One of the main jobs of a building manager is to make periodic inspections of all areas of the building to make sure the janitorial staff are performing their duties effectively. You will also have to monitor the security staff and review the security measures to ensure the safety of these working or living in the building. You will have to review all the safety equipment and determine if any repairs or upgrades are necessary and take the necessary steps to have this work completed. The parking area for the building also falls under the domain of this position. Your job is to ensure that parking areas are maintained and if there are fees associated with the parking, you will be responsible for ensuring that these fees are collected in an appropriate manner.
As a building manager, you will be involved with contracting cleaning services and contractors for the maintenance and repair of the equipment in the building, such as the elevators and heating. From time to time you will receive complaints on various issues from the residents and you have to be able to investigate these complaints properly to reach a conclusion that is satisfactory to all concerned. All buildings need to have an operating budget and this will also be one of your tasks. You will have to prepare a budget and ensure that you do not go over the budget with the various expenditures you have throughout the year. An ability to foresee possible areas where there may be large expenses is essential for maintaining this budget.
To perform well in the job of building manager, you need to have knowledge of all the various tasks involved in taking care of a building in terms of the materials and staff you will need. You also need a working knowledge of the principles and practices involved in building management, such as the ability to read blueprints and manage space constraints in a building. Record keeping and making periodic reports is another task of this job.
The qualifications you need to get hired as a building manager include a at least four years experience working in the area of maintenance of a large building. You will need to demonstrate knowledge and experience in safety codes and in areas of financial management for the procurement of materials and in the budgetary process. If you have an undergraduate degree in business administration or a related field, you can also qualify for this job with less experience.
