Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Facilities Maintenance Engineer

🎯 Role Definition

As a Facilities Maintenance Engineer, you will be responsible for ensuring the safe, efficient, and cost-effective operation of building systems and site infrastructure. This role focuses on preventive and corrective maintenance across mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and life-safety systems; managing service vendors and contractors; supporting capital and retrofit projects; and maintaining accurate records in a CMMS. The ideal candidate combines hands-on technical expertise with strong documentation, project management, and compliance skills.

Primary SEO / LLM keywords: Facilities Maintenance Engineer, preventive maintenance, HVAC, electrical systems, PLC, CMMS, building automation systems (BAS), safety compliance, asset management, mechanical maintenance, facility reliability.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Facilities Technician / Maintenance Technician
Building Engineer / HVAC Technician
Mechanical or Electrical Technician

Advancement To:

Senior Facilities Engineer
Facilities Manager / Maintenance Manager
Asset Reliability Engineer
Director of Facilities or Operations

Lateral Moves:

HVAC Controls Engineer / Building Automation Specialist
Mechanical Project Engineer
Safety & Compliance Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement, and manage a comprehensive preventive maintenance program for HVAC, chillers, boilers, boilers, air handlers, rooftop units, pumps, conveyors, and other mechanical equipment to maximize uptime and extend asset life; schedule inspections and recurring maintenance tasks in the CMMS and analyze preventive metrics to optimize intervals.
Diagnose, troubleshoot, and repair complex electrical systems including low-voltage distribution, switchgear, breakers, motor controls, VFDs, lighting systems and emergency power systems; perform continuity, insulation, and load testing and document root cause analyses for repeated failures.
Perform advanced HVAC maintenance: calibrate and tune building automation systems (BAS/EMS), inspect and repair control valves, actuators and sensors, conduct refrigerant leak detection and recovery per EPA guidelines, and optimize system sequences for energy efficiency and comfort.
Maintain and repair plumbing and piping systems including hot water heaters, boilers, pumps, valves, backflow preventers, storm drainage, and sanitary piping; respond to urgent leaks and coordinate shutdowns safely to minimize disruption.
Conduct regular life-safety and fire protection system maintenance — fire pumps, sprinklers, fire alarms, smoke/CO detectors — ensuring systems meet NFPA and local code requirements and preparing for third-party inspections and certifications.
Lead troubleshooting and repair of building automation and control systems (BAS), PLCs, DDC controllers, and BAS network communications; collaborate with controls contractors to implement firmware updates, BACnet/Modbus integration, and energy optimization strategies.
Manage contractor relationships: solicit bids, evaluate proposals, establish scopes of work, supervise contractor performance, verify permits and insurance, and close out project documentation for maintenance and capital improvements.
Execute mechanical and electrical installations for retrofit and capital projects — coordinate material procurement, install new equipment per manufacturer specs, perform start-up and commissioning, and update as-built drawings and O&M manuals.
Maintain accurate maintenance records, work orders, asset registries, spare parts inventory and maintenance histories in the CMMS; run and present KPIs such as MTTR, MTBF, work order backlog, and preventive completion rates to leadership.
Perform routine facility inspections (roofing, building envelope, windows, doors, parking, loading docks) and correct deficiencies; coordinate seasonal preparations (winterization, cooling tower treatments) to reduce weather-related risks.
Troubleshoot and repair compressed air systems, vacuum pumps, and pneumatic controls, including air dryers, receivers, and leak surveys to improve system reliability and reduce energy waste.
Conduct energy conservation assessments and implement cost-saving measures — insulation upgrades, LED lighting retrofits, HVAC tuning, and sequencing changes — tracking ROI and performance impacts.
Ensure strict compliance with OSHA, EPA, local building codes and environmental regulations; maintain MSDS/SDS, safety logs, confined space permits, lockout-tagout (LOTO) procedures and ensure proper PPE and safety training for maintenance staff.
Respond to after-hours emergencies and perform on-call troubleshooting for critical systems; coordinate emergency repairs and communicate status and resolution steps to operations and management.
Supervise, mentor, and train junior maintenance staff and technicians on preventive maintenance best practices, safety protocols, and diagnostic techniques to build a resilient, cross-trained team.
Oversee spare parts and critical inventory management: forecast spares needs, maintain minimum stocking levels, evaluate slow-moving items and implement cost controls to reduce downtime risk.
Perform vibration analysis, thermography inspections (infrared), oil analysis and other predictive maintenance techniques to predict failure modes and plan targeted interventions.
Create, update and maintain technical documents: single-line electrical diagrams, P&IDs, SOPs, lockout/tagout procedures, risk assessments, and equipment manuals to ensure accurate references for maintenance operations.
Coordinate with operations, production, and facilities planning to schedule maintenance windows and outages with minimal disruption to business continuity and prioritized by safety and impact.
Lead continuous improvement and reliability initiatives such as root cause failure analysis, 5S, Kaizen, and reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) projects to reduce downtime and improve mean time between failures.
Manage small to medium capital projects from planning through commissioning: budget development, scheduling, vendor selection, quality assurance, and post-installation performance validation.
Conduct routine environmental monitoring and maintain treatment programs (cooling towers, sump pits) and mitigation strategies for mold, Legionella, and other facility-related environmental hazards.

Secondary Functions

Support cross-functional teams by providing technical input for site expansion, layout changes, and workspace reconfigurations — ensuring mechanical and electrical requirements are documented and met.
Assist in the development of business continuity plans and site emergency response procedures, participating in drills and updating facility recovery checklists.
Provide input to procurement on equipment specifications, vendor selection, and life-cycle cost analysis to ensure robust and maintainable purchases.
Participate in energy reporting, sustainability programs, and utility cost reduction initiatives; prepare documentation and reports to support energy rebates and incentive programs.
Facilitate vendor and contractor invoice validation, warranty claims, and dispute resolution by maintaining clear maintenance histories and service records.
Produce clear, SEO-friendly maintenance reports, incident summaries, and project status updates for stakeholders and senior management.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Comprehensive knowledge of HVAC systems (chillers, boilers, AHUs, RTUs), including refrigerant handling and EPA compliance.
Advanced electrical troubleshooting: low- and medium-voltage distribution, motor controls, VFDs, switchgear, and emergency power systems.
Proficiency with Building Automation Systems (BAS/EMS), PLCs, DDC controllers, BACnet/Modbus protocols, commissioning, and sequence-of-operation tuning.
Strong experience with Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) — creating work orders, scheduling PMs, generating KPI reports and managing assets (examples: SAP PM, Maximo, Fiix, UpKeep).
Mechanical systems maintenance: pumps, compressors, steam traps, piping systems, valves, and hydraulic systems.
Fire protection and life-safety systems knowledge, including NFPA code familiarity and experience coordinating inspections and certifications.
Predictive maintenance techniques: vibration analysis, thermography (infrared), oil analysis, and condition monitoring tools.
Project management for facilities projects: scope development, vendor management, commissioning, and close-out documentation.
Knowledge of OSHA, EPA, local building codes, permit processes, confined space, lockout-tagout, and safety program implementation.
Inventory and spare parts management, procurement best practices, and vendor evaluation.

Soft Skills

Strong problem-solving and analytical skills with a methodical approach to diagnosing complex system issues.
Excellent verbal and written communication; able to prepare concise technical reports, SOPs and communicate status to non-technical stakeholders.
Leadership and mentoring capability to grow and coach junior technicians and build cross-functional teams.
Customer-service orientation — focused on minimizing disruption to operations and responding promptly to stakeholder needs.
Time management and prioritization skills to balance reactive repairs, preventive maintenance, and project work.
Critical thinking and attention to detail, especially when performing safety checks and compliance documentation.
Adaptability and calm under pressure when responding to emergencies and after-hours incidents.
Collaboration and teamwork skills for working with contractors, vendors, operations, and corporate stakeholders.
Continuous improvement mindset — experience driving efficiency, cost reductions, and reliability improvements.
Ethical judgment and accountability in enforcing safety and regulatory compliance.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Associate degree, technical diploma, or equivalent military training in Mechanical, Electrical, HVAC, Facilities Management, or Industrial Maintenance.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Facilities Management, or related technical field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Mechanical Engineering Technology
Electrical Engineering Technology
HVAC/R Technology
Facilities Management / Building Systems
Industrial Maintenance / Mechatronics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–7 years of progressive facilities maintenance, building engineering, or industrial maintenance experience.

Preferred:

5+ years as a Facilities Maintenance Engineer, Senior Technician, or Building Engineer with demonstrated experience in preventive maintenance programs, BAS/controls, CMMS, safety compliance, and project execution.

Additional desirable certifications: EPA 608 (refrigerant), OSHA 10/30, NFPA-related certifications, CEM or Certified Facility Manager (CFM) or equivalent, CMMS-specific training, and manufacturer equipment certifications.