Building management and maintenance is a full-time job. The work is split between routine tasks and emergencies that come up suddenly.
A building management company wears many different hats. Its responsibilities range from fixing a water leak to managing budgets of thousands of shekels.
So what does a day in its life look like? We're glad you asked. To answer, we recruited Oren, VP of Operations at Or Achzakot, to tell us.
So how does your morning start? I ask Oren, the VP of Operations who prefers to be called a maintenance manager.
"The morning starts with a drive to the buildings we manage.
When we get to each building, we scan it from the outside in. We check the cleanliness of the elevators and the lobby, and do routine checks, such as making sure there are no burnt-out bulbs or other faults, and we check the trash compactor and the roof."
A maintenance manager's job is not an office job at all and requires a lot of fieldwork. The checks Oren describes are carried out systematically and regularly, according to an organized schedule.
"We have an organized, binding schedule. We spend a lot of time in our buildings. Checks such as electrical and landscaping are done twice a week. The other routine checks range from once a week to once a month," Oren says.
So you basically spend all day going from building to building?
"Not all day. There is also quite a bit of office work, emergencies that come up suddenly and a lot of work behind the scenes. In fact, the intensive part of the work is the management, because on the maintenance side we work with professionals. Management requires the manager to understand many things, such as insurance and real estate. We also stay in touch with the residents' committees."
Do you get to work directly with residents, tenants and suppliers?
"Of course. Almost every day. Obviously, in many cases we are also responsible for managing the committee fees and for dealing with residents or tenants who refuse to pay. We work with suppliers and service providers all the time, by phone and in person. We do whatever it takes so that everything runs smoothly and works as it should, to give the tenants peace of mind."
What else can you tell us about your day?
"The day is full of surprises when you work at a maintenance company. You always know how it will start, but not how it will end. I really love the fieldwork combined with the office work and dealing with people. Surprising situations come up during the day, and that brings action and substance to the work, which is always nice. At the end of the day, I love what I do, and that's what matters."
