Woman. Leader. Facilities Manager. Hired!
They say we wear many hats, right? All that multitasking, juggling, reacting, responding whether in the HVAC room, in the boardroom, on site, off site and then on the home front. Household manager. Chief executive officer of everyone and everything. Exhale.
Here's what I realized after years in facilities management, if you are a woman looking for a career that actually uses all those skills, you have been developing, while running your household, coordinating schedules, and keeping everything functioning, like a Jedi master, you are and have been training for the job.
I want to strongly appeal to any women, at any level, to have an open mind about this industry as a career. As my facilities career evolved through healthcare operations, nonprofits, and even retail, I started recognizing the patterns. The customer service skills I was honing everywhere translated directly to stakeholder management. My ability to not only "balance" home life with work life, but actually see how they work hand in hand became my secret weapon. And you have it too.
I believe that the skills that make you an effective household manager are exactly the skills that make you an exceptional facilities manager.
You are already managing, operating, maintaining and anticipating needs every moment. Think about what you do as a household manager. You anticipate needs before they become a major crisis. To me, that is preventive maintenance. You coordinate multiple schedules and priorities simultaneously. I say that is multi-location facilities management. You troubleshoot why the dishwasher is making those weird noises that is diagnostic thinking. You negotiate with contractors about home repairs while staying on budget then you are already managing vendors. This one is a very valuable skill on both fronts.
The mother who coordinates afterschool activities for three kids across two schools, and is their uber driver as well, while managing a household budget? She's demonstrating project management, resource allocation, and strategic planning. Those skills transfer.
Women are often socialized to notice what is out of place, what needs attention, what is about to become a problem. Just like this winter thus far causing havoc on our MEP systems! In facilities management, this is not a quirk, it's a competitive advantage.
During site walks, I notice temperature variations, unusual sounds, changes in traffic patterns, and maintenance issues before they escalate. When I get up in the morning I am looking around every part of my home to see, hear, and check on what may have transpired internally and externally, overnight that will now distract or interrupt me from my planned schedule and how to adjust to what needs immediate attention. That’s the proactive side.
Relationship building skills are yet another one of the many valuable strengths that women excel at in facilities management.
Those vendor relationships that cultivated over the years become professional networks that open doors. I had a super competent and kind contractor that worked so seamlessly in our non profit world that his honest pricing and execution of quality work led to a build up of major trust long run that was priceless. The supplier who shares industry insights. These relationships matter.
I also encourage women to step into facilities management because building new skills always matter. My recent experiences leading our office decommissioning projects taught me sustainable disposition practices, asset management, and circular economy principles. We diverted 85% of materials from landfills through donation, recycling, and repurposing. That project became the foundation of our organization's sustainability program which is something I built from scratch using skills I didn't even know I had.
Women entering facilities management should not be underestimating their transferable skills. Your self-awareness enables you to manage up, down, and sideways effectively. Your emotional intelligence helps navigate organizational politics. Your systems thinking from developing and managing complex households also translates directly to managing complex buildings.
I hope for those women reading this that this is a poignant calling and case to encourage you to be curious. We need more women in facilities management, at every career stage. Whether you are entering the workforce, changing careers mid-life, or looking for meaningful work after raising children, facilities management offers opportunities that value your existing skills while teaching you new ones.
To the women considering facilities management remember your household management experience is legitimate professional experience. Your attention to detail is expertise. Your relationship building skills are strategic assets. Your ability to juggle multiple priorities while anticipating needs is called facilities management.
This field needs what you already bring. Come join us. We've been waiting for you.
Maria Ruiz is a Facilities Operations Manager at UNICEF USA with 15+ years of cross-sector expertise. Overseeing multiple national offices, she applies Lean Six Sigma methodologies to create sustainable, efficient workspaces supporting humanitarian missions. Her writing champions women in facilities management by blending technical knowledge with practical insights that empower professionals in this traditionally male-dominated field.
