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Chicomm Blog

Crafting the Perfect Facilities Manager Job Description

Posted by Lisa MacGillivray on Tuesday, July 5, 2016

There's no use building the perfect wireless communications solution if your facilities manager isn't prepared to support and maintain it. To Property_Management-1.jpgattract, identify and hire the best fit for your business, you’ll need to craft a facilities manager job description with the right amount of detail about the technology and processes you need the person to be familiar with, and the skills you need them to have.

When it comes to crafting the perfect facilities manager job description, keep these pointers in mind:

1. Clearly articulate what technology is at the heart of your business.

You need your new facilities manager to hit the ground running, and the more expertise they have with the kinds of technology, software and communications equipment you rely on, or are interested in buying, the faster the onboarding process will go. 

When it comes to making sure your needs will be met, you can’t be too prescriptive: If you’re using a two-way radios solution, name your chosen brand and relevant system specifications and ask for experience with that brand and type of system. If you’ve invested in facility management software that’s working well for your team, mention that, too. 

It isn’t enough to say the candidate needs to have “IT skills” or be “tech savvy” if you’re going to count on them to help choose and maintain your new Wi-Fi solution or help oversee the installation of your new bi-directional amplifiers.

2. Paint a concise but detailed picture of what the facilities manager’s portfolio covers.

Include details such as the kind of buildings involved – is it a data center or a hospital campus? – and list how many buildings the position is responsible for and the total square footage. The more information you offer in the description, the more likely you are to draw in candidates who have experience with similar footprints. 

3. List all of the systems that the position is responsible for overseeing and maintaining.

Facilities manager job duties vary widely from sector to sector and facility to facility. Make a full list of each system that your facilities manager will have responsibility for, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing and ventilation, including the name brands of any special software you use.

Again, if you're looking for a candidate who can help you improve the performance of communications systems and equipment, list wireless Internet, radio communications, video surveillance equipment, and any other relevant systems. If you don't, you'll most likely get resumes for candidates who aren't qualified to provide support or leadership on maintaining and enhancing these critical equipment and systems.

4. Be clear about the skill sets and certifications you need the person to possess.

In addition to HVAC, perhaps you need the person to have experience in general carpentry and painting, as well. Maybe you need someone with a real estate license in your state. If they need to be proficient with the entire Microsoft Office suite, from Word to Visio, say that, too.

5. Include a rundown of non-system responsibilities and duties.

You need someone with a broad set of skills and experience, and your job description should reflect the whole range of what the position covers, from managing teams to ensuring compliance with state and local codes. Give a sense of what departments or stakeholders the position will interact with regularly. If your facilities management portfolio has a large budget the person will need to manage, you can list it upfront.

6. Give a sample of both the minimum qualifications and preferred qualifications.

Both of these lists offer the opportunity to move from the more general to the specific. Are there pieces of equipment or categories of systems that you want the person to be familiar with? Here’s your chance to list them. Would you prefer someone who has a background in code compliance? Say so.

For help selecting, installing, and servicing the perfect communications system for your facility, contact Chicago Communications today!

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