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 your co-workers have the best resources to complete their daily tasks. Your primary role is supervising the 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 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 within your department, like budget creation and expense tracking.

Maintenance managers work in electrical plants, manufacturing companies or commercial buildings. Hence, you need a basic understanding of electrical systems, plumbing, carpentry and other crafts. You should be well-versed in maintenance regulations and safety procedures, too. In small institutions, you do some maintenance tasks. However, in large enterprises, the main job is to supervise operations.

Would working as a maintenance manager suit your troubleshooting skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a maintenance manager role.

maintenance manager jobs
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average maintenance manager salary

According to the Economic Research Institute, you earn an average salary of €37,000 per year as a maintenance manager. The earnings fluctuate with experience and the complexity of your tasks. When starting as a maintenance manager, your compensation package is slightly lower due to your minimal experience. As you gain experience, your compensation package increases gradually, and you can take home over €46,000 per year.

what factors affect the salary of a maintenance manager?

Your compensation package as a maintenance manager depends on your duties and work experience. When you handle complex duties, you will likely earn a higher salary due to the required expertise. Having additional experience and educational qualifications improves your earnings significantly.

The size of the organisation also influences your earnings. When you work in a big company, you manage a larger team of maintenance workers compared to small companies with few workers. Large organisations also have unlimited resources and can afford higher salaries and better benefits. Small companies have limited budgets and may not have the resources to pay higher salaries.

download our salary guide
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types of maintenance managers

Different industries require specific types of maintenance managers. Some of these include:

male worker operating a machine in a factory
male worker operating a machine in a factory
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working as a maintenance manager

If you want to start a career as a maintenance manager, you should understand the scope of the work. Read on to learn more about the duties, responsibilities and expectations of the job.

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maintenance manager skills and education

Some of the requirements for becoming a maintenance manager in Greece include:

  • Education: pursue a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field — like facility management, mechanical engineering or electrical engineering — to excel in the role. You can also pursue courses relevant to the industry you want to work in, such as industrial or plant maintenance engineering.
  • Work experience: gain experience in an entry-level role in maintenance to learn the industry's best practices and improve your knowledge. Consider getting relevant licences for your organisation. For instance, if you have a degree in electrical engineering, you can get a licence from the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE). Some employers also expect you to register with the Hellenic Association of Mechanical and Electrical Engineers in Greece.

competencies and characteristics of maintenance managers

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 programs and create schedules. You also require computer skills to manage maintenance tasks with computerised maintenance management systems (CMMS). You need knowledge of engineering concepts to perform some tasks yourself in case a worker is unavailable.
  • Problem-solving skills: as a maintenance manager, problem-solving skills help you 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.
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FAQs

Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of a maintenance manager.

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