Senior Manager Facilities Management

Telkom; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 800 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading telecommunications company in South Africa is seeking a strategic leader for Facilities Management. This role is crucial for optimising the lifecycle of national infrastructure and ensuring compliance with regulations. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in contract management, budget oversight, and team leadership, alongside a degree in Engineering or related fields. This position is vital for enhancing operational excellence and driving continuous improvements across the company's facilities portfolio.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven experience in FM Contract and vendor management.
• Experience in multi-site or national portfolio management.
• Strong budgeting and CapEx oversight skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and govern the Facilities Management strategy.
• Oversee the execution of maintenance and performance management.
• Manage financial control and reporting for Facilities Management.

Skills

Integrated Facilities Management

Project management

Budgeting

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree in Engineering/Facilities/Real Estate

Postgraduate qualification in Business or Engineering

Job description

Core Description

Accountable for the strategic leadership, optimisation, and lifecycle management of Telkom’s national building, mast, tower, and utilities infrastructure. The role ensures asset integrity, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and cost efficiency through effective maintenance planning, governance, vendor performance management, and execution oversight. The incumbent leads multidisciplinary technical teams/suppliers, strengthens organisational capability, and ensures that facilities operations enable core business continuity, risk mitigation, sustainability performance, and stakeholder satisfaction across the portfolio.

Job Responsibilities

• Strategic FM Leadership & Governance: Develop, implement, and continuously refine the Facilities Management strategy aligned to organisational objectives, industry best practices, ISO standards, and statutory requirements. Introduce and govern FM operating models, including multi-vendor, outsourced, hybrid, and centre-of-excellence structures. Establish governance frameworks, operating models, and performance management structures to ensure consistent service delivery across the national portfolio. Drive continuous improvement, innovation, and digital transformation (IoT, CAFM, BAS, energy and water analytics systems). Lead long-term asset lifecycle planning, including refurbishment, replacement strategies, and multi-year capital planning. Oversee the development, approval, and revision of FM manuals, policies, standards, procedures, scopes of work, and guidelines. Lead portfolio-wide audits, risk assessments, emergency readiness, and compliance reviews.
• Planning, Maintenance & Technical Execution: Direct the development and execution of comprehensive planned, corrective, and predictive maintenance programmes. Oversee engineering investigations, root cause analyses, and technical assessments to inform decision-making. Ensure timely execution of maintenance activities, reinstatement works, and project-based interventions through effective project management methodologies. Conduct technical audits, building inspections, and utilities assessments to ensure compliance and identify optimisation opportunities.
• Financial Management, Budgeting & Business Case Development: Drive the development of annual OpEx and CapEx budgets for Facilities and Utilities Management, including prioritisation of competing infrastructure requirements. Oversee cost control, financial forecasting, expenditure tracking, and savings reporting in alignment with corporate governance frameworks. Prepare business cases, feasibility studies, and investment proposals for approval by Executive Management. Monitor and investigate anomalies, red flags, and variances in utility consumption and billing.
• Stakeholder, Client & Tenant Relationship Management: Serve as the primary escalation point for internal and external stakeholders, ensuring high-quality service delivery and professional relationship management. Engage with tenants, clients, and cross-functional teams to resolve operational issues, ensure compliance, and support business continuity. Facilitate collaboration with Executive and Senior Leadership to align FM operations with corporate priorities and strategic needs.
• Service Provider, Contract & Performance Management: Lead the end-to-end contract management lifecycle, including drafting technical specifications, tender evaluations, negotiations, appointments, performance oversight, and contract reviews. Ensure strict adherence to service level agreements (SLAs), compliance obligations, and vendor governance requirements. Drive continuous improvement initiatives, innovation adoption, and efficiency optimisation through supplier partnerships. Hold service providers accountable through structured performance reviews, audits, and corrective action frameworks.

Additional Responsibilities

• Risk, Compliance & Health, Safety, Environment (HSE): Ensure full compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Construction Regulations, environmental legislation, and building statutory requirements. Maintain comprehensive risk registers for all FM operations. Develop and oversee facilities risk registers, mitigation plans, emergency response procedures, and business continuity plans. Manage sustainability programmes, utilities efficiency initiatives, and ESG-aligned performance improvements. Ensure closure of findings from Facilities, Sustainability and Utilities audits. Manage legal compliance reporting and interface with regulatory bodies.
• People Leadership & Capability Development: Provide strategic guidance, coaching, development planning, and performance management for FM teams. Promote a culture of high performance, accountability, and customer-centricity. Ensure adequate resourcing, succession planning, technical upskilling, and talent management across the portfolio. Foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and professional conduct aligned with organisational values.
• Operational Excellence & Administration: Oversee procurement requisitions, invoice processing, and financial controls in line with corporate policies. Ensure accuracy and timeliness of reporting for governance structures, including Executive dashboards, quarterly reviews, and compliance submissions. Implement systems, technologies, and data-driven tools to enhance FM visibility and decision-making capability.

Core Competencies

Functional Knowledge: Integrated Facilities Management, Building engineering systems (mechanical, HVAC, fire, electrical, structural, plumbing), Contract management, commercial governance, and SLA frameworks, Property and asset lifecycle management, Utilities and sustainability management, Statutory and compliance frameworks (OHS Act, Fire Regulations, Environmental Regulations), Contract, lease, and commercial management, Real estate lifecycle and asset optimisation principles.
Functional Skills: Advanced project and programme management, Financial planning, budgeting & business case development, FM contract negotiation & vendor governance, Technical report writing & professional business communication, Real estate finance & valuation analysis, Data analytics, problem solving & strategic decision-making.
Competencies (Behaviour): Strategic and systems thinking, Change leadership and transformation management, Stakeholder influence and executive-level communication, People leadership, coaching and empowerment, Innovation, continuous improvement, and operational excellence, Ethical leadership, integrity, and accountability.

Qualifications and Experience

• SAFMA or related professional membership is preferred. Degree in Engineering/ Facilities/ Real Estate is preferred.
• Postgraduate qualification in Business, Engineering, or Facilities (advantageous).
• Proven experience in: Preventative and integrated FM Contract and vendor management; Multi-site or national portfolio management; Budgeting and CapEx oversight; Policy development and governance; Team leadership at a senior level; Executive reporting and stakeholder influence.

Special Requirements

• Valid Driver’s license.

Physical Requirements

None.