VP - Engineering

Vornado Realty Trust•New York, NY

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Vice President of Engineering is a senior leadership role with primary accountability for the portfolio-wide deployment of energy management tools and technologies, and for providing expert engineering support to Vornado’s development projects. Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President – Chief Sustainability Officer, with management support from the Senior Vice President, Field Operations. This executive drives the implementation and integration of building energy management platforms, automation systems, and data-driven performance tools across Vornado’s approximately 26.7 million square feet of commercial properties, in direct support of the company’s operational optimization strategies including Vision 2030. This role demands a technically fluent engineering leader with deep expertise in building energy management systems and technology deployment, a strong grasp of development project workflows, and the ability to translate sustainability strategy into scalable, portfolio-wide operational solutions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field required.
Minimum two-year technical degree in HVAC, electrical engineering, or related field may be considered in lieu of a four-year degree when combined with exceptional industry experience.
Professional Engineer (P.E.) license required.
12+ years of progressive engineering and facilities management experience, with a minimum of 8 years in commercial real estate (office and/or mixed-use).
6+ years of senior supervisory experience, including direct management of senior engineering staff, or multi-building engineering teams.
Demonstrated experience managing engineering operations for a large, complex, mixed-use urban portfolio in New York City or comparable market.
Extensive experience in union environments, including direct management of collective bargaining agreements and union relations.
Strong background in sustainability and energy management programs, including experience supporting LEED, ENERGY STAR, and GRESB certification processes.
Proven track record managing multi-million dollar capital and operating budgets for engineering services.
Comprehensive expertise in commercial building HVAC, electrical, plumbing, life safety/fire protection, and building automation systems.
Hands-on knowledge of critical systems including emergency/standby generators, automatic transfer switches (ATS), uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, and power distribution.
Technical proficiency in building management systems (BMS), ANGUS or equivalent CMMS platforms, and life safety systems.
Working knowledge of NYC Local Law 97 carbon emission compliance requirements, NYC DOB, Building Construction Codes, FDNY, and DEP regulatory frameworks.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and project management tools.
Ability to read and interpret architectural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing drawings, specifications, and technical documents.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (M.S. or M.Eng.) in engineering, facilities management, or a related discipline preferred.

Responsibilities

Managing all aspects of new construction from conceptualization through completion, acting as Owner's Representative and overseeing design and construction aspects for due diligence on new acquisitions.
Oversight of Engineering consultants to drive best-in-class design
Support bid/buy procurement of all MEP/FP/IT trades
Support trade coordination, construction, testing & commissioning, and turnover to operations
Review energy modeling results and impacts to LEED or other green building certifications.
Early-phase MEP design reviews for constructability and operability, so systems are designed to be maintained by Vornado's own team post-occupancy
Value engineering participation, commissioning oversight, and smooth construction-to-operations handover with full documentation transfer
Supporting the leasing team during lease negotiation and managing the successful completion and close-out of construction projects to ensure tenant occupancy.
Systematic MEP condition assessments across the portfolio to identify aging or end-of-life equipment
Supporting and/or managing all aspects of major renovation projects from conceptualization through completion, acting as Owner's Representative and overseeing design and construction aspects for due diligence on new acquisitions.
Manage a portfolio-wide retro-commissioning (ReCx) program — retro-commissioning is performed on existing buildings to bring them back to the functionality of the original design intent, or even better, while identifying energy conservation measures with strong payback periods.
A rolling five-year capital improvement plan prioritized by code compliance urgency, equipment risk, energy savings, and Vision 2030 alignment
Piloting emerging smart building technologies and measuring post-project performance to validate returns
Lead the end-to-end deployment of portfolio-wide energy management systems and technologies — including BMS/EMS platforms, interval data analytics, and AI-driven optimization tools — across all assets in Vornado’s portfolio.
Define and manage a portfolio-wide energy management tool roadmap: evaluate, select, procure, configure, and continuously improve energy software and hardware platforms in coordination with IT, sustainability, and property management teams.
Establish and track key performance indicators for energy management tool deployments; report progress against energy reduction, decarbonization, and Vision 2030 targets to the CSO and senior leadership on a regular cadence.
Partner closely with the Chief Sustainability Officer to align engineering operations with Vornado’s Vision 2030 carbon neutrality roadmap, Science Based Targets, and portfolio-wide energy and decarbonization commitments.
Plan and drive adoption of energy efficiency, decarbonization, and smart building technology programs across the portfolio to manage utility costs and support greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Manage the Energy Manager and determine job responsibilities including Local Law compliance for BPS.
Manage submeter system, incentive programs and management of demand response programs, with support from Energy Manager
Ensure engineering operations support and sustain Vornado’s LEED, ENERGY STAR, GRESB, and Fitwel certifications across the portfolio.
Champion the transition from preventive to predictive maintenance strategies, leveraging data analytics and IoT-enabled building systems to reduce energy consumption and operational costs.
Support the SVP, Field Operations with executive oversight of engineering service activities across the portfolio, including interface with corporate personnel, compliance with all performance specifications, and achievement of quantitative cost savings and qualitative customer service objectives.
Own the operating and capital budgets for engineering projects where VP is responsible for the projects and performance; provide input and justification to annual operating plans and multi-year capital infrastructure plans for assigned assets.
Develop cost and energy savings estimates to inform payback analysis to justify improvements and/or energy conservation measures.
Measure, monitor, and report to the CSO the cost savings and value-add contributions of the engineering team on a regular basis.
Ensure all assets leverage building management systems (BMS) and platforms such as ANGUS to track, optimize, and report on building performance across the portfolio.
Support the SVP, Field Operations in overseeing the review and implementation of third-party maintenance reports; establishing standards for document retention, including drawings, schematics, equipment manuals, and warranty documents.
Provide oversight and direction on the development, commissioning, and close-out of critical infrastructure projects, ensuring proper documentation archiving.
Serve as the primary engineering liaison to Development, and Capital Markets and as a resource to Portfolio and Property Management teams and Leasing teams; foster strong cross-functional relationships.
Provide input and support to strategic planning initiatives; work with Portfolio Property Managers to identify portfolio-wide savings and operational improvement opportunities.
Participate in regional and portfolio-level planning processes to develop and execute engineering strategies aligned with Vornado’s corporate objectives.
Represent Vornado in professional and community organizations relevant to building engineering, sustainability, and real estate operations.