What Does a Maintenance Coordinator Do?

Maintenance coordinators manage, schedule, and purchase maintenance services and supplies for businesses and organizations. They can have a broad range of tasks, depending on the company they work for.

In some cases, it organizes and schedule maintenance contractors to perform the various duties required to keep maintenance operations running smoothly. They hire cleaning services, electricians, plumbers, and HVAC professionals as well as schedule and manage their work orders. They manage the maintenance budget and handle payments for maintenance services and necessary equipment and supplies.

In other cases,  coordinators support an in-house maintenance staff, providing administrative assistance to a maintenance supervisor. Tasks include managing work orders, communicating with tenants or departments regarding maintenance work needed, handling purchasing of supplies and materials, and working with outside vendors.

Maintenance coordinators can also manage some day-to-day upkeep for a business including changing light bulbs or filters, cleaning spills, and managing lawn care services. They are the point people for repair problems on a factory line or within a residential building. Coordinators must ensure that equipment or tools are ready for technicians and keep track of preventive maintenance tasks. They can also serve as a checkpoint for quality and compliance.

Key performance indicators include response time on work orders, budget management, and customer satisfaction scores.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates contract maintenance staff including cleaning services, electricians, plumbers, and HVAC providers
• Manages submitted work orders and communicates with tenants and internal departments
• Handles purchasing of cleaning supplies, equipment, and other maintenance items while adhering to budget requirements
• Supports maintenance supervisor or technicians with administrative tasks

Traits

• Stays organized in businesses with robust PM schedules and continuous work requests
• Communicates clearly and often with contractors, tenants, maintenance staff, and executives
• Adheres to budget requirements in making purchasing decisions
• Thinks ahead about tasks that must be completed next to provide exceptional administrative support

Who should hire a maintenance coordinator?

Coordinators can hire the appropriate maintenance contractors as needed to minimize costs. They can negotiate an ongoing contract with a favorite supplier or manage a list of acceptable service providers.

Medium- or large-size organizations can also benefit from hiring a coordinator to support a maintenance supervisor. By shifting administrative and organizational responsibilities to a coordinator, maintenance supervisors can focus on longer-term planning, personnel management and development, preventive work processes, and maintenance systems management.

What are the different types of maintenance coordinators?

The different types of maintenance coordinators can vary greatly depending on specific business requirements and needs. Below are some examples.

• Plant - Supports maintenance supervisors and technicians in maintaining plant systems and equipment including conveyor belts, electrical systems, and pulleys
• Building - Either supports supervisor in administrative duties in managing maintenance needs of a building or coordinates outside contractors to provide needed work
• Facilities - Provides administrative support to maintenance supervisors or technicians so that minor maintenance and engineering work orders are completed in a timely and efficient manner
• Public- Organizes and schedules public works maintenance staff to respond to necessary work orders in street services, parks maintenance, or government building maintenance 

What certifications are available for maintenance supervisors?

Requiring your new hires to hold certifications can help you get off on the right foot. These certifications also provide excellent professional development opportunities for your current maintenance coordinator.

• Certified Maintenance Coordinator — This certification is offered through the National Association of Residential Property Managers. The course covers topics including basic maintenance, lead paint laws, and ethics. This is a solid certification for coordinators who help manage an internal/external team and perform some maintenance duties themselves.
• Certified Administrative Assistant — The National Career Certification Board offers a certification exam for coordinators who play more of an administrative assistant role. This training teaches organizational, administrative, and communication skills.