How Do I Become a Director of Facilities?

Become a director of facilities if you enjoy overseeing the operations of buildings and grounds in an organization. This position requires education and a lot of experience in order to do the job properly, as facilities can be complicated to run because they entail so many things. Building function, construction, and safety are all aspects that you need to be comfortable with to become a director of facilities, as is working in a varied environment. There are facilities manager positions in places including colleges and universities, businesses, and healthcare institutions.

The first step to become a director of facilities is to obtain a bachelor's degree in construction science, finance or civil engineering. This type of education provides the foundation for the career, as a director of facilities has to be familiar with reading plans, understanding building codes, and creating and executing budgets. Leadership skills are also essential as the director of facilities oversees workers and communicates often with upper-level management to make sure that the facilities are running smoothly.

Experience is a requirement to become a director of facilities in almost all cases, as you would not understand the organization of a facility without it. Become a director of facilities by first working in the field as an engineer, construction worker, or in maintenance at a large organization. This provides first-hand knowledge of the many people and processes it takes to keep a facility running efficiently. Once you have worked for five to ten years, you are prepared to apply for jobs as a director of facilities, depending on the specific requirements of the organization.

A director of facilities needs to be capable of handling many things at one time, sometimes under a great amount of pressure. The job can be stressful because you are the person who will be called in case of a problem or emergency. If you enjoy working under pressure and staying active doing different tasks each day, this job will be a good fit for you.

Since there are such a varied amount of organizations and facilities in the world, the job of a director of facilities can vary from one place to another. Generally speaking, a knowledge of best practices in building is needed in order to help a company run at its optimal level. This is found through continued education once you have become a director of facilities, and will keep you up-to-date with the latest policies and practices on such areas as safety, standards, and performance.