Facilities Manager
What the work is
Organises, controls and coordinates the strategic and operational management of buildings and facilities in public and private organisations to ensure the proper and efficient operation of all physical aspects of a facility, to create and sustain safe and productive environments for occupants.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Plans, organises, coordinates and oversees the administrative, operational and strategic planning activities of a facility
- Coordinates the implementation of repairs, maintenance and renovations of a facility
- Manages facility budgets and financial resources, and reports on operating expenses and income
- Manages and oversees the hiring of support staff
- Manages contracts and service agreements with external vendors for facility maintenance and services
- Monitors and evaluates the performance of facility management programs and services
- Ensures compliance with health and safety regulations and standards
- Develops and implements emergency response plans and procedures
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a fictional regional council's civic building, library and community hall, looked after by the facilities team. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A building runs so smoothly that nobody has any reason to think about it
- You solve a recurring problem for good, and the calls about it stop
- A new space opens to the public and people use it in ways you did not plan
Hard days
- A burst pipe in the library on the same night as a function in the hall
- A contractor who does not turn up, a deadline that does not move and a boss asking for an update
- A choice between fixing something this week and saving for a bigger problem next year
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 172331, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.