The Facilities Manager organises, controls and coordinates the strategic and operational management of buildings and facilities in order to ensure the proper and efficient operation of all its physical aspects, creating and sustaining safe and productive environments for residents. In residential buildings this is typically conducted at all times of the day, every day of the year.

The Facilities Manager can consist of a single individual or a team, with services able to be delivered by dedicated ‘in-house’ professionals or ‘out-sourced’ in whole or part to external providers.

Read also: What is facility management?

An important role of the Facilities Manager is to provide services, meet varying expectations, support, information, be a good listener, and deal with conflict to create a community environment residents are willing to call home.

Their role includes dealing with various contractors and suppliers in carrying out maintenance and upgrades, and providing services such as security, cleaning, and property maintenance.

In larger buildings the Facilities Manager may be required to manage staff and be part of the recruitment and induction process. Therefore, they are again required to have excellence people management skills. Their relationship with support staff and contractors is critical in ensuring the building is a great place to live and work.

In many areas the actual title of Facilities Manager is not commonly used, however as the wider industry moves toward greater consistency and standardisation more providers and professionals are adopting it.

Reference

FMA Australia: Facilities Management Good Practice Guide (Version 1.0 | August 2012) ABN: 57 003 551 844