HIRE TALENT  /  OWNERS & OPERATORS  /  FACILITIES OPERATIONS MANAGER
Industrial Facilities Recruiting

Hire Facilities Operations Managers

Hire Facilities Operations Managers who run the day-to-day operation of a large industrial campus or factory: 24/7 plant utilities (chillers, compressed air, process gases, DI water, electrical distribution), the O&M budget, vendor contracts, a PM/PdM program, and a team of supervisors and technicians. We verify utility-plant history, budget ownership and startup experience through references — not job titles.

Hire Facilities Operations Managers →How it works
Facilities Operations Manager - iRecruit.coExample profile
Arjun N.
Vetted Specialists
Owners & Operators
Facilities Operations Manager
CFM · CMRP · OSHA 30
Sectors
Industrial campuses
Gigafactory · Semiconductor · Defense & space mfg · Launch & test · Data center
Role scope
Ops Manager through Director
Site utilities, O&M budget, supervisors and techs
Geography
US-wide
Industrial, defense and mission-critical network
Placement warranty
Replacement guarantee
Every model, every placement
How It Works

Hire Facilities Operations Managers in 3 steps

A structured process for the hire that keeps a 24/7 plant running — where the wrong Facilities Operations Manager lets PM slide, signs vendor renewals unread, and the first sign is a chiller trip that takes a production line down on a Saturday night.

Step 01

Talk to our team

30-minute call. Align on campus size and building count, the utility systems in scope (chilled water, compressed air, process gases, DI/UPW, medium-voltage distribution), CMMS platform, headcount and shift model, O&M budget size, any line or building startups on the horizon, and start date.

Step 02

Review hand-selected talent

Within 2 weeks we introduce 3–5 Facilities Operations Managers with verified operating history on comparable 24/7 industrial sites. References from prior plant managers, facilities directors and the supervisors they led are included.

Step 03

Hire with confidence

Every placement carries a replacement guarantee. If the hire fails within the warranty window, we run a no-fee replacement search.

Why iRecruit.co for Facilities Operations Manager Hires

What makes our Facilities Operations Manager shortlist different

A Facilities Operations Manager sits between the production schedule and the physical plant that makes it possible. Utility-plant judgment, a PM/PdM program the team actually executes, and budget and vendor control separate an operations manager who protects throughput from one who manages a growing backlog.

01

Utility-plant history verified

Every Facilities Operations Manager has reference-verified ownership of 24/7 site utilities — chiller and cooling-tower plants, compressed-air systems, process-gas and bulk-gas supply, DI or UPW water, boilers, and electrical distribution from the utility service entrance down to the MCC. We confirm which systems they ran, at what scale, and what happened when one failed.

02

PM/PdM program the team actually runs

Reference-verified preventive and predictive maintenance ownership: PM completion rates, backlog trend, vibration and thermography routes, oil analysis, and CMMS discipline (Maximo, SAP PM, eMaint, Fiix, MaintainX or comparable) with data a plant manager can defend.

03

Budget, vendor and startup ownership

Verified O&M budget control, scoped vendor contracts with held SLAs and rebid discipline, and hands-on startup history — taking new lines, buildings or utility additions from commissioning turnover into steady-state operation with the right spares, SOPs and staffing in place.

Meet Vetted Facilities Operations Managers

The caliber of Facilities Operations Manager you’ll interview

Every candidate is credential-verified, reference-checked, and matched to your campus and utility mix. Anonymized examples below reflect real placement profiles.

Vetted SpecialistsFemale Facilities Operations Manager - battery gigafactoryExample profile

Alexis R.

Facilities Operations Manager, Battery Cell Plant
  • Ran facilities operations for a 1.4M SF cell plant — dry rooms, chilled water, compressed air, N2 and process exhaust on 24/7 rotation
  • Led facilities-side startup of two new cell lines: utility tie-ins, commissioning turnover, spares and SOPs before first production
  • Managed $14M O&M budget and 38 supervisors, techs and contractors; PM completion held above 95% for two years
Dry-room HVACSAP PMCMRP
Vetted SpecialistsMale Facilities Operations Manager - launch and test siteExample profile

Diego R.

Site Facilities Operations Manager, Propulsion Test Complex
  • Owned utilities and facilities for a rocket-engine test site — high-pressure GN2 and GHe, LN2 storage, deluge water, 12.47 kV distribution
  • Built the PM/PdM program from a paper system into a CMMS with routes, criticality rankings and a spares strategy
  • Cut unplanned utility outages 40% in 18 months; rebid mechanical and electrical service contracts with defined SLAs
Cryogenic systemsMV distributionNFPA 70E
Vetted SpecialistsFemale Facilities Operations Manager - semiconductor fabExample profile

Sofia T.

Facilities Operations Manager, 200mm Fab and Campus
  • Ran day-to-day operations across a fab, sub-fab and three support buildings — UPW, process cooling water, bulk gases, exhaust scrubbers
  • Directed a team of 6 supervisors and 44 technicians across 4 shifts; reduced overtime 22% by rebalancing shift coverage
  • Delivered $3.2M capital-renewal program (chillers, cooling towers, switchgear) without a fab interruption
UPW & PCWMaximoCapital renewal
Facilities Operations Manager Specializations

Match the Facilities Operations Manager specialty to your campus

“Facilities Operations Manager” covers a range of seats — from a single 24/7 plant to a multi-building campus with its own central utility plant. Below are the specializations we recruit for:

Gigafactory Facilities Ops Manager
Battery cell / EV plant utilities
Hire for this specialty
Semiconductor Facilities Ops Manager
Fab, sub-fab and support buildings
Hire for this specialty
Defense & Space Mfg Facilities Ops Manager
Composite, machining and integration halls
Hire for this specialty
Launch & Test Site Facilities Ops Manager
Cryogenics, high-pressure gas, deluge
Hire for this specialty
Central Utility Plant Ops Manager
CUP: chillers, boilers, air, MV distribution
Hire for this specialty
Multi-Building Campus Ops Manager
Several plants under one facilities org
Hire for this specialty
Startup Facilities Ops Manager
New line or building from Cx to steady state
Hire for this specialty
Facilities Manager (peer)
Building-level FM seat
Hire for this specialty
Maintenance Manager (peer)
Production-equipment maintenance
Hire for this specialty
Campus Operations Manager (peer)
Site-wide operations lead
Hire for this specialty
Facilities Director (leader)
Portfolio-level facilities leadership
Hire for this specialty
Confidential Search
Retained, discreet outreach
Hire for this specialty

Not sure which Facilities Operations Manager specialty fits?

We’ll help you scope the role on the call — campus size, utility systems in scope, shift model, budget and any startups ahead.

Hire Facilities Operations Managers →
Vetting Criteria

What we verify on every Facilities Operations Manager candidate

Facilities Operations Manager hires live and die on utility-plant judgment, PM discipline and budget honesty. Below is what every candidate has documented before you meet them:

Utility-plant ownership

Reference-verified operation of 24/7 site utilities — chilled water, compressed air, process and bulk gases, DI/UPW, steam and electrical distribution — at a scale comparable to your campus.

PM/PdM program discipline

Verified PM completion rates, backlog control and predictive routes in a CMMS (Maximo, SAP PM, eMaint, Fiix or comparable), confirmed by the plant manager or director they reported to.

Team and shift leadership

Reference-verified leadership of supervisors and technicians across rotating shifts — staffing plans, coverage, training and retention on a 24/7 schedule.

Budget, vendor and startup control

Verified O&M budget ownership, vendor scoping and SLA enforcement, and startup history bringing new lines or buildings from commissioning turnover into operation.

Credentials verified

CFM, FMP, CMRP, PMP, OSHA 30, NFPA 70E training, and any trade licenses or stationary-engineer credentials where claimed — all checked.

Compensation alignment

Facilities Operations Manager, senior and multi-site comp bands aligned before finalists are introduced.

FAQ

Hiring a Facilities Operations Manager: frequently asked questions

How long does it take to hire a Facilities Operations Manager?

Time to shortlist is typically 2 weeks from scoping call. Total time to placement (shortlist through offer acceptance) is typically 3–5 weeks. Sitting operations managers at 24/7 plants rarely leave mid-shutdown or mid-startup — we manage notice periods and handover planning as part of the search.

What does a Facilities Operations Manager cost in 2026?

Market bands for US Facilities Operations Managers at industrial sites generally run $120K–$165K base. Seats over a central utility plant, a fab, a gigafactory or a launch and test complex — especially those with a $10M+ O&M budget and 30+ staff — typically run $150K–$195K, with bonus on top. We confirm live market bands during scoping.

How is a Facilities Operations Manager different from a Facilities Manager?

The Facilities Operations Manager runs the operation: 24/7 utilities, a PM/PdM program, supervisors and technicians on rotating shifts, and an O&M budget for an industrial campus or factory. A Facilities Manager more often owns a building or campus of buildings with a heavier vendor, workplace and administrative mix. Titles overlap; we scope by the systems and team actually in the seat.

What about Facilities Director or Maintenance Manager?

A Facilities Director owns the portfolio, the capital plan and the org — the Facilities Operations Manager reports to that seat and runs the site day to day. A Maintenance Manager typically owns production-equipment maintenance rather than plant utilities and buildings. On smaller sites one person covers both; we help you decide before the search starts.

Do you recruit for new-plant startups?

Yes. Startup seats need someone who can take utilities from commissioning turnover into steady-state operation — punch-list closeout, spares, SOPs, CMMS loading and shift staffing before the first production run. We screen specifically for that history, and can pair the search with a Facility Readiness Manager where the program is large enough.

Do you require CFM or CMRP certification?

No. CFM, FMP and CMRP are strong signals and we verify them when claimed, but reference-verified utility-plant ownership, PM discipline and budget control outweigh credentials. For sites with medium-voltage distribution or cryogenic systems we weight NFPA 70E training and hands-on history heavily.

Do you offer a placement guarantee?

Yes. Every Facilities Operations Manager placement carries a replacement guarantee. Guarantee terms are confirmed in writing at engagement start.

Can you staff the whole facilities operations team?

Yes. Multi-hire builds (operations manager plus Facilities Supervisors, Facilities Engineers, Facilities Technicians and coordinators) route through embedded recruiting or RPO.

Ready to hire

Talk to an industrial facilities recruiter

30-minute scoping conversation. We’ll review the Facilities Operations Manager role you need — campus and utility systems, shift model, team size, O&M budget, any startups ahead — then recommend the right hire path and start sourcing.

Hire Facilities Operations Managers →
Related: Facilities Manager hiring  ·  Facilities Director hiring  ·  Plant Manager salary guide
Prefer to talk it through?
Book a 30-minute intro call and leave with pricing, timelines, and next steps.
Book a Call →