or arranging for repairs when needed
• Ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations
• Removing hazardous materials from all areas accessible to employees and guests

Facilities Manager

A facilities manager is also responsible for making sure that a building is being run in the correct way. They have to make sure that all equipment is fully operational and that the building adheres to a rigorous set of health and safety guidelines.

As mentioned above, a facilities coordinator reports to a facilities manager. In essence, facilities manager is a more senior role and requires good people management skills and the ability to delegate responsibilities.

In smaller companies, the facilities manager may still adopt some of the responsibilities of the facility coordinator and work alongside them. In larger settings, their main responsibilities may revolve around managing a team of facilities coordinators and ensuring they have the tools they require to deliver their job in the most efficient and effective way possible.

A facilities manager may require extra skillsets on top of what would be expected of a facilities coordinator. This could include enhanced people management skills, good knowledge of accounting and budgeting, or enhanced organisational and delegation skills.

Read More

Planned Maintenance versus Reactive Maintenance in Facilities Management

Want to know more about the world of facilities and workplace management?

Get in Contact

If you are interested in any of our Facilities Management degrees or qualifications you can book a consultation call with our expert FM advisor Brandon McLean here, email brandon.mclean@portobelloinstitute.com or call 01 892 0035.