Project manager to facilities manager
A project manager already meets 33% of what the facilities manager role asks for. The move turns on 22 required skills not yet in the profile.
73.9/ 100
1 How much of what a facilities manager is expected to do is already part of a project manager’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the facilities manager role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A facilities manager role treats 14 of its required skills as things a project manager already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- corporate social responsibility
- ensure equipment availability
- ensure equipment maintenance
- establish daily priorities
- follow company standards
- liaise with managers
What stands in the way is 22 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 15 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A facilities manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a project manager background worth leading with.
- already held supervise daily information operations management skills
- already held establish daily priorities management skills
- already held manage logistics management skills
- already held plan schedule management skills
- already held ensure equipment maintenance management skills
- already held strive for company growth management skills
All 15 carried skills, including the 14 the facilities manager role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 41 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn manage space utilisation required
- still to learn plan facilities management policies required
- still to learn manage facilities services required
- still to learn manage maintenance operations required
- still to learn oversee the facilities services budget required
- still to learn plan buildings maintenance work required
- still to learn supervise work required
- optional, not held evaluate employees optional
- optional, not held plan health and safety procedures optional
- still to learn inspect contracts for related grounds maintenance work required
- still to learn maintain relationship with customers required
- still to learn promote facilities management services required
- still to learn carry out energy management of facilities required
- still to learn handle customer complaints required
- still to learn maintain customer service required
- optional, not held design building retrofitting solutions optional
- optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
- optional, not held liaise with security authorities optional
- optional, not held manage emergency evacuation plans optional
- optional, not held perform procurement processes optional
- still to learn green building practices required
- still to learn electrical power safety regulations required
- still to learn energy conservation required
- still to learn environmental management standards required
- optional, not held building automation optional
- optional, not held energy market optional
- optional, not held energy performance of buildings optional
- still to learn ensure inspections of facilities required
- still to learn inspect building systems required
- optional, not held read standard blueprints optional
- still to learn facilities management in the organisation required
- optional, not held accounting optional
- optional, not held contract law optional
- optional, not held employment law optional
- optional, not held supply chain management optional
- still to learn ensure compliance with noise standards required
- optional, not held handle surveillance equipment optional
- optional, not held manage major incidents optional
- optional, not held respond to burglar alarm systems optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a facilities manager role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 ensure inspections of facilities practise this
- 02 facilities management in the organisation study this
- 03 green building practices study this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 15 skills that carry over
- already held corporate social responsibility knowledge
- already held ensure equipment availability skill
- already held ensure equipment maintenance skill
- already held establish daily priorities skill
- already held follow company standards skill
- already held liaise with managers skill
- already held manage budgets skill
- already held manage logistics skill
- already held manage staff skill
- already held manage supplies skill
- already held perform risk analysis skill
- already held plan schedule skill
- already held strive for company growth skill
- already held supervise daily information operations skill
- already held recruit employees skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- still to learn fire safety regulations required
- optional, not held cleaning industry health and safety measures optional
19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held design building retrofitting solutions optional
- optional, not held accounting optional
- optional, not held building automation optional
- optional, not held cleaning industry health and safety measures optional
- optional, not held contract law optional
- optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
- optional, not held employment law optional
- optional, not held energy market optional
- optional, not held energy performance of buildings optional
- optional, not held evaluate employees optional
- optional, not held handle surveillance equipment optional
- optional, not held liaise with security authorities optional
- optional, not held manage emergency evacuation plans optional
- optional, not held manage major incidents optional
- optional, not held perform procurement processes optional
- optional, not held plan health and safety procedures optional
- optional, not held read standard blueprints optional
- optional, not held respond to burglar alarm systems optional
- optional, not held supply chain management optional
53 held skills the facilities manager role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role Agile project management knowledge
- not needed by the target role Prince2 project management knowledge
- not needed by the target role analyse business plans skill
- not needed by the target role apply change management skill
- not needed by the target role apply conflict management skill
- not needed by the target role build business relationships skill
- not needed by the target role business processes knowledge
- not needed by the target role communication principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role control of expenses skill
- not needed by the target role create a financial report skill
- not needed by the target role create project specifications skill
- not needed by the target role crowdsourcing strategy knowledge
- not needed by the target role customise project methodologies skill
- not needed by the target role design wayside signalling interlockings skill
- not needed by the target role develop business plans skill
- not needed by the target role draft project documentation skill
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with legal requirements skill
- not needed by the target role estimate duration of work skill
- not needed by the target role find a replacement for stage manager skill
- not needed by the target role identify legal requirements skill
- not needed by the target role insourcing strategy knowledge
- not needed by the target role internal risk management policy knowledge
- not needed by the target role lean project management knowledge
- not needed by the target role legal studies knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain a central project repository skill
- not needed by the target role maintain relationship with suppliers skill
- not needed by the target role manage project changes skill
- not needed by the target role manage project information skill
- not needed by the target role manage project metrics skill
- not needed by the target role manage several projects skill
- not needed by the target role manage standard enterprise resource planning system skill
- not needed by the target role mathematics knowledge
- not needed by the target role negotiate with stakeholders skill
- not needed by the target role office administration knowledge
- not needed by the target role organise project meetings skill
- not needed by the target role outsourcing strategy knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform PESTEL analysis skill
- not needed by the target role perform project management skill
- not needed by the target role perform resource planning skill
- not needed by the target role program management knowledge
13 further entries not listed here
14 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn facilities management in the organisation required
- still to learn green building practices required
- still to learn electrical power safety regulations required
- still to learn energy conservation required
- still to learn environmental management standards required
- still to learn fire safety regulations required
- optional, not held accounting optional
- optional, not held building automation optional
- optional, not held cleaning industry health and safety measures optional
- optional, not held contract law optional
- optional, not held employment law optional
- optional, not held energy market optional
- optional, not held energy performance of buildings optional
- optional, not held supply chain management optional
Other moves recorded from project manager
- programme manager 69% covered · moderate
- project support officer 69% covered · moderate
- ICT project manager 51% covered · substantial
- operations manager 49% covered · substantial
- security manager 39% covered · substantial
- auction house manager 36% covered · substantial
- resource manager 35% covered · substantial
- gambling manager 32% covered · substantial
Common questions about this move
Can a project manager become a facilities manager?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A project manager already covers 33% of what a facilities manager is expected to do: 15 skills carry over, 14 of which the facilities manager role treats as required.
What skills does a project manager need to become a facilities manager?
22 required skills are missing, plus 19 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by management skills. The single most important is ensure inspections of facilities.
How hard is the move from project manager to facilities manager?
Its learning distance is 73.9 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.