Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Building Services Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Building Services Coordinator oversees day-to-day building operations and service delivery, ensuring mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems operate reliably and efficiently. You will coordinate vendors and in-house maintenance teams, manage work order systems, implement preventive maintenance programs, monitor performance against SLAs, maintain statutory compliance, support project delivery and capital works, and drive continuous improvements in uptime, cost control and occupant satisfaction.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Maintenance Technician (Mechanical/Electrical)
Facilities Assistant / Facilities Technician
Building Systems Operator

Advancement To:

Facilities Manager / Senior Building Services Manager
Regional Facilities Coordinator / Portfolio Manager
Operations Manager (Real Estate / Property Services)

Lateral Moves:

Project Coordinator (M&E or Retrofit Projects)
Energy & Sustainability Coordinator
Health & Safety Advisor (Facilities)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate, schedule and supervise all preventive and reactive maintenance activities for mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) and building systems (HVAC, chillers, boilers, air handling units, lifts, fire alarm, smoke control and building management systems) to minimize downtime and ensure occupant comfort and safety.
Manage the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) or work order platform (e.g., IBM Maximo, FM:Systems, Archibus) by raising, assigning, prioritizing and closing work orders; ensure accuracy of asset data, maintenance histories and spare parts consumption to support lifecycle planning.
Act as the primary interface with internal stakeholders, tenants and building users for service requests and escalations; diagnose issues, provide timely updates, set realistic expectations and drive to first-time resolution where possible.
Procure, coordinate and supervise external contractors and service providers, including on-site supervision of contractors, review of invoices, validation of scope of work, adherence to contract SLAs and administration of purchase orders.
Develop, implement and refine preventive maintenance plans and schedules for critical building systems, including planned shutdown coordination, risk mitigation and documentation of test records and certifications.
Ensure statutory compliance and timely completion of mandatory inspections, tests and certifications (electrical testing, emergency lighting, portable appliance testing, legionella risk assessments, fire alarm testing, lift inspections), and maintain compliance records for audits and insurance.
Monitor building performance metrics, utilities consumption (electricity, gas, water) and BMS trends to identify inefficiencies, propose energy conservation measures and support sustainability initiatives and cost-saving projects.
Coordinate small capital works, refurbishment and remedial projects from request for quote (RFQ) through to completion, ensuring contractors meet quality standards, timeframes and health & safety requirements.
Manage inventory of spares and critical parts, optimize stock levels using consumption analysis to reduce downtime and avoid overstock; coordinate requisitions and manage relationships with suppliers for lead-time control.
Respond to out-of-hours emergencies and provide on-call support arrangements, triaging incidents (flooding, power failure, HVAC breakdowns) and coordinating emergency contractors and stakeholders for rapid resolution.
Maintain, review and update building documentation (operation & maintenance manuals, asset registers, maintenance schedules, service contracts and statutory documentation) to ensure accurate records and handover materials.
Support budgeting and cost control for building services operations by tracking spend against contracts, authorizing routine procurements within delegation, and identifying opportunities for cost reductions and value engineering.
Prepare and present monthly/quarterly performance reports and KPI dashboards (SLA compliance, reactive vs preventive ratio, mean time to repair) to leadership with recommendations for operational improvements.
Implement and enforce site-based permit-to-work systems, safe systems of work, confined space procedures and ensure contractors and staff comply with site-specific health & safety rules and induction requirements.
Coordinate tenant fit-out works, access control for contractors, and manage interfaces between tenancy contractors and building services to limit impact on building operations and other occupants.
Liaise with property managers, asset managers and external stakeholders on lease-related maintenance obligations, capital expenditure planning and planned shutdowns to align building services activity with business needs.
Carry out regular site inspections and condition surveys, snagging and post-project handbacks, identify defects and oversee remedial works to completion with documented sign-off.
Support implementation and tuning of Building Management Systems (BMS) for operational efficiency—modify sequences, setpoints and schedules in coordination with BMS engineers to reduce energy use and improve environmental comfort.
Coordinate third-party testing and commissioning activities for new equipment and systems; review test results, resolve defects and ensure systems are delivered to specification and handed over with full operating documentation.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives such as root cause analysis for repeat failures, development of standard operating procedures, and training of maintenance staff to increase first-time fix rates and reduce reactive spend.
Manage contractor onboarding, vetting and performance reviews including ensuring valid insurances, licences, DBS where required, and maintenance of vendor scorecards to inform procurement and retention decisions.
Support health, safety and environmental incident investigations related to building services, produce incident reports, and coordinate corrective actions to prevent recurrence and ensure regulatory compliance.

Secondary Functions

Coordinate administrative tasks such as contract renewals, supplier performance evaluations and liaising with procurement on tender exercises for planned maintenance and capex projects.
Support capital planning by providing asset condition data, anticipated replacement timelines and cost estimates to the asset management team.
Assist with energy metering data collection, basic analysis and participation in energy reduction programs and sustainability reporting.
Provide building handover support for project completions, including snag lists, training of operations staff and preparation of handover packs.
Participate in cross-functional meetings to align building operations with business events, occupier moves and building upgrades to minimize disruption.
Maintain up-to-date contact lists and escalation matrices for contractors, emergency services and facilities stakeholders.
Support readiness for audits and inspections by external regulators, insurers and internal compliance teams by collating evidence, test results and logs.
Help coordinate minor refurbishment tasks and space reconfiguration requests to support tenant needs and business continuity.
Deliver basic on-the-job training and mentoring for junior facilities staff and contractors on site-specific procedures and systems.
Contribute to development and testing of business continuity and emergency response plans related to building service disruptions.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strong working knowledge of mechanical and electrical building systems: HVAC, chillers, boilers, pumps, AHUs, ventilation and distribution systems.
Experience with Building Management Systems (BMS) plus the ability to read trend logs, adjust setpoints and coordinate commissioning/analog/digital I/O troubleshooting.
Proficiency with a CMMS or computerized work order systems (e.g., IBM Maximo, FM:Systems, Maintenance Connection) for asset registers, scheduling and reporting.
Understanding of statutory compliance and testing regimes: PAT testing, EICR/Electrical testing, fire alarm and emergency lighting testing, legionella risk assessment and control measures.
Ability to interpret technical drawings, P&IDs and basic schematic diagrams; familiarity with AutoCAD or facilities drawings is a plus.
Knowledge of HVAC controls, energy management principles and experience contributing to energy reduction or optimization projects.
Contractor management skills including procurement, contract administration, scope-of-work development, and invoice validation.
Competence in fault diagnosis, root-cause analysis and hands-on coordination of multi-disciplinary maintenance activities.
Working understanding of health & safety regulations and permit-to-work systems; ability to enforce safe working practices and manage contractor compliance.
Basic Microsoft Office and reporting skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and experience producing KPI dashboards and maintenance reports.

Soft Skills

Strong verbal and written communication skills; able to liaise effectively with tenants, senior stakeholders, contractors and operations teams.
Excellent organizational and time-management ability to prioritize multiple reactive and planned tasks across a busy estate.
Attention to detail and high standards for documentation, auditability and record-keeping.
Problem-solving mindset and resilience under pressure, with an ability to make pragmatic decisions during operational incidents.
Customer service orientation and stakeholder empathy—focused on minimizing disruption and maintaining occupant satisfaction.
Negotiation and influencing skills to achieve favorable contract outcomes and service improvements with third-party suppliers.
Team leadership and interpersonal skills to coordinate multi-disciplinary teams and mentor junior staff.
Analytical mindset to identify trends, performance gaps and opportunities for efficiency and cost savings.
Flexibility and adaptability to respond to changing priorities, emergency call-outs and scheduled shutdowns.
Initiative and ownership: proactive in driving continuous improvement and preventive approaches rather than reactive firefighting.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent with vocational training in mechanical, electrical or building services disciplines.

Preferred Education:

Advanced technical qualification (T-level, City & Guilds, NVQ level 3/4) or diploma in Building Services, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Facilities Management or related discipline.
Professional certifications desirable: NEBOSH General Certificate, IOSH, BIFM (or IFMA) credentials, or specific trade licenses.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Building Services Engineering
Mechanical/Electrical Engineering
Facilities Management / Property Management
Energy Management / Environmental Studies

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of direct experience in facilities/building services coordination, maintenance supervision or related M&E role.

Preferred:

3+ years’ experience coordinating multi-site building services, contractors and statutory compliance.
Proven experience with CMMS implementation/use, BMS interaction, and managing service contracts and vendor relationships.
Demonstrable track record of improving maintenance KPIs, reducing reactive maintenance, or delivering energy/operational savings.