Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Building Operations Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Building Operations Manager is responsible for the full lifecycle of building operations across one or more commercial properties — including maintenance, engineering, vendor relationships, health & safety compliance, capital improvements, tenant/stakeholder engagement, and operational budgets. This role leads multi-discipline engineering teams, sets preventive maintenance strategies, optimizes building systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, elevators, fire & life safety), and drives continuous improvement initiatives to maximize uptime, reduce operating costs, and enhance occupant experience. Keywords: Building Operations Manager, facilities management, HVAC, BMS, CMMS, preventive maintenance, vendor management, capital projects, safety compliance, energy management.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Facilities Coordinator / Facilities Administrator
Maintenance Supervisor / Lead Building Engineer
Mechanical/Electrical Technician with site leadership experience

Advancement To:

Director of Facilities / Head of Facilities Operations
Senior Manager, Property Operations or Regional Facilities Manager
VP of Real Estate Operations or Chief Operating Officer (for small portfolios)

Lateral Moves:

Property Manager / Asset Manager
Energy Manager / Sustainability Lead
Project Manager (Construction / Renovation)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead and manage day-to-day building operations for assigned properties, ensuring continuous, reliable operation of all mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and life-safety systems while minimizing downtime and service disruptions.
Develop, implement, and continuously optimize a comprehensive preventive maintenance program (PMP) using CMMS best practices to extend asset life, reduce emergency repairs, and improve system reliability.
Oversee, schedule, and supervise multi-disciplinary facilities teams (engineers, technicians, custodial staff, security liaisons), including hiring, training, performance management, and career development.
Manage and coordinate third-party contractors, vendors, and service providers (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, janitorial, landscaping, elevators) including bid selection, SOW negotiation, contract management, SLAs and quality assurance.
Create, propose, and manage annual operating budgets and monthly financial forecasts for facilities, tracking variances, approving invoices, and implementing cost control measures to meet or beat budgetary targets.
Plan and execute capital projects and tenant improvement initiatives from scoping and procurement through construction and handover, coordinating with project managers, architects, and property management.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations (OSHA, EPA, fire codes, ADA) and maintain all required building certifications, permits, inspection logs, and regulatory filings.
Maintain and optimize Building Management Systems (BMS / BAS) to control HVAC, energy usage, ventilation, and indoor environmental quality; troubleshoot alarms and adjust control sequences to improve performance and comfort.
Lead building emergency preparedness and response programs, including emergency shutdown procedures, evacuation drills, severe weather response, and post-incident recovery; serve as on-call escalation for critical incidents.
Perform regular building inspections and condition assessments (roofs, façades, MEP systems, interiors) and develop lifecycle replacement plans with prioritized capital expenditure (CapEx) schedules.
Drive energy management and sustainability initiatives: implement energy conservation measures, monitor utility consumption, manage energy procurement strategies, and pursue rebates and incentive programs.
Implement and maintain an accurate asset register and spare parts inventory strategy, optimizing stocking levels and procurement to reduce lead times and minimize operational risk.
Oversee tenant relations for building systems, utilities, maintenance requests, and service level expectations; act as primary point of contact for occupant escalations and service improvements.
Develop and maintain performance metrics and operational KPIs (work order turnaround, preventative maintenance compliance, energy use intensity, cost per square foot) and produce regular management reporting.
Lead root cause analysis and corrective action for recurring failures, establish continuous improvement initiatives and standard operating procedures to reduce repeat incidents and improve MTTR/MTBF.
Negotiate service contracts, warranties, and vendor pricing to achieve favorable terms and cost savings while maintaining quality and compliance standards.
Coordinate moving, space planning and reconfiguration projects in collaboration with real estate, HR, and tenant stakeholders to support business growth and flexible workspace needs.
Supervise fire & life safety programs including testing and maintenance of fire alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers, emergency lighting, and access control systems; manage inspection schedules and vendor certifications.
Maintain accurate building documentation — as-built drawings, equipment manuals, warranties, operating procedures, and compliance records — and ensure easy retrieval for audits and emergency response.
Lead and conduct technical training and safety programs for facilities teams, promoting a culture of safety, lockout/tagout, confined space awareness, and PPE compliance across all sites.
Implement and manage an efficient work-order process through CMMS (e.g., FM:Systems, Archibus, IBM Maximo, Hippo, UpKeep), ensuring timely triage, prioritization, and closure with customer feedback loops.
Evaluate and recommend technology improvements and digital tools (IoT sensors, predictive maintenance analytics, fault detection diagnostics) to modernize operations and enable data-driven decision-making.
Ensure procurement and inventory compliance with company policies for capital equipment, replacement parts, and services, while maintaining strong vendor relationships and lead-time visibility.

Secondary Functions

Support corporate sustainability reporting and ESG initiatives by tracking energy, water, waste metrics and implementing building-level reduction plans.
Assist Real Estate and Finance teams with long-range capital planning, multi-year budget modeling, and lifecycle cost analysis for portfolio optimization.
Participate in bidding and tender processes for major service contracts, providing operational insight into technical requirements and evaluation criteria.
Contribute to site-level business continuity planning and special event logistics supporting property activations or occupant moves.
Provide backup coverage for on-call rotation, incident command, and cross-site support for peak workload periods or emergency scenarios.
Support requisitioning, procurement, and P-card reconciliations for facilities purchases and maintain vendor approval and compliance documentation.
Collaborate with IT/Technology teams to integrate BMS, access control, and networked sensors with corporate monitoring platforms for centralized operations.
Mentor and develop emerging facilities leaders and help build succession plans for critical technical and managerial roles.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Facilities management and building operations leadership for commercial/industrial properties.
Strong HVAC systems knowledge: chillers, boilers, air handling units, VAV, RTUs troubleshooting and optimization.
Building Automation Systems (BAS/BMS) configuration, diagnostics, and optimization (e.g., Johnson Controls, Honeywell, Siemens).
Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) administration and best practices (work order lifecycle, asset hierarchy, preventive scheduling).
Electrical systems fundamentals and troubleshooting (switchgear, distribution panels, UPS systems, lighting controls).
Fire & life safety systems knowledge: fire alarm, sprinkler systems, egress, emergency power, and testing protocols.
Project management skills for capital improvements and tenant build-outs, including scope, scheduling, and contractor coordination.
Budgeting, cost control, forecasting and P&L responsibility for facility operations; vendor cost negotiation and contract management.
OSHA, EPA, local building codes, and relevant regulatory compliance expertise.
Energy management and sustainability strategies, utility metering, and spearheading energy conservation measures (ECMs).
Plumbing, pump systems, water treatment, and domestic hot water system operations and maintenance.
Elevator/escalator operations oversight and coordination with licensed providers for inspections and repairs.
Procurement, inventory management, spare parts planning, and supply chain coordination for critical assets.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (financial modeling, pivot tables), facility software, and digital reporting/metric dashboards.
Experience with predictive maintenance tools, IoT sensors, and fault detection & diagnostics is a plus.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership with the ability to motivate, coach, and develop cross-functional facilities teams.
Excellent verbal and written communication for interacting with executives, tenants, contractors, and cross-functional partners.
Customer-focused mindset with proven experience delivering high-quality occupant experiences and responsiveness.
Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving and analytical skills to identify root causes and implement sustainable solutions.
Time management and prioritization skills to balance reactive maintenance, preventive programs, and project deliverables.
Negotiation skills and political acumen for managing vendor relationships and multi-stakeholder projects.
Conflict resolution and de-escalation skills for tenant issues, contractor disputes, and emergency situations.
Adaptability and resilience to manage shifting priorities, emergencies, and evolving business needs.
Attention to detail and strong organizational skills for documentation, compliance, and audit readiness.
Collaborative team-player who partners effectively across Real Estate, HR, IT, and Finance.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED required; technical certifications and demonstrated trade experience preferred.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Facilities Management, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, Construction Management, Business Administration, or related field.
Professional certifications a plus: Certified Facility Manager (CFM), Facility Management Professional (FMP), Building Operator Certification (BOC), OSHA 30, PMP, or NABERS/LEED accreditation.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Facilities Management / Operations Management
Mechanical or Electrical Engineering
Construction Management / Project Management
Business Administration / Finance
Environmental Science / Sustainability

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–10+ years in facilities management, building engineering, or operations with increasing leadership responsibility.

Preferred:

7+ years managing day-to-day operations of commercial office, retail, industrial, or mixed-use properties with a demonstrated record of cost control and service excellence.
Experience supervising multi-disciplinary teams and managing third-party contractors across HVAC, electrical, life-safety, custodial, and grounds.
Proven history of capital project delivery, preventive maintenance program development, CMMS administration, and energy management initiatives.
Experience working with BMS, CMMS platforms, and digital tools for predictive maintenance and operational analytics.