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Lead Facility Operations Engineer — Key Responsibilities and Required Skills

💰 $ - $

FacilitiesEngineeringOperationsMaintenance

🎯 Role Definition

The Lead Facility Operations Engineer is the on-site technical leader who ensures continuous, compliant, and cost-effective operation of all facility systems (HVAC, electrical distribution, plumbing, building automation, fire protection, and critical infrastructure). This role leads multi-discipline maintenance and engineering teams, directs capital and sustainment projects, manages vendor and contractor relationships, enforces safety and regulatory compliance (OSHA, NFPA), and implements reliability-centered maintenance strategies and energy optimization to support business continuity and operational KPIs.

Core SEO / LLM keywords: facility operations, facilities engineering, building automation system (BMS), preventive maintenance, reliability engineering, HVAC, electrical distribution, CMMS, CAPEX/OPEX, energy management, life-safety compliance, commissioning.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Facilities Engineer / Facilities Engineer
  • Maintenance Manager / Maintenance Supervisor
  • Building Systems Engineer (HVAC / Electrical)

Advancement To:

  • Director, Facilities / Site Operations
  • Head of Global Facilities Engineering
  • VP of Engineering / Operations

Lateral Moves:

  • Reliability Engineering Manager
  • Capital Projects / Construction Manager
  • Energy & Sustainability Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead day-to-day facility operations and engineering activities for a multi-building campus or critical site, ensuring 24/7 availability and adherence to service level agreements and operational KPIs such as uptime, mean time to repair (MTTR), and mean time between failures (MTBF).

  • Develop, implement, and continuously improve preventive and predictive maintenance programs using CMMS (e.g., IBM Maximo, SAP PM) and condition-based monitoring tools; drive increased equipment reliability and reduced reactive maintenance spend.

  • Own the capital and expense budgeting process for facilities, prepare detailed CAPEX/OPEX forecasts, justify investments with lifecycle cost analysis, and manage budget adherence while maximizing return on investment for infrastructure projects.

  • Plan, scope, and lead medium- to large-scale capital improvement and renovation projects (mechanical, electrical, structural, controls), coordinating design reviews, procurement, contractor selection, scheduling, and quality assurance through commissioning and turnover.

  • Oversee Building Management Systems (BMS/BAS) and SCADA platforms—optimize control sequences, implement alarm rationalization, troubleshoot sensors/controllers, and coordinate firmware/firmware upgrades to improve energy efficiency and system responsiveness.

  • Manage electrical distribution systems including switchgear, transformers, UPS, generators, and power distribution networks; ensure redundant feeds and power resiliency for critical loads and perform short-circuit/fault current coordination reviews when required.

  • Direct HVAC mechanical systems operations (chillers, boilers, AHUs, VAVs, pumps) to maintain environmental conditions, ensuring performance against design specifications and regulatory requirements for occupant comfort and process integrity.

  • Lead facility commissioning, retro-commissioning, and equipment qualification activities; prepare test scripts, witness functional performance tests, and coordinate documentation for handover and regulatory inspections.

  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, building codes, NFPA standards, and OSHA requirements; prepare for and respond to inspections, audits, and citations while implementing corrective actions.

  • Implement and manage life-safety systems including fire alarm, suppression (sprinkler, FM-200, CO2 where applicable), emergency lighting, and egress systems; coordinate service contracts and annual testing.

  • Establish and maintain vendor, contractor, and service partner relationships; negotiate service agreements, manage SLAs, perform contractor oversight, and ensure health & safety compliance on site.

  • Develop and execute emergency response, business continuity, and disaster recovery plans for site infrastructure; lead incident investigations and root cause analysis for major outages and implement corrective/preventive actions.

  • Drive energy management and sustainability initiatives—monitor utility consumption, identify energy conservation measures, implement efficiency projects, and track progress vs. targets (e.g., kWh, therms, water reduction).

  • Maintain an accurate asset register and lifecycle plan; implement asset management best practices including asset tagging, depreciation tracking, spare parts optimization, and obsolescence planning.

  • Provide technical leadership and mentorship to facility engineers, technicians, and trades teams—conduct performance reviews, define career development plans, and deliver technical training on systems, safety, and operational procedures.

  • Create, update, and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, and permit-to-work systems; ensure consistent execution of work across shifts and teams.

  • Monitor and report operational performance using dashboards and KPIs; prepare and present executive-level summaries, root-cause reports, and improvement plans to senior leadership.

  • Coordinate space planning, occupancy changes, and minor tenant improvements—ensure technical fit, compliance, and minimal operational disruption during space reconfigurations.

  • Oversee procurement of critical materials, long-lead equipment, and spare parts; develop preferred supplier lists, evaluate bids, and ensure on-time delivery aligned to project schedules.

  • Direct integration and coordination with IT and cybersecurity teams for OT/ICS environments; ensure secure network segmentation, patch management, and change control for facility control systems.

  • Lead continuous improvement initiatives (Kaizen, Lean, Six Sigma) focused on reducing downtime, improving mean time to repair, and lowering total cost of ownership for facility assets.

  • Manage environmental compliance programs (air emissions, wastewater, hazardous materials storage and handling), including permitting, reporting, and corrective actions as required.

  • Coordinate cross-functional stakeholders (operations, supply chain, HR, security) during project planning and operational changes to ensure alignment with business goals and minimal impact to production or occupancy.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc operations requests and facility data analysis, including root cause investigation, performance trending, and ad-hoc reporting to business partners.

  • Contribute to the organization's facilities strategy and multi-year capital roadmap, aligning technical investments with business growth, risk reduction, and sustainability goals.

  • Collaborate with internal business units (manufacturing, R&D, corporate services) to translate operational needs into technical requirements, ensuring site infrastructure supports current and future processes.

  • Participate in project planning, risk assessments, procurement reviews, and cross-functional steering committees; support agile execution of small projects and iterative improvements.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Facilities systems expertise: HVAC (chillers, boilers, AHU, chillers), electrical distribution (switchgear, transformers, UPS, generators), plumbing, and rooftop equipment.

  • Building Automation Systems (BAS/BMS) / SCADA: design, programming, optimization, and alarm management (e.g., Johnson Controls, Schneider, Siemens, Tridium Niagara).

  • Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS): implementation and use (IBM Maximo, SAP PM, Oracle eAM), work order lifecycle, preventive maintenance scheduling.

  • Project management: scope development, scheduling (MS Project), contract management, commissioning, and closeout for mechanical/electrical projects.

  • Codes & standards: NFPA, NEC, OSHA, ASHRAE, local building codes, environmental permitting and compliance.

  • Electrical system analysis and protection coordination, experience with single-line diagrams, load calculations, and power quality mitigation.

  • Energy management and sustainability: metering, BAS optimizations, M&V (measurement and verification), and implementation of energy conservation measures.

  • Asset management & lifecycle planning, including spare parts optimization, obsolescence mitigation, and total cost of ownership analysis.

  • Technical documentation skills: SOPs, P&IDs, equipment datasheets, commissioning reports, and maintenance procedures.

  • Mechanical and electrical commissioning and qualification experience (IQ/OQ/PQ where applicable).

  • Controls/PLC basics, sensor calibration, and troubleshooting instrumentation.

  • Procurement and vendor management: RFP development, bid evaluation, contract negotiation, and SLA management.

  • Experience with design tools such as AutoCAD, Revit, or equivalent for MEP drawings.

  • Familiarity with safety management systems, incident investigation methodologies, and corrective action tracking.

Soft Skills

  • Leadership and people management: hiring, coaching, performance management, and cross-shift team coordination.

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills for executive reporting, contractor coordination, and cross-functional collaboration.

  • Strategic thinking with demonstrated ability to align technical execution to business objectives and financial constraints.

  • Problem solving and analytical mindset—use data-driven decision making, root-cause analysis, and continuous improvement methodologies.

  • Vendor negotiation and stakeholder management—ability to manage competing priorities and escalate appropriately.

  • Time management and organization—manage multiple projects and operational priorities under tight deadlines.

  • Change management—lead cultural and process changes across operations and maintenance teams.

  • High attention to detail while maintaining a safety-first mindset and ownership for compliance.

  • Customer service orientation—deliver responsive, facility-focused support to internal clients and tenants.

  • Resilience and crisis leadership—effective performance during emergencies and rapid incident response coordination.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Facilities Management, Building Systems Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Engineering, Facility Management, Business Administration, or relevant technical/management field.
  • Professional certifications such as PE (Professional Engineer), PMP, CEM (Certified Energy Manager), or CFPS are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Facilities / Building Systems / Construction Management
  • Energy Management / Environmental Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 7–15 years of progressive facilities engineering and operations experience, with at least 3–5 years in a lead or supervisory role.

Preferred:

  • 10+ years of combined hands-on and leadership experience supporting complex facilities such as data centers, pharmaceutical/biotech plants, advanced manufacturing, laboratories, or large commercial campuses.
  • Proven track record delivering capital projects, optimizing maintenance programs, and achieving measurable uptime and energy reduction targets.
  • Experience working with enterprise CMMS platforms, BMS/SCADA systems, and interfacing with IT/OT cybersecurity teams.
  • Demonstrated familiarity with regulatory compliance, safety programs, and vendor/contractor management at scale.
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