Facilities Manager Job Description

A Facilities Manager is responsible for making sure buildings and workplaces are safe, compliant, well maintained and fit for the people who use them. The role covers maintenance, health and safety, contractor management, workplace services and budgets, and it sits at the point where the building meets the business.

This guide sets out what the role typically involves. It is written for employers drafting or reviewing a job description and for candidates judging whether a role is pitched at the right level. If you need a starting document, our Facilities Manager job description template is available to download.

Job purpose

A good job description opens with a short purpose statement. For a typical Facilities Manager role it might read:

To manage the safe, compliant and efficient operation of the site or portfolio, delivering high-quality workplace services within budget and a positive experience for everyone who uses the building.

Everything else in the job description should support that sentence.

Core duties and responsibilities

Building operations and maintenance

• manage planned preventative and reactive maintenance across building services, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, lifts and fire systems;
• keep asset registers and lifecycle plans up to date; and
• coordinate minor works and projects.

Health, safety and compliance

• ensure statutory compliance across fire safety, water hygiene, asbestos, electrical and gas safety;
• own risk assessments, permits to work and contractor safety procedures; and
• keep compliance records audit-ready.

Contractor and supplier management

• manage service contracts such as cleaning, security, catering, maintenance and waste;
• set and monitor KPIs and service levels; and
• support procurement and contract renewals.

Workplace services and experience

• oversee front of house, the helpdesk, space planning and moves; and
• work with HR and the wider business to support hybrid working and wellbeing.

Budgets, reporting and sustainability

• manage operating budgets and contribute to capital planning;
• find savings without compromising compliance or service;
• monitor energy and water use and support carbon reduction plans; and
• report performance, risk and spend to senior leaders.

How success is measured

Strong job descriptions say how performance will be judged. Common measures include:

• statutory compliance rates and audit results;
• the balance of planned to reactive maintenance;
• helpdesk response and completion times;
• performance against budget;
• contractor KPI performance; and
• building user satisfaction.

Reporting lines and team structure

Facilities Managers typically report to a Head of Facilities, a Facilities or Property Director, an Operations Director or a Chief Operating Officer. Depending on the organisation, they may manage Facilities Coordinators, Assistants, Building Managers, maintenance teams and a range of contractors.

Qualifications and experience

Typical requirements include:

• several years' experience in facilities or building operations, including supervisory responsibility;
• a NEBOSH certificate or equivalent health and safety qualification;
• an IWFM qualification at Level 4 or above, or a commitment to working towards one; and
• a working knowledge of building services and statutory compliance.

Engineering or building services qualifications are valuable in technically demanding estates. We advise employers to be careful about making a degree essential: many excellent Facilities Managers progressed through experience, and an unnecessary requirement narrows the field without improving it.

Skills and behaviours

• technical understanding of building systems;
• sound judgement on health and safety risk;
• contractor management and negotiation;
• budget and commercial awareness;
• clear communication with building users and senior leaders; and
• calm, practical problem-solving.

Facilities Manager salary

Our 2026 Facilities Management salary guide puts Facilities Manager salaries at £40,000 to £65,000, depending on sector, location and the size and complexity of the estate. Across 63 permanent Facilities Manager roles Maxwell Stephens advertised between 2023 and 2026, the median top-of-range salary was £50,000.

We recommend showing the salary in the advert. 92% of the FM vacancies we advertised between 2023 and 2026 did, and in our experience candidates use it to judge the seniority of a role before they read anything else.

Career path

Most Facilities Managers have come up through coordinator, supervisor or assistant manager roles. The next steps are usually Senior Facilities Manager, Head of Facilities and Facilities Director, though many specialise in workplace strategy, sustainability, estates or technical services.

Common questions

What does a Facilities Manager do day to day?

Manages maintenance, contractors, compliance and workplace services so the building runs safely and smoothly, and deals with whatever the day brings.

What qualifications are required?

NEBOSH and IWFM qualifications are the most common. Engineering qualifications help in technical roles, and many people progress through experience.

Who do Facilities Managers report to?

Usually a Head of Facilities, Facilities Director or Operations Director.

Which sectors hire Facilities Managers?

Corporate, healthcare, education, commercial property, government and industrial sectors all employ Facilities Managers.

Talk to Maxwell Stephens

If you are drafting a Facilities Manager role and are not sure it is pitched at the right level, talk it through with our team first. If you are a Facilities Manager considering your next move, browse our current Facilities Management vacancies or upload your CV.