Union Chief Engineer

Job description

Chief Engineer - One Manhattan West

Position Summary

The Chief Engineer serves as the senior engineering and building operations leader for a premier Class A commercial office asset. This position is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational performance, reliability, financial stewardship, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement of all building systems and engineering operations. The Chief Engineer leads a multidisciplinary engineering team and oversees critical building infrastructure, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, life safety, vertical transportation, building automation systems, utility management, and sustainability initiatives.

Acting as a key member of the property management leadership team, the Chief Engineer partners with ownership, property management, tenants, contractors, and service providers to deliver best-in-class operational performance, tenant satisfaction, and asset value preservation.

Key Responsibilities

Building Operations Leadership

• Provide overall leadership, direction, and accountability for all engineering, maintenance, and building systems operations.
• Develop and execute strategic operational plans that support ownership objectives, tenant experience, reliability, resiliency, sustainability, and long-term asset preservation.
• Establish performance standards, operating procedures, and engineering best practices to drive operational excellence.
• Serve as the subject matter expert and primary authority on all building infrastructure and critical systems.
• Participate as a member of the property leadership team in operational, financial, capital planning, and tenant strategy discussions.

Engineering Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, develop, and manage engineering personnel, supervisors, and contractors.
• Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, professionalism, safety, customer service, and continuous improvement.
• Drive workforce planning, succession planning, employee development, training, and technical certification programs.
• Establish measurable performance expectations and maintain a high-performing engineering organization.

Asset Reliability & Critical Infrastructure

• Ensure maximum uptime, reliability, and efficiency of all building mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and life safety systems.
• Oversee preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs utilizing industry best practices.
• Lead incident response, root cause analysis, and corrective action implementation for operational failures or critical events.
• Develop and maintain emergency response, business continuity, and resiliency plans.
• Oversee building automation systems, energy management platforms, and operational analytics to optimize system performance.

Financial & Capital Management

• Develop and manage engineering operating budgets, utility budgets, staffing plans, service contracts, and capital expenditures.
• Identify opportunities to reduce operating costs while maintaining service levels and asset reliability.
• Lead capital planning initiatives, major repair programs, infrastructure replacements, and building modernization projects.
• Prepare operational and capital recommendations supported by lifecycle analysis, ROI, and risk assessments.
• Manage contractor procurement, bid evaluations, vendor performance, and contract administration.

Tenant & Client Leadership

• Develop strong relationships with tenants, ownership representatives, and internal stakeholders.
• Act as the engineering lead for major tenant projects, operational initiatives, and critical issue resolution.
• Ensure engineering operations consistently support a best-in-class tenant experience.
• Present engineering initiatives, capital recommendations, operational reports, and risk assessments to senior management and ownership groups. Compliance, Risk & Sustainability
• Ensure full compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, building codes, environmental requirements, and life safety standards.
• Maintain readiness for inspections, audits, and regulatory reviews.
• Lead sustainability, energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and ESG-related initiatives.
• Drive workplace safety programs and maintain an industry-leading safety culture.
• Monitor regulatory developments and implement operational changes as necessary.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, Construction Management, or related field preferred.
• High School Diploma, GED, or Trade School Diploma required. + 10+ years of progressive commercial building engineering experience. + 5+ years of leadership experience managing engineering teams within Class A commercial real estate environments.
• Experience operating high-rise office towers, critical infrastructure, or large institutional facilities.
• Strong understanding of HVAC, electrical distribution, BAS controls, life safety systems, plumbing systems, and central plant operations.
• Demonstrated experience managing operating budgets, capital projects, and vendor contracts.
• Knowledge of NYC building operations, Local Laws, DOB, FDNY, DEP, and related regulatory requirements strongly preferred.
• Professional licenses and certifications such as S99, F89, Q01, EPA Universal, SMT/SMA, PE, or equivalent preferred. Characteristics of the Ideal Candidate
• Executive-level operator who thinks beyond maintenance and focuses on business outcomes.
• Strong leader with proven ability to build and develop high-performing teams.
• Financially astute with experience managing large operating and capital budgets.
• Strategic thinker capable of balancing tenant experience, operational reliability, and ownership objectives.
• Exceptional communicator who can engage effectively with executives, ownership groups, tenants, and technical teams.
• Proven ability to lead through complex operational challenges and critical incidents.
• Professional licenses and certifications such as S99, F89, Q01, EPA Universal, SMT/SMA, PE, or equivalent preferred.

Why CBRE When you join CBRE, you become part of the global leader in commercial realestate services and investment that helps businesses and people thrive. We aredynamic problem solvers and forward-thinking professionals who createsignificant impact. Our collaborative culture is built on our shared values —respect, integrity, service and excellence — and we value the diverseperspectives, backgrounds and skillsets of our people.

At CBRE, you have the opportunityto chart your own course and realize your potential. We welcome all applicants. Our Values in Hiring At CBRE, we are committed to fostering a culture whereeveryone feels they belong. We value diverse perspectives and experiences, andwe welcome all applications. Applicant AI Use Disclosure We value human interaction to understand each candidate's unique experience,skills and aspirations. We do not use artificial intelligence (AI) tools tomake hiring decisions, and we ask that candidates disclose any use of AI in theapplication and interview process.

Disclaimers Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States withoutthe need for visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Collective Bargaining Agreement

The pay range for this position is subject to an applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement. The negotiated rate for the [position] position is[ $rate] per hour. Please refer to the Collective Bargaining Agreement regarding pay scale.

This role will provide the following benefits

401(K), Dental insurance, Health insurance, Life insurance, and Vision insurance.

Equal Employment Opportunity

CBRE is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity. We have a long-standing commitment to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, veteran status, political belief, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

Candidate Accommodations

CBRE values the differences of all current and prospective employees and recognizes how every employee contributes to our company’s success. CBRE provides reasonable accommodations in job application procedures for individuals with disabilities. If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request via email at [email protected] or via telephone at +1 866 225 3099 (U.S.) and +1 866 388 4346 (Canada).

CBRE, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer (Women/Minorities/Persons with Disabilities/US Veterans)