what is a maintenance manager?
As a maintenance manager, you are the company's maintenance department leader. Your job revolves around maintaining the company's facilities and equipment to ensure that your co-workers have the best resources to complete their daily tasks. Your primary role is to supervise operations and activities within the department, and you are in charge of technical employees.
The job of a maintenance manager is quite different from other managerial roles. The scope of your responsibilities is broader than standard administrative tasks. Besides knowing the technical issues and equipment your team has to work on, your main challenge is creating a motivated workforce. As a maintenance manager, you should see yourself as a senior supervisor and as a facilitator. Keep asking your workers whether they need help, more training or specialised tools to manage their tasks better. You also help with other tasks like budget creation and expenses tracking within your department.
As a maintenance manager, you work in electrical plants, manufacturing companies or commercial buildings. Hence, a good maintenance manager needs a basic understanding of electrical systems, plumbing, carpentry and other crafts. You should be well-versed with maintenance regulations and safety procedures too. In small institutions, you need to do some maintenance tasks yourself. However, in large enterprises, the main job is to supervise operations.
Would working as a maintenance manager suit your organisational and time management skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a maintenance manager role.
view jobsmaintenance manager salary
According to ONS, the median salary of a maintenance manager is £42,500 per year. You receive a lower salary of £35,000 annually at the beginning of your career, while skilled maintenance managers with some years of experience earn over £54,148 per year. You may earn higher or lower than this range, depending on your specific duties in the organisation. Retail, manufacturing and transportation companies tend to offer more roles and better salaries in this field.
factors that affect maintenance managers' pay
You have a chance to negotiate your pay based on your certification, educational level, additional skills and experience. Workers with exceptional skills and more experience tend to earn higher wages. You will also make more or less salary based on the organisation's location. Maintenance managers in urban centres earn more than those in smaller towns due to changes in demand and the cost of living.
types of maintenance managers
Different industries require specific types of maintenance managers. Some of these include:
- plant maintenance manager: your job is to ensure smooth plant systems and equipment operations. For this job, you oversee new equipment installation, repairs and preventive maintenance to ensure timely and effective production.
- facilities maintenance manager: as a facilities maintenance manager, you take charge of all servicing and engineering tasks within a facility. You will often work with plumbers and mechanical and electrical engineers to ensure that the facility is safe for its intended purpose.
- public works maintenance manager: your work is to lead and guide maintenance supervisors in government institutions. Some of the roles include overseeing landscaping or maintenance of roads, parks and recreation facilities.
- building complex maintenance manager: you are responsible for residential complexes and commercial offices. Your job is to supervise daily upkeep operations like cleaning and manage maintenance procedures.
working as a maintenance manager
If you want to start a career as a maintenance manager, you need to understand the scope of the work. Read on to learn more about the job's duties, responsibilities and expectations.
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maintenance manager job description
As a maintenance manager, the nature and number of responsibilities will vary from one organisation to another based on company size and the industry. Some typical tasks include:
- supervising maintenance activities: the central role of a maintenance manager is to oversee and supervise staff. Your job involves planning daily work schedules and assigning responsibilities depending on the employee's abilities. Therefore, you must clearly understand the organisation's goals to match the right individual with the right skills to meet the objectives. You also have to inspect the progress of each project based on a schedule.
- training employees: as a maintenance manager, you coach and mentor employees to meet organisational goals. You identify employees' weaknesses and give them the necessary training to improve their skills. To build better relationships with your workforce, you need to work as a counsellor. If your team faces any problems, you resolve them or hand over the issues to the responsible parties within the organisation.
- implementing health and safety procedures: maintenance involves high-risk activities that expose workers and other employees to hazards. As the maintenance manager, it's your responsibility to ensure that your team conducts all activities following occupational safety and health guidelines. The best way to implement such procedures is by providing every worker with the right equipment and choosing staff who are well-trained for their respective tasks.
- managing budgets: as a maintenance manager, you manage your department's budget. The company expects you to manage its resources and expenses well by ensuring best practices. Your job as a maintenance manager also involves monitoring equipment inventory and placing orders when necessary. As the manager, you need to develop better ways to improve productivity and cut costs within your department.
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work environment
The day-to-day work activities of a maintenance manager vary based on the industry. You may work in either the private or public sectors and in different environments and locations. Whether you work indoors or outdoors, expect to spend much of your time walking around the facility to provide proactive solutions when needed. If you work in a manufacturing company, you spend most of the time within the facility solving hydraulic, mechanical and electrical problems.
In commercial or residential buildings, you spend most of your time within the premises evaluating, maintaining and repairing systems. However, if you are a maintenance manager working for a mining or construction company, you need to move from one place to another. Maintenance managers working in a transportation company also need to supervise corrective maintenance tasks on vehicles and equipment, wherever they are. Those who maintain electrical systems have to spend most of the time in the field.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on your employer, your colleagues may include mechanical maintenance technicians, housekeepers and maintenance engineers. You are also likely to work with cleaners and rail track maintenance workers, as well as other specialists that could include gas service technicians, caretakers, janitors and shift manager roles.
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work schedule
The supervisory demands on maintenance managers require you to work long hours. You're likely to work full-time, but you will also work overtime or irregular shifts in some cases. Expect to work at a standard rate of 40 hours a week. However, if you are in demanding sectors like construction, prepare for emergency calls. In some cases, you need to work evenings, weekends and holidays. Most plants also operate 24 hours a day. As a maintenance manager, you should be available at the worksite to supervise tasks. Hence, remote work is impossible.
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job outlook
Companies have realised that maintenance is an integral contributor to business success, and they are rapidly adopting the predictive maintenance principle. Today, most enterprises don't wait for equipment to fail to seek repair services; instead, they employ a maintenance team to keep their equipment and systems in working order and prevent disruptive breakdowns. You can specialise in specific maintenance tasks like railways and roads. If you work in manufacturing facilities, you can become the facilities manager or a consultant on maintenance issues.
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advantages of finding a maintenance manager job through randstad
Finding your maintenance manager job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a maintenance manager is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
The level of qualifications required to become a maintenance manager depends on the size and nature of the company. You can get a job with GCSEs and related work experience in small institutions. However, you often need graduate-level qualifications for large organisations. Some of the educational requirements for the job include:
- university degree: you can become a maintenance manager if you have a bachelor's degree in industrial maintenance and chemical or mechanical engineering. It would help if you developed your education with a master's in leadership and management.
- training: some maintenance managers don't start as graduates but as field workers in the maintenance sector. For instance, you can pursue training courses in plumbing or electrical maintenance to be effective in the role. Some maintenance managers also start as handypersons with qualifications in various trades.
skills and competencies
You need the following qualities to become an effective maintenance manager:
- leadership skills: as a maintenance manager, you supervise various workers to ensure tasks are completed on time. You need exceptional leadership skills to inspire and motivate workers toward a particular goal. Management skills also help you delegate tasks and multi-task effectively.
- technical knowledge: you need basic computer skills to order stock, hold educational programmes and create schedules. A maintenance manager also needs knowledge of engineering concepts to do some tasks if a worker is unavailable.
- problem-solving skills: as a maintenance manager, you need problem-solving skills to resolve issues swiftly and avoid interfering with other business operations.
- people skills: as a maintenance manager, you deal with many colleagues, from cleaning staff to engineers and managers. You need great people skills to build effective relationships and communicate professionally with everyone.
FAQs
FAQs about working as a maintenance manager
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what does a maintenance manager do?
Maintenance managers oversee the installation, repair and maintenance of organisations' machines, equipment, buildings and other structures. You also take on administrative tasks like budgeting, hiring and negotiating contracts. Want to learn more about working as a maintenance manager? Then check out this article.
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what do maintenance managers make?
Maintenance managers earn an average salary of £42,500 per year and hourly rates of £21.79. Experienced maintenance managers take home over £54,148 annually. Want to learn more about working as a maintenance manager? Then check out this article.
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who makes a good maintenance manager?
A good maintenance manager should have time management, organisational and interpersonal skills. This position also suits ambitious people who can work for long hours and meet multiple deadlines.
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what is the main responsibility of maintenance services?
The primary responsibility of the maintenance service is to conduct routine inspections of an organisation's facilities and equipment. They also do repairs, installations and replacements to ensure the smooth running of a facility.
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how do I become a maintenance manager?
Most employers look for both education and experience before hiring a maintenance manager. Start by pursuing a degree, especially if you look forward to working in the technical industries or getting a promotion later.
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how do I apply for a maintenance manager vacancy?
Applying for a maintenance manager job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
