Chief Engineer

Related•Chicago, IL

24d•Onsite

About The Position

The Chief Engineer oversees daily operations at a luxury residential property, including building operations, maintenance, service quality, and resident satisfaction. The role supervises the maintenance and janitorial team and serves as the on-site leader in the General Manager’s absence. The position also coordinates 24/7 coverage for urgent issues and emergencies and represents the site in capital planning, project walkthroughs, and ownership meetings.

Requirements

At least 4 years of experience supervising maintenance or building operations teams.
Strong leadership, time management, and problem-solving skills.
Experience managing budgets, vendor relationships, and compliance.
Ability to lead calmly during emergencies and deliver consistent results.
High school diploma or equivalent required.
Comfort using Microsoft Office and digital maintenance systems.

Nice To Haves

Technical certifications.

Responsibilities

Hire, train, coach, and supervise the maintenance and janitorial team; lead daily huddles, safety meetings, and performance reviews; and build a culture of accountability, service, and professionalism.
Mentor team members in technical skills and resident service delivery.
Oversee maintenance, repairs, apartment turnovers, preventive maintenance programs, and janitorial schedules.
Conduct regular walkthroughs to check compliance and cleanliness; track KPIs, forecast inventory needs, and uphold asset and brand standards.
Coordinate 24/7 coverage for urgent issues and emergencies, lead vendor communications after hours, and respond calmly to floods, outages, and escalated service needs.
Resolve escalated service requests with empathy and follow-through; oversee move-in orientations and satisfaction surveys; and support concierge and leasing teams in resident service.
Manage site budgets, approve emergency purchases, monitor costs, review vendor contracts, track vendor performance, and recommend upgrades.
Ensure work meets safety, code, and quality expectations.
Maintain payroll, scheduling, attendance, and training records; ensure contractor compliance with building policies and standards; and develop onboarding, SOP, and knowledge-sharing systems.
Collaborate with leasing, concierge, and lifestyle teams on unit readiness, amenity cleanliness, and VIP service coordination.
Lead projects that improve building systems, service quality, or team operations; represent the site in capital planning, project walkthroughs, and ownership meetings; and act as on-site leader when the General Manager is absent.