Area Chief Engineer

AREA CHIEF ENGINEER

Three-Hotel Property Group

Department: Engineering / Maintenance
Reports To: Regional General Manager / Area General Manager
Supervises: Engineering and Maintenance personnel across three hotel properties
Classification: Exempt / Salaried
Location: Three-Hotel Area

POSITION SUMMARY

The Area Chief Engineer is responsible for the overall operation, maintenance, safety, appearance, and functionality of the physical facilities and equipment across three hotel properties. This position provides leadership and direction to the Engineering/Maintenance teams at each property and ensures that all buildings, guest rooms, public areas, mechanical systems, life-safety systems, equipment, and grounds are maintained to company, brand, regulatory, and guest-service standards.

The Area Chief Engineer serves as the primary engineering resource for all three hotels and is responsible for establishing consistent maintenance practices, preventative maintenance programs, safety procedures, vendor management, and long-term facility planning across the area.

This position requires a hands-on leader who can prioritize competing needs among multiple properties, respond to urgent maintenance issues, develop and coach engineering staff, and proactively identify problems before they affect guests or hotel operations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Area Engineering Leadership

• Provide overall leadership and direction for Engineering/Maintenance operations at all three hotel properties.
• Establish consistent maintenance standards, procedures, and expectations across all properties.
• Develop daily, weekly, and monthly priorities based on property needs, guest impact, safety concerns, and operational requirements.
• Regularly inspect all three properties to identify maintenance deficiencies, safety concerns, equipment issues, and opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain a visible presence at each hotel and ensure adequate engineering coverage based on operational needs.
• Coordinate engineering resources between properties when additional support is needed.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for General Managers regarding building maintenance, engineering concerns, major repairs, and facility projects.

Preventative Maintenance

• Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive preventative maintenance program for all three hotels.
• Ensure scheduled preventative maintenance is completed and properly documented.
• Monitor major mechanical systems and equipment, including HVAC, boilers, chillers, pumps, electrical systems, plumbing, hot water systems, elevators, generators, fire/life-safety systems, and other building systems.
• Identify recurring maintenance issues and develop corrective action plans.
• Maintain accurate records of inspections, repairs, preventative maintenance, and equipment history.
• Proactively identify aging equipment and recommend replacement or capital improvement needs.

Building and Facility Maintenance

• Oversee the maintenance and repair of guest rooms, corridors, public areas, meeting spaces, kitchens, laundry facilities, offices, back-of-house areas, and exterior areas.
• Ensure all facilities are maintained in a clean, safe, functional, and guest-ready condition.
• Troubleshoot and coordinate repairs involving electrical, plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, painting, drywall, appliances, and other building systems.
• Respond to major or emergency maintenance situations and coordinate appropriate resources.
• Ensure maintenance issues that affect guest satisfaction are addressed promptly.

Life Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Maintain overall responsibility for engineering-related life-safety compliance across all three properties.
• Ensure required inspections, testing, certifications, and documentation are completed on schedule.
• Oversee compliance with applicable federal, state, and local building, fire, health, safety, environmental, and OSHA requirements.
• Coordinate inspections with fire departments, municipalities, insurance representatives, brand representatives, and other regulatory agencies as needed.
• Ensure fire alarm, sprinkler, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers, emergency generators, backflow prevention, elevators, and other life-safety systems are properly maintained and inspected.
• Immediately address safety hazards and communicate significant concerns to management.

Team Leadership & Development

• Directly supervise and provide leadership to Engineering/Maintenance employees across the three properties.
• Establish staffing needs, schedules, priorities, and work assignments.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop engineering team members.
• Hold employees accountable for attendance, performance, productivity, safety, quality of work, and adherence to company policies.
• Conduct regular team meetings and communicate maintenance priorities and expectations.
• Develop employees' technical skills and cross-train staff when appropriate.
• Partner with Human Resources and General Managers regarding employee performance, disciplinary matters, hiring, and staffing needs.

Vendor & Contractor Management

• Manage relationships with outside contractors, service providers, and engineering vendors.
• Obtain and review estimates for repairs, maintenance, and projects.
• Ensure contractors are properly licensed and insured when required.
• Monitor contractor performance, pricing, quality of work, and adherence to hotel requirements.
• Coordinate vendor access and ensure work is completed safely and with minimal disruption to guests and operations.
• Review invoices and verify that work has been completed before approving or recommending payment.

Budget & Cost Control

• Assist with preparation and management of annual engineering and maintenance budgets for all three properties.
• Monitor department expenses and identify opportunities for cost savings.
• Track spending on repairs, maintenance, utilities, supplies, equipment, and contracted services.
• Recommend equipment replacement and capital expenditures based on condition, age, repair history, operational impact, and return on investment.
• Maintain appropriate inventory of tools, parts, supplies, and maintenance materials.
• Prevent unnecessary expenses through proactive preventative maintenance and effective vendor management.

Capital Projects & Renovations

• Assist with planning, budgeting, and execution of capital projects, renovations, equipment replacements, and property improvements.
• Coordinate with General Managers, ownership, corporate leadership, contractors, architects, engineers, and vendors as needed.
• Monitor project progress, quality, timelines, and budgets.
• Ensure projects are completed safely and with minimal disruption to hotel operations.
• Conduct final inspections and ensure deficiencies are corrected before project completion.

Energy & Utility Management

• Monitor utility consumption and identify opportunities to reduce energy, water, and operating costs.
• Review utility usage and investigate significant increases or unusual consumption.
• Implement energy conservation practices while maintaining guest comfort and operational standards.
• Ensure HVAC, lighting, water, and other building systems are operating efficiently.

Guest Service & Hotel Operations

• Respond to engineering-related guest complaints and ensure timely resolution.
• Work closely with Front Office, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage, and other departments to address operational maintenance needs.
• Prioritize work based on guest impact and hotel occupancy.
• Communicate significant maintenance issues and expected completion times to hotel leadership.
• Maintain a customer-service mindset when interacting with guests and employees.

Documentation & Communication

• Maintain accurate maintenance logs, preventative maintenance records, inspection reports, vendor records, equipment documentation, and project records.
• Utilize the hotel's maintenance/work-order system effectively.
• Review open work orders regularly and ensure outstanding issues are appropriately prioritized and resolved.
• Provide regular updates to General Managers and regional leadership regarding major repairs, recurring issues, projects, safety concerns, and capital needs.
• Prepare reports and documentation as requested by management or brand representatives.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

The successful Area Chief Engineer will:

• Maintain all three properties to a high standard of appearance, safety, functionality, and cleanliness.
• Ensure preventative maintenance is completed consistently and on schedule.
• Minimize guest-impacting maintenance issues and equipment downtime.
• Respond quickly and effectively to emergencies and major facility issues.
• Develop strong, accountable Engineering/Maintenance teams at each property.
• Maintain compliance with all applicable safety and regulatory requirements.
• Control maintenance costs while protecting the long-term condition of the properties.
• Establish consistent engineering standards across all three hotels.
• Communicate proactively with hotel leadership.
• Identify problems before they become costly or guest-impacting issues.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Minimum of 5 years of hotel engineering, facilities maintenance, or related experience.
• Previous supervisory or management experience.
• Strong knowledge of commercial building systems and hotel maintenance operations.
• Ability to troubleshoot electrical, plumbing, HVAC, mechanical, and general building maintenance issues.
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills.
• Ability to manage multiple properties and competing priorities.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to work independently and make sound decisions.
• Ability to respond to maintenance emergencies outside of normal business hours when necessary.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation to travel between the three properties.

Preferred

• Previous Chief Engineer, Assistant Chief Engineer, Engineering Manager, Facilities Manager, or Area/Regional Engineering experience.
• Experience working with Marriott, Hilton, or other major hotel brands.
• HVAC, electrical, plumbing, boiler, or other relevant technical certifications.
• Experience managing capital projects and contractors.
• Experience with hotel preventative maintenance/work-order systems.
• Knowledge of OSHA, fire/life-safety, and local building requirements.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, stoop, climb stairs and ladders, and work in confined or difficult-to-access areas.
• Ability to lift and carry equipment, tools, and supplies as required.
• Ability to work indoors and outdoors and in varying temperatures and conditions.
• Ability to safely operate or work around mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and other building systems.
• Ability to respond to emergency maintenance situations as needed.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This position operates across three hotel properties and requires frequent movement between locations. The Area Chief Engineer may be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, or respond to emergency situations outside of normal business hours based on operational needs.

CONFIDENTIALITY

The Area Chief Engineer is expected to maintain confidentiality regarding company, hotel, employee, guest, vendor, financial, operational, and property information.