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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Facilities Engineering Manager

💰 $95,000 - $160,000

EngineeringFacilitiesOperationsMaintenanceProject Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Facilities Engineering Manager leads the planning, execution and continuous improvement of facility engineering, operations and maintenance functions across corporate campuses, manufacturing plants or data centers. This role is accountable for ensuring reliable building systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire/life-safety), managing capital and O&M budgets, directing maintenance teams and contractors, and implementing energy, reliability and safety programs to support business continuity and optimize total cost of ownership.

Key focus areas include preventive maintenance (PM) programs and CMMS optimization, capital project delivery and commissioning, vendor and subcontractor management, regulatory compliance (OSHA, NFPA, local codes), and cross-functional stakeholder engagement to align facilities engineering to business objectives.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Facilities Engineer or Senior Maintenance Engineer with 5+ years of MEP responsibility
  • Maintenance Supervisor or Operations Supervisor managing multi‑disciplinary trades
  • Project Engineer or Construction Manager with site-based capital project delivery experience

Advancement To:

  • Director of Facilities / Director of Engineering
  • Senior Manager, Global Facilities Operations
  • VP of Operations or Head of Real Estate & Facilities

Lateral Moves:

  • Operations Manager (site or regional)
  • Project Manager, Capital Programs
  • Sustainability or Energy Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, implement and continuously refine a comprehensive preventive and predictive maintenance program for all facility assets (HVAC, chillers, boilers, air handlers, electrical distribution, UPS, generators, plumbing, conveyors and building automation systems) to maximize uptime, extend asset life and reduce total cost of ownership.
  • Lead end-to-end capital project delivery including scopes, design reviews, contractor procurement, schedule management, quality assurance, commissioning and handover for mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) projects ranging from small upgrades to multi-million dollar renovations.
  • Own the annual facilities operating (OPEX) and capital (CAPEX) budgets, forecast spend, monitor variances, propose cost‑savings initiatives and deliver projects on budget while maintaining service levels and compliance requirements.
  • Manage, mentor and develop a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, technicians and third-party service providers; set performance objectives, conduct regular coaching and implement training plans to close technical and safety skill gaps.
  • Establish and enforce facility safety, compliance and regulatory programs (OSHA, NFPA, local building and fire codes), lead incident investigations, implement corrective actions and maintain documentation for audits and inspections.
  • Oversee building automation and controls (BMS/EMS) strategy, optimize sequences of operation, implement remote monitoring and alarm management, and partner with controls vendors to improve fault detection and analytics.
  • Drive vendor and subcontractor selection and management: negotiate contracts, monitor SLAs, enforce quality expectations, manage warranty claims and ensure coordinated site execution with minimal disruption to operations.
  • Coordinate with real estate, security, IT and operations stakeholders to align facility upgrades, access control, network and life‑safety needs with business continuity and space strategy.
  • Implement energy conservation measures and sustainability initiatives (lighting retrofits, HVAC optimization, renewable integration, utility demand management) and track KPI impact including energy intensity and greenhouse gas reductions.
  • Lead emergency preparedness and business continuity planning for facilities, including power loss, HVAC failures, flooding and fire events; coordinate drills, redundant systems, and rapid response procedures with site leadership.
  • Execute risk assessments and asset condition assessments to build multi-year capital renewal plans and prioritize projects by safety, compliance, reliability and ROI.
  • Oversee integrity and lifecycle management for critical infrastructure (roofs, façades, structural elements, electrical switchgear) including vendor inspections, testing programs and long-term refurbishment strategies.
  • Deliver technical due diligence and integration support for site acquisitions/divestitures, providing capital estimates, deferred maintenance reports, and compliance status to corporate real estate and M&A teams.
  • Define and track operational KPIs (MTTR, MTBF, asset uptime, PM compliance, energy consumption, cost per square foot) and deliver monthly executive reporting and actionable recommendations to improve performance.
  • Manage procurement of long‑lead equipment and engineering materials; coordinate logistics, site readiness and installation sequencing to minimize lead-time impacts on project schedules.
  • Direct technical commissioning and start-up activities for new systems and major upgrades, validate performance against design intent, and produce turnover documentation and training for operations teams.
  • Maintain robust CMMS data hygiene: asset hierarchies, failure codes, PM tasks, spare parts lists and work order workflows to enable data-driven maintenance strategies and inventory optimization.
  • Lead change management for facility system upgrades, standard operating procedures and technology rollouts with clear communication plans to impacted stakeholders and site teams.
  • Ensure environmental compliance and permitting requirements are met for facility activities (air emissions, wastewater, hazardous materials handling and storage) and coordinate remediation actions as required.
  • Implement continuous improvement initiatives such as root cause failure analysis (RCFA), reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), and lean maintenance practices to reduce downtime and improve throughput.
  • Collaborate with finance and procurement to establish lifecycle costing models and evaluation criteria for replacement vs. repair decisions, optimizing capital allocation and asset performance.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc facilities analytics and reporting requests, leveraging CMMS and building systems data to inform decision-making and capital prioritization.
  • Contribute to the organization’s facilities strategy and roadmap by identifying technology, process and personnel investments that reduce risk and lower operating costs.
  • Collaborate with business unit leaders to translate operational needs into engineering requirements and to sequence projects to align with production schedules or occupancy plans.
  • Participate in project planning meetings, vendor negotiations, and cross-functional design reviews to ensure constructability, safety and maintainability of solutions.
  • Provide technical subject matter expertise for insurance loss control reviews, tenant improvement scopes, and landlord/tenant coordination in leased facilities.
  • Support sustainability and corporate responsibility reporting by providing facility-level energy and emissions data and supporting LEED/green building certification efforts when applicable.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Deep working knowledge of building systems: HVAC, chiller plants, boilers, air handlers, ventilation, condensers, plumbing, compressed air, and electrical distribution up to medium-voltage systems.
  • Experience with Building Management Systems (BMS/EMS) and control platforms (e.g., Johnson Controls, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Honeywell) and ability to optimize sequences of operation and alarms.
  • Proficiency with Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) such as IBM Maximo, ARCHIBUS, FM:Systems, or UpKeep for work order management, PM scheduling and asset tracking.
  • Capital project management skills including developing scopes, managing design consultants, bid management, schedule control, cost control and commissioning.
  • Strong knowledge of codes and standards: NFPA (fire protection), ASHRAE (HVAC), NEC/NFPA 70 (electrical), OSHA, local building codes and environmental regulations.
  • Experience with energy management and sustainability programs, including energy audits, efficiency retrofits, lighting upgrades, and utility incentive programs.
  • Technical competency with mechanical/electrical drawings, specifications, shop drawings review, AutoCAD/Revit familiarity and construction administration.
  • Practical experience with reliability engineering techniques such as root cause analysis, reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) and predictive maintenance technologies (vibration, infrared, oil analysis).
  • Budgeting and financial acumen: CAPEX/OPEX planning, lifecycle cost analysis, ROI modeling and vendor contract negotiations.
  • Knowledge of commissioning and start-up best practices for critical systems and ability to prepare turnover documentation and O&M manuals.
  • Familiarity with workplace health & safety management systems, lockout/tagout, confined space, fall protection, and contractor safety programs.

Soft Skills

  • Strong leadership and people management skills with demonstrated ability to recruit, develop and retain technical staff and to build high-performing maintenance teams.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills to present complex technical issues to executives, operations leaders and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Strategic thinking and prioritization capability to balance short-term reactive work with long-term reliability and capital renewal plans.
  • Proven stakeholder management and negotiation skills to align internal customers, contractors and external agencies.
  • Problem-solving and analytical mindset with a data-driven approach to troubleshooting and continuous improvement.
  • Project leadership and decision-making under pressure, with the ability to manage competing priorities and tight deadlines.
  • Change management and influence skills to drive adoption of new processes, technologies and safety practices across sites.
  • Customer-service orientation with a focus on minimizing operational disruption and delivering measurable value to business units.
  • Attention to detail for compliance documentation, permit submittals and technical specifications.
  • Coaching and mentoring aptitude to upskill technicians and foster a culture of accountability and continuous learning.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Facilities Management, Architectural Engineering, Construction Management or closely related engineering/technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, Business Administration (MBA) or related field.
  • Professional certifications: Certified Facility Manager (CFM), PMP or LEED AP are highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Facilities Management
  • Architectural / Building Services Engineering
  • Construction Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 7–12 years of progressive facilities, maintenance or engineering experience with at least 3–5 years in a supervisory or management role.

Preferred:

  • 10+ years managing multi-site facilities operations, capital projects and maintenance teams in commercial, industrial, healthcare or data center environments.
  • Demonstrated track record of delivering capital projects, implementing CMMS and BMS improvements, and meeting energy/sustainability goals.
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