Director, Engineering

Empire State Realty Trust•New York, NY

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT) is a NYC-focused REIT that owns and operates a portfolio of well-leased, top of tier, modernized, amenitized, and well-located office, retail, and multifamily assets. ESRT’s flagship Empire State Building, the “World's Most Famous Building,” features its iconic Observatory, ranked the #1 Top Attraction in New York City for the fourth consecutive year in Tripadvisor’s 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things to Do. The Company is a recognized leader in energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality. As of December 31, 2025, ESRT’s portfolio is comprised of approximately 7.9 million rentable square feet of office space, 0.8 million rentable square feet of retail space and 743 residential units. More information about Empire State Realty Trust can be found at esrtreit.com and by following ESRT on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , X and LinkedIn . The Director of Engineering will report to the Senior Vice President Property Management and is a hands-on, highly visible leader responsible for the reliability, safety, regulatory compliance, and performance of all building systems across the ESRT portfolio comprised of approximately 9 million rentable square feet across ten commercial buildings and several stand-alone retail properties, as well as three multifamily buildings with 743 units. Building systems include mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, vertical transportation, life-safety systems, emergency power, façade systems, and all mission-critical infrastructure. The Director of Engineering provides strategic oversight of engineering operations, including preventive and corrective maintenance, capital planning and project execution, environmental and energy performance, and overall operational readiness. The role ensures that all properties operate at the highest standards of efficiency, safety, and tenant experience. This leader will establish emergency escalation procedures and appropriate delegation frameworks to support 24/7/365 building operations, maintenance, and emergency response across the portfolio. The Director leads a team of eight Chief Engineers (with dual reporting to their respective Property Managers) and approximately 48 union engineering staff, represented by Local 94 and Local 30. The role is responsible for workforce performance, labor coordination, and building a strong pipeline of future engineering leaders. In close partnership with the Property Management, Design & Construction, and Sustainability teams, as well as executive leadership, the Director ensures alignment with ESRT’s operational, financial, safety, sustainability, and customer service objectives. The ideal candidate will leverage data analytics and predictive maintenance tools to optimize system performance, improve lifecycle planning, and drive continuous operational improvement. Additionally, this role serves as a visible leader of engineering operations to executive leadership and external stakeholders.

Requirements

Strong technical knowledge of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; central plant operations; electrical distribution; emergency power; plumbing; vertical transportation; fire and life-safety systems; and building automation systems
Demonstrated success leading teams, managing budgets, and completing complex projects
Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with senior leadership, regulatory agencies, tenants, and service providers.
Proven ability to drive safely, operational excellence, and continuous improvement using metrics, process discipline, and team development
A minimum of seven to ten years of engineering, facilities, or property operations experience, including leadership experience at a large commercial, mixed-use, or high-rise property

Nice To Haves

A bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field is preferred
New York City licenses such as stationary engineer and refrigeration operator are strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Develop long-range engineering strategies, asset protection plans, and capital improvement roadmaps for major systems including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, electrical distribution, emergency power, vertical transportation, plumbing, fire and life-safety systems, and façade elements
Establish and maintain engineering standards, operating procedures, preventive maintenance schedules, safety practices, lockout and tagout procedures, hot work permitting, and work authorization processes
Ensure all engineering activities are planned and coordinated to minimize operational impact and tenant disruption
Maintain accurate inventories, equipment documentation, and system records within computerized maintenance management platforms and related systems.
Ensure continuous availability and reliability of all critical building systems, which include central heating and cooling plants, primary electrical distribution, building management systems, fire detection and suppression systems, and vertical transportation.
Track key metrics such as system uptime, response time to events, and work order completion performance.
Lead incident reviews, root-cause analysis, and follow-up corrective actions for any significant or repeated system failures
Implement continuous improvement programs to increase equipment reliability, reduce unplanned downtime, and extend asset life.
Develop and manage the annual engineering operating budget, which includes labor, overtime, materials, contracts, tools, and utilities.
Prepare financial justifications for capital projects based on lifecycle cost analysis, risk mitigation, operational efficiency, and compliance requirements
Partner with Property Operations and Finance to prioritize and forecast multi-year capital needs
Provide a monthly written review of engineering labor and overtime performance compared to budget, including a clear explanation of any overtime variance greater than five percent
Provide a monthly written explanation for any repair or maintenance activity exceeding five thousand dollars, documenting the cause, contributing factors, and next steps
Maintain strict cost control and financial transparency across all engineering functions
Lead engineering projects from concept through close-out, including scope definition, budgeting, proposal development, bidding, contractor selection, contract management, scheduling, commissioning, and turnover
Ensure all work meets Empire State standards for safety, quality, documentation, testing, and system integration
Coordinate closely with construction management, tenant coordination, information technology, and building operations to avoid conflicts and ensure alignment
Ensure that all project deliverables, including as-built drawings and operation and maintenance manuals, are accurate and properly archived
Select, negotiate, and oversee major service providers for elevators, chillers, boilers, controls, fire and life-safety systems, water treatment, structural specialties, and other technical services
Establish clear service expectations, performance standards, and work documentation requirements
Conduct performance reviews, evaluate pricing and service quality, and make recommendations on renewals or rebids
Ensure all vendors follow strict safety and compliance protocols, including site-specific orientation, daily hazard assessments, lockout and tagout verification, hot work control, and confined space entry rules
Ensure full compliance with all New York City and New York State regulations, which include Department of Buildings requirements, Fire Department requirements, safety regulations, and environmental standards
Maintain all required testing, inspection, documentation, permits, and certifications for elevators, fire alarms, sprinkler systems, fuel storage, emergency generators, pressure vessels, cooling towers, boilers, and all related equipment
Maintain a comprehensive safety program that includes hazard assessments, worker training, documented safety procedures, and required safety equipment
Lead emergency planning and response for power failures, equipment failures, floods, leaks, severe weather, and other incidents, including post-event evaluation
Work closely with Property Operations, security, housekeeping, leasing, construction, information technology, sustainability, and major tenants to align engineering priorities with operational needs
Support leasing and tenant improvement processes by reviewing plans, verifying capacity, identifying code requirements, and assessing system impacts
Provide clear communication to tenants and employees regarding planned outages, major projects, and incident responses.
Lead initiatives to reduce energy and water use, lower carbon emissions, and support environmental and sustainability goals set by Empire State Realty Trust
Monitor energy use intensity, peak electrical demand, utility consumption, and greenhouse gas performance
Identify both operational and capital opportunities to improve energy efficiency, reduce peak demand, and support compliance with environmental performance laws, including New York City Local Law 97 and related carbon-reduction requirements
Support benchmarking, certifications, and required government reporting
Oversee building management systems, computerized maintenance management systems, access control systems, and other operating technologies
Ensure system trends, alarms, dashboards, and maintenance records are accurate, complete, and used to support informed decision-making
Partner with information technology to ensure network integrity, cybersecurity protection, and infrastructure reliability
Manage data driven operations and KPI dashboards to make swift informed decisions to reduce energy and staffing costs
Develop, maintain, and enforce written standard operating procedures for all critical systems and maintenance activities
Ensure preventive maintenance schedules are followed consistently and documented accurately
Conduct periodic audits of logbooks, system settings, equipment conditions, and recordkeeping to ensure compliance with internal and regulatory requirements.
Lead and develop the engineering team, which includes engineers, mechanics, tradespeople, and technicians, to ensure strong performance, consistent coverage, and high morale
Conduct performance evaluations, coaching, corrective actions, and succession planning
Ensure the team receives all required technical training, safety training, and certifications mandated by New York City and state law
Expand in-house capabilities by recruiting employees with skills in carpentry, painting, plumbing, minor electrical work, and general handyman functions
Provide ongoing training to increase the team’s ability to perform tasks internally and reduce reliance on external contractors
Promote a culture of safety, professionalism, quality workmanship, and continuous improvement
Build a strong pipeline of future engineering leaders
Maintain at least ninety-nine-point seven percent uptime for major systems and ninety-nine-point nine percent uptime for life-safety systems.
Respond to life-safety or major infrastructure events within five minutes during staffed hours and within fifteen minutes after hours.
Complete standard corrective work orders within forty-eight hours on average.
Monitor and improve energy use intensity, manage peak electrical demand, and reduce weather-normalized energy consumption.
Provide monthly written key performance indicator summaries and variance reports which will cover overtime performance, repair costs over five thousand dollars, and other operational variances.