Business Unit Leader – Facilities Management

Horizontal Talent; Batu Kawan; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Horizontal Talent is seeking an experienced Business Unit Leader – Facilities Management in Batu Kawan, Penang, Malaysia. The role oversees a portfolio of FM operations, delivering both Hard and Soft services with a focus on performance, client satisfaction, and financial outcomes.

You will manage client accounts, lead operations and engineering teams, and drive continuous improvement across the portfolio. The ideal candidate will have 8–12 years of progressive FM leadership, a Bachelor's degree

Qualifications

• Senior FM leadership experience.
• Proven ability to manage multi-site operations.
• Strong financial acumen including budgeting and P&L.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall FM operations across multiple sites and client accounts.
• Develop and coach a high-performing operations team.
• Maintain strong client relationships and act as senior escalation point.
• Ensure services meet KPIs, SLAs, and contractual requirements.
• Oversee Hard and Soft FM services and cost control across the portfolio.
• Manage the business unit’s P&L, budgeting, forecasting, and profitability.
• Identify efficiency improvements and opportunities for growth.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Strategic thinking

Client relationship management

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (Mechanical/Electrical)

Job description

About Horizontal

Established since 2003 in the US, Horizontal solves complex challenges across two distinct businesses: Horizontal Digital and Horizontal Talent. We are consistently recognized for being a top workplace and one of the fastest-growing private companies. Horizontal Talent specializes in staffing for IT, Digital & Creative, and Business & Strategy markets. We have global offices in US, UAE, India, Malaysia and Australia.

Location

Batu Kawan, Penang

About The Role

We are looking for an experienced Business Unit Leader – Facilities Management to lead the overall delivery and performance of a portfolio of Facilities Management (FM) operations.

This is a senior leadership role responsible for managing multiple client accounts, operational teams, financial performance, service quality and business growth.

The successful candidate will act as a strategic partner to key clients while ensuring operational excellence across both Hard and Soft FM services.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the overall operations and performance of multiple FM sites and client accounts.
• Manage and develop a high-performing team across operations, engineering and contract support.
• Build strong relationships with key clients and act as the senior escalation point for operational matters.
• Ensure FM services consistently meet contractual requirements, KPIs, SLAs and client expectations.
• Oversee both Hard Services and Soft Services across the assigned portfolio.
• Take ownership of the Business Unit's P&L, budgeting, forecasting, cost control and profitability.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs without compromising service quality.
• Lead contract reviews, performance evaluations and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support tenders, bids and presentations, and identify opportunities for account growth, upselling and cross‑selling.
• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements and QHSE standards across all sites.
• Lead mobilisation and transition activities for new contracts.
• Manage vendors and suppliers to ensure quality, performance and cost effectiveness.
• Provide regular business performance updates and contribute to strategic decision‑making.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (Mechanical/Electrical), Facilities Management or a related field is preferred.
• 8–12 years of progressive Facilities Management experience with strong operational and leadership responsibilities.
• Experience managing multiple sites and/or client accounts.
• Strong experience in people management and team leadership.
• Proven experience in P&L, budgeting, forecasting and financial management.
• Strong understanding of FM operations, contract management, KPIs, SLAs and QHSE compliance.
• Experience managing both Hard and Soft FM services.
• Strong client and stakeholder management skills, including handling senior‑level escalations.
• Experience in tender/bid management and business development will be an advantage.
• Strong analytical, communication, problem‑solving and leadership skills.
• Experience with CMMS/CAFM systems is an added advantage.