Chief Engineer

Role Overview

Engineering Operations

• Lead, mentor, and develop the engineering department.
• Develop preventative maintenance programs and capital improvement initiatives.
• Oversee HVAC, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, water, BMS, and life-safety systems.
• Inspect guest rooms, public areas, back-of-house areas, plant rooms, and infrastructure.
• Manage reactive and preventative maintenance while minimizing operational disruption.

Compliance and Suppliers

• Maintain compliance with statutory requirements, building codes, legislation, and organizational procedures.
• Coordinate contractors and specialist providers under safety, quality, and permit requirements.
• Maintain engineering documentation, asset registers, inventories, spares, tools, and consumables.

Budget and Improvement

• Manage budgets, control expenditure, and identify energy, water, and utility savings.
• Respond to emergencies and critical system failures with minimal operational impact.
• Analyze performance metrics and implement data-driven improvements.
• Support health, safety, environmental sustainability, and regulatory compliance.

Required Skills and Experience

• Extensive Chief Engineer, Senior Engineering Manager, or equivalent leadership experience is required.
• Advanced building services, maintenance systems, and infrastructure knowledge is required.
• Expertise in HVAC, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and water systems is required.
• Experience leading teams, managing contractors, and managing budgets is required.
• IT systems and maintenance management software proficiency is required.
• Analytical, communication, interpersonal, organizational, and safety-focused abilities are required.

Preferred Qualifications

• City & Guilds, NVQ, or BTEC engineering qualifications are preferred.
• Electrical or mechanical engineering certifications are preferred.
• IOSH, Legionella/L8, water hygiene, water treatment, project management, or energy certifications are preferred.

Domain Expertise

• Strategic planning and capital project management.
• KPI development, operational reporting, staff development, risk mitigation, and emergency response.
• Energy optimization, sustainability initiatives, regulatory compliance, and inspection management.