Chief Engineer

Company: Commercial Real Estate Owner that owns property throughout the country

Position Summary: The Chief Engineer will manage four commercial buildings all next to each other in Carmel, IN totaling 250k SF. They will oversee the operation, maintenance, and performance of building systems and physical infrastructure across the company’s office and retail properties. This role ensures properties operate safely, efficiently, and reliably while meeting company standards, applicable codes, and tenant requirements. Serving as a key technical resource, the Chief Engineer collaborates with Property Management, Asset Management, Leasing, and tenants on building operations, preventive maintenance, capital projects, energy management, life-safety systems, and property improvements.

Responsibilities:

Building Operations and Maintenance

· Direct the daily operation, maintenance, and repair of HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire and life-safety, building automation, elevator, generator, roofing, and other building systems.

· Develop, implement, and maintain preventive and predictive maintenance programs to support equipment reliability and extend asset life.

· Ensure building systems operate safely and efficiently in accordance with manufacturer specifications, company standards, and applicable codes.

· Conduct routine inspections of mechanical rooms, equipment, common areas, tenant spaces, building exteriors, and other property infrastructure.

· Identify potential system or equipment failures and implement corrective action plans before they disrupt tenants or building operations.

· Maintain accurate equipment inventories, warranties, service contracts, maintenance histories, and repair records.

· Maintain and manage building lock and key systems including cutting and duplicating keys, rekeying lock cores, installing and repairing door hardware

Engineering Team Leadership

· Onboard, oversee, and evaluate third-party engineering and maintenance vendors.

· Establish work priorities, operating procedures, and performance expectations.

· Foster a culture of safety, accountability, responsiveness, teamwork, and exceptional customer service.

· Ensure third-party vendors maintain required licenses and certifications and are current on relevant technologies and operating practices.

· Coordinate on-call coverage for emergencies, after-hours service requests, weekends, and special events.

Tenant Relations and Customer Service

· Partner with Property Management and tenants to resolve building-related concerns and service requests promptly and professionally.

· Oversee the response to HVAC, electrical, plumbing, life-safety, and other building-system issues.

· Coordinate tenant improvement activities, after-hours HVAC requests, system shutdowns, and other work affecting tenants or building operations.

· Explain technical issues, recommendations, and resolutions clearly to both technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

· Develop and maintain effective working relationships with tenants, contractors, vendors, and internal business partners.

Contractor and Vendor Management

· Oversee contractors and service providers performing maintenance, repair, inspection, and project work at assigned properties.

· Develop or review scopes of work and obtain and evaluate vendor proposals, pricing, and qualifications.

· Monitor contractor performance, work quality, safety practices, project schedules, and compliance with property requirements.

· Evaluate service agreements and recommend renewals, modifications, terminations, or competitive bidding when appropriate.

· Ensure contractors comply with building procedures, insurance requirements, safety standards, and applicable laws and regulations.

Capital Projects and Building Improvements

· Partner with Property Management and Asset Management in planning and executing capital improvement projects.

· Provide technical guidance regarding HVAC replacements, electrical infrastructure, roofing, building controls, lighting, plumbing, life-safety systems, and other property improvements.

· Review project plans, specifications, equipment selections, schedules, and proposed scopes of work.

· Monitor project progress and support equipment testing, commissioning, documentation, and final turnover.

· Recommend improvements that extend equipment life, increase reliability, enhance building performance, and reduce operating costs.

Energy Management and Sustainability

· Monitor building energy consumption and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce utility costs.

· Optimize HVAC schedules, building automation systems, lighting controls, and other energy-consuming equipment.

· Support energy benchmarking, sustainability, utility-reduction, and environmental initiatives.

· Track utility performance, investigate significant variances, and recommend corrective measures.

Life Safety, Regulatory Compliance, and Emergency Preparedness

· Ensure building systems and engineering operations comply with applicable federal, state, and local codes, regulations, and company requirements.

· Coordinate required inspections and testing for fire alarms, sprinkler systems, emergency power, elevators, and other life-safety systems, and maintain supporting documentation.

· Serve as an engineering contact during inspections conducted by regulatory agencies, fire departments, insurance representatives, and other authorities.

· Participate in emergency preparedness and business continuity planning.

· Develop, maintain, and periodically review emergency-response procedures related to building systems and operations.

Financial and Administrative Responsibilities

· Assist with preparing and managing engineering, maintenance, and utility operating budgets.

· Monitor expenditures and identify cost-saving opportunities that preserve building performance, safety, reliability, and tenant service.

· Review invoices and confirm that services and projects have been completed in accordance with approved contracts and scopes of work.

· Maintain accurate engineering logs, work orders, maintenance records, inspection reports, and compliance documentation.

· Provide regular reports to Property Management regarding building conditions, significant repairs, capital projects, utility usage, and anticipated capital needs.

Qualifications:

· 7–10+ years of commercial building engineering, facilities management, or related experience.

· Prior experience managing third-party vendors.

· Experience with office, retail, mixed-use, or other commercial real estate properties strongly preferred.

· Strong knowledge of commercial HVAC, electrical, plumbing, controls/BAS, life-safety, and building systems.

· Strong understanding of preventive maintenance practices and building operations.

· Ability to read and interpret mechanical, electrical, architectural, and engineering drawings.

· Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office and computerized maintenance/work-order systems.

· Demonstrated ability to respond effectively to emergencies and exercise sound judgment under pressure.

Compensation: Year 1 base salary range $95k-$110k base salary, 10% 401k match and pension plan, PTO, full healthcare insurance

Pay: $100,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person