Regional Facilities Manager - SPARK Schools Support - 2026 at SPARK Schools

Responsibilities:

Facilities and Building Maintenance


Inspect school buildings and determine the need for renovations / repairs. This includes site visits to each site every two weeks.
Ensure building and workspaces comply with Occupational Health & Safety Act.
Ensure that workspaces accommodate employee needs according to SANS standards.
Ensure maintenance of buildings by requesting repairs or contracting maintenance services as needed in a cost-effective manner.
Perform electrical maintenance as and when required.
Ensure vehicle(s) is serviced and maintained as required.
Liaise with Landscaping suppliers or internal team members to ensure that buildings, facilities and surrounding areas are neat, tidy and maintained to the agreed upon standard.
Conduct reactive, proactive, and preventative maintenance to sites and equipment.
Liaise with school leadership teams should any work requiring closures or adjustment to schedules need to take place.
When required, put in place contingency plans for any work requiring a change in schedule / routine.
Come up with innovative solutions and/or ideas for facilities improvement and beautification.
Create and maintain an asset register.
Ensure maintenance of small portable equipment is done to appropriate standards.
Conduct vehicle checks on a regular basis, and flag any identified problems, services due, etc, in a timely manner.
Be the first respondent to any building-related emergencies.
Investigate utilities consumption reported by Property Manager and strive to minimise costs.
Draft and submit monthly maintenance reports.
Set up and improve processes which facilitate everyday operations


Ticketing Desk


Oversee and manage SPARK's ticketing desk system for the facilities portfolio.
Administer and allocate tickets, tasks and requests to the appropriate personnel - i.e. Facilities Maintenance Staff, School Leadership Teams and external vendors/suppliers.
Ensure all logged tickets are resolved and attended to within agreed SLAs.
Update tickets timeously and follow up on any outstanding tickets to understand any issues or delays that may be experienced.


Stakeholder Engagement


Onboard suppliers who have been vetted and meet onboarding criteria.
Manage external service providers and contractors, including their adherence to agreed SLAs.
Ensure that all outsourced services are administered according to the service level agreements and service catalogue.
Maintain ongoing communication with contractors, clients, and team. This includes conducting supplier meetings termly, or according to the needs and relationship with the supplier.
Regularly communicate and liaise with each site's School Operations Coordinator (SOC) at least twice a week to keep abreast of the facilities portfolio and day-to-day operations.
Create and maintain excellent relations with all stakeholders including Municipal Officials and other officials from regulatory authorities.
Build and nurture existing and new client relationships to ensure ongoing satisfaction and effectiveness (incl. landlords and schools).


Finance & Accounts


Review weekly budget cost and control sheets.
Ensure that an appropriate number of quotations (approx. 2 - 3) are obtained prior to approving costing/quotations. Work to negotiate the best possible costing.
Review quotations carefully to ensure the correct costings are received on all quotations.
Manage expenditure per site, as per budget.
Consult with Property Operations Manager when budget spend exceeds allocated budget.
Ensure monthly supplier invoices are uploaded on time.
Review invoices before submitting to ensure accurate reflection of costs and services obtained.
Liaise or follow up with the Finance team to ensure supplier accounts are paid on time.


General


Participate in regular inter regional sessions where new policies, materials, methods, training and challenges are discussed and resolved
Assist the Facilities Team lead with school health and safety management as well as making sure the health and safety file is up to date at all times.
Attend to security incidents within their region.


Qualifications and Criteria:

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications and criteria:


Relevant Facilities/building environment qualification.
N3 - N6 in Engineering would be advantageous
SAFMA Registered Professional Preferred.
2 - 3 years facilities/operations management experience with a portfolio of commercial property assets
Project management experience ( multiple simultaneous projects ) with knowledge of built environment, design, construction (preferred)
Systems management and administration experience
Strong knowledge of building infrastructure and maintenance
Knowledge of building compliance (SANS) as well as Occupational Health & Safety legislation
Knowledge of electrical systems will be beneficial