Chief Engineer

Newmark•Boston, MA

24d•Onsite

About The Position

The Chief Engineer leads engineering operations, maintenance, and technical planning for a two-property complex in Boston’s Back Bay. The role is accountable for building-system reliability, engineering team performance, safe operating practices, energy efficiency, and execution of preventive maintenance and capital improvement programs. Working with property management, the Chief Engineer translates ownership objectives into practical operating plans that protect asset value, support tenant satisfaction, and manage costs. The position calls for a visible, hands-on leader who can troubleshoot complex issues, develop an engineering team, manage contractors, and communicate technical information clearly to tenants, management, and ownership. The Chief Engineer establishes consistent operating standards across both buildings while accounting for differences in infrastructure, age, and maintenance needs. This is an on-site leadership role combining administrative responsibilities with regular field inspections, troubleshooting, and oversight of building operations. Work may take place in mechanical rooms, rooftops, service areas, and occupied tenant spaces, with potential exposure to noise, temperature variations, and operating equipment. The position requires the ability to access equipment and work areas, use appropriate tools and personal protective equipment, and perform essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Occasional evening, weekend, and holiday work may be required for emergencies, planned shutdowns, and project activities.

Requirements

Ten or more years of progressively responsible experience in commercial building engineering or facilities operations, including demonstrated leadership of an engineering team.
Experience operating large, complex commercial office buildings or a comparable multi-building environment.
Strong working knowledge of HVAC, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, building automation, and preventive maintenance practices.
Ability to troubleshoot building systems, prioritize competing demands, and manage emergencies calmly and effectively.
Experience with operating budgets, capital planning, contractor management, and project execution.
Proficiency with building automation systems, CMMS/work-order platforms, Microsoft 365, and digital operating records.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical issues to nontechnical audiences.
Demonstrated commitment to tenant service, team development, accountability, and safe operations.
Technical education, apprenticeship, trade training, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Applicable licenses and certifications required for assigned equipment and work performed.
Availability to participate in after-hours emergency response and support planned shutdowns or projects outside normal business hours.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience as a Chief Engineer or Assistant Chief Engineer in a large commercial office property.
Experience overseeing both older, renovated buildings and modern high-rise infrastructure.
Experience with energy optimization, building analytics, retro-commissioning, and capital equipment replacement.
Familiarity with Boston-area building operations and applicable local reporting and compliance requirements.
EPA Section 608 Universal certification.
Relevant Massachusetts engineering or trade licenses, as applicable to the property’s systems.
A degree in mechanical engineering, facilities management, engineering technology, or a related discipline.

Responsibilities

Direct daily engineering operations across both buildings, including coordinated staffing, maintenance, and response.
Oversee operation, inspection, maintenance, and repair of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, building automation, and other base-building systems, as applicable.
Coordinate with qualified service providers responsible for elevators, fire and life safety systems, and specialized equipment.
Maintain knowledge of system configurations, equipment condition, operating sequences, and critical dependencies; use building automation data and field observations to identify performance issues and direct corrective action.
Establish and maintain operating procedures, equipment logs, shutdown protocols, and escalation plans; investigate recurring failures and comfort issues and implement lasting solutions.
Coordinate maintenance and service interruptions to minimize disruption to tenants and building operations.
Lead, coach, and hold the engineering team accountable; partner with property management on recruitment, onboarding, staffing plans, performance reviews, and succession planning.
Set team responsibilities, priorities, and expectations; develop training and cross-training programs; plan staffing, shifts, vacation coverage, and after-hours rotations.
Review time cards and manage overtime within approved budgets and operational requirements; foster collaboration among engineering, property management, security, janitorial teams, and contractors.
Own preventive and predictive maintenance programs; maintain accurate equipment inventories, maintenance histories, work-order records, drawings, manuals, warranties, inspection reports, and service records.
Ensure work orders are prioritized, assigned, completed, and documented; monitor overdue maintenance, repeat service calls, corrective maintenance backlogs, and critical deficiencies.
Maintain critical spare-parts inventories and accountability for tools, equipment, and supplies; use maintenance data to recommend operational improvements.
Monitor utility consumption and building performance, investigate unusual usage, optimize equipment schedules and controls, and evaluate energy-conservation opportunities.
Support energy benchmarking, emissions reporting, building-performance compliance, energy audits, retro-commissioning, electrification assessments, and other approved sustainability initiatives; document project results and track performance against goals.
Coordinate building automation and connected-equipment access in accordance with approved IT and vendor protocols.
Partner with property management on operating budgets, expense forecasts, and capital plans; monitor expenses, explain variances, and recommend corrective actions.
Develop prioritized multiyear capital plans; prepare project scopes, preliminary cost estimates, schedules, and operational impact assessments; evaluate repair-versus-replacement options.
Review proposals, purchase orders, invoices, and change orders within established approval authority; report on project progress, budget performance, deferred maintenance, and emerging risks.
Lead technical coordination of base-building repairs, equipment replacements, infrastructure upgrades, and assigned capital projects; support tenant improvement projects by reviewing system connections, access, shutdowns, and operational impacts.
Coordinate with property management, construction teams, design professionals, and tenants; develop contractor scopes and support competitive procurement.
Monitor contractor safety, workmanship, schedule, cost, and adherence to building rules; coordinate project closeout, testing, commissioning where appropriate, training, warranties, as-built documentation, and maintenance-system updates.
Coordinate work affecting historic building features with property management and appropriate specialists.
Implement company safety policies and applicable regulatory requirements; maintain inspection, testing, permit, and certification schedules and ensure work is performed by appropriately qualified and licensed personnel.
Reinforce safe work practices, including lockout/tagout, electrical safety, hazardous-material handling, and contractor oversight, as applicable.
Maintain response procedures for equipment failures, water leaks, utility outages, severe weather, and other emergencies; coordinate readiness and drills and respond to significant incidents, communicating impacts and documenting causes and corrective actions.
Maintain appropriate after-hours coverage and participate in the emergency response rotation.
Serve as the primary technical resource for property management and a solutions-oriented partner to tenants; respond promptly to requests and communicate service timelines and resolution plans.
Investigate recurring tenant comfort or service concerns, provide technical input for planned outages and disruptive work, and participate in tenant meetings, property inspections, and ownership discussions as needed.
Prepare concise monthly engineering reports covering system performance, maintenance activity, energy use, projects, staffing, and operational risks.