Chief Building Engineer: High-Rise Residential Condominium Community
Silver Spring, Maryland | Full-Time | On-Site
Salary: $110,000–$125,000 annually + comprehensive benefits
The Opportunity
We are seeking an experienced Chief Building Engineer to lead the maintenance and engineering operations of a large, two-building high-rise residential condominium community in Silver Spring, Maryland.
This is a senior, hands-on leadership position for an experienced building professional who understands that successful building operations go far beyond responding to work orders. We are looking for someone who can lead and develop a strong maintenance team, strengthen preventive maintenance, provide technical expertise, oversee contractors and major building systems, respond effectively to building emergencies, support capital improvement projects, and help drive a proactive, long-term approach to protecting the buildings and infrastructure.
Reporting directly to the Property Manager, the Chief Building Engineer will lead the Maintenance Department, directly supervising a three-person engineering and maintenance team, while serving as the Property Manager's principal technical advisor on building operations, maintenance, asset management, life safety, emergency preparedness, capital improvements, and infrastructure planning.
What You'll Do
Lead the Maintenance & Engineering Team
- Provide day-to-day leadership and supervision of a three-person engineering and maintenance team.
- Direct Maintenance Department operations, establish work priorities, and coordinate daily assignments.
- Lead, mentor, develop, and hold team members accountable for performance, professionalism, safety, responsiveness, and service standards.
- Establish effective departmental procedures, maintenance standards, and performance expectations.
- Promote a culture of ownership, teamwork, accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.
- Help develop the technical capabilities of the team through training, cross-training, and hands-on leadership.
Oversee Major Building Systems
Provide technical leadership and oversight for the operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and long-term performance of major building systems, including:
- HVAC and mechanical equipment
- Plumbing and domestic water systems
- Electrical systems
- Elevators
- Generators
- Fire protection and life-safety systems
- Pumps and mechanical rooms
- Building automation and controls
- Access control and security systems
- Roofing and building envelope systems
- Parking garages
- Common-area building systems and infrastructure
Monitor equipment condition and performance, identify developing issues, reduce deferred maintenance, and help maximize the useful life of the community's physical assets.
Build a Strong Preventive Maintenance Program
- Work with the Property Manager to develop and maintain comprehensive preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs.
- Maintain accurate equipment inventories, maintenance histories, warranties, inspection records, and asset documentation.
- Identify recurring problems and recommend long-term solutions rather than relying solely on temporary repairs.
- Evaluate equipment condition and make recommendations for repair, replacement, modernization, or improved efficiency.
- Help ensure maintenance work is completed properly, documented accurately, and followed through to completion.
- Identify opportunities to improve reliability and reduce unnecessary operating and repair costs.
Building Leaks, Property Losses & Emergency Response
High-rise residential buildings require a strong and organized response when leaks, equipment failures, or other unexpected building events occur. The Chief Building Engineer will provide technical leadership during these situations.
Responsibilities include:
- Respond to water leaks, plumbing failures, backups, equipment failures, water intrusion, and other building-related property-loss events.
- Investigate building-system failures and assist in identifying the source and cause of leaks and water intrusion.
- Direct the maintenance team's immediate response to help protect residents, building systems, and property.
- Coordinate emergency response with the Property Manager, maintenance staff, plumbers, mitigation contractors, engineers, and other specialized vendors as necessary.
- Oversee emergency shutoffs, stabilization, temporary repairs, and corrective work to minimize damage and restore normal building operations.
- Assist with documenting building conditions, affected areas, repair needs, and the technical circumstances surrounding significant incidents.
- Identify recurring conditions and recommend permanent corrective measures to reduce the likelihood of future losses.
- Participate in after-hours emergency response when building conditions require it.
The Chief Building Engineer provides the technical and operational response to property-loss events.
Support Capital Projects & Long-Term Planning
Work collaboratively with the Property Manager, engineers, consultants, contractors, committees, and community leadership on major repair, replacement, and capital improvement projects.
Responsibilities include:
- Working with the Property Manager on project planning and budgeting
- Contractor and proposal evaluation
- Construction and contractor oversight
- Review of drawings, specifications, schedules, and technical documents
- Review of RFIs, change orders, payment applications, and project documentation
- Project closeout and warranty administration
- Understanding of the Reserve Study
- Assist with long-range capital and asset-replacement planning
The Chief Building Engineer will provide practical technical recommendations based on building conditions, operational reliability, maintenance history, safety, energy efficiency, and total cost of ownership.
Safety, Compliance & Emergency Preparedness
- Help ensure compliance with applicable building, fire, environmental, OSHA, and other regulatory requirements.
- Coordinate required inspections, testing, permits, certifications, and associated documentation.
- Maintain a strong culture of workplace and building safety.
- Immediately identify and address unsafe conditions.
- Help develop and maintain emergency response procedures for building systems and infrastructure.
- Lead the Maintenance Department's response to severe weather, utility outages, equipment failures, and other operational emergencies.
- Participate in after-hours emergency response when necessary.
Technology, Documentation & Accountability
Use BuildingLink, Yardi, and other maintenance-management technology to manage and document:
- Work orders
- Preventive maintenance schedules
- Equipment and asset records
- Inspections
- Maintenance histories
- Warranties and service records
- Departmental reporting
- Performance metrics
Accurate documentation, timely follow-through, communication, and accountability are important expectations of this position.
Resident, Vendor & Management Relations
- Communicate professionally and effectively with residents regarding building operations, maintenance issues, and planned work.
- Develop productive working relationships with vendors, contractors, engineers, consultants, and regulatory agencies.
- Monitor contractor performance and help ensure work is completed in accordance with established requirements.
- Prepare clear technical reports, recommendations, and project updates for the Property Manager and community leadership.
- Participate in meetings as needed to provide technical expertise and support informed decision-making.
What We're Looking For
Required
- High school diploma or GED.
- Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible building engineering or facilities management experience.
- Strong working knowledge of HVAC, PLUMBING, electrical, mechanical, fire/life-safety, and other major building systems.
- Demonstrated experience with preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and asset management.
- Experience overseeing contractors and service providers.
- Strong organizational, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- Ability to lead employees while remaining willing and able to be hands-on when building conditions require it.
- Ability to respond effectively and calmly during building emergencies.
- Ability to communicate professionally with residents, management, contractors, consultants, and community leadership.
Preferred
- 5+ years of leadership experience in a high-rise, commercial, healthcare, hospitality, institutional, multifamily, or similarly complex building environment.
- Technical degree, associate degree, or bachelor's degree in engineering, facilities management, construction management, or a related field.
- Experience supporting major capital projects and construction administration.
- Experience with operating and capital budgets, contract management, and long-range asset planning.
- Experience investigating and responding to leaks, water intrusion, equipment failures, and other building-related property-loss events.
- Experience with BuildingLink, Yardi, CMMS, or similar maintenance-management systems.
- EPA Universal Certification.
- OSHA training and other relevant building-engineering or facilities certifications.
High-rise residential or condominium experience is highly desirable but is not required. Candidates with strong experience operating complex commercial, healthcare, hospitality, institutional, multifamily, or similar facilities are encouraged to apply.
Who Will Be Successful Here
We are looking for someone who takes ownership of the buildings and systems entrusted to them.
The successful candidate will be equally comfortable walking a mechanical room, troubleshooting a building-system problem, investigating the source of a leak, leading a maintenance team, meeting with an engineer or contractor, reviewing a project proposal, responding to an emergency, and explaining a technical issue clearly to management.
This position is well suited for a leader who:
- Is proactive rather than reactive.
- Believes strongly in preventive maintenance.
- Identifies problems before they become emergencies.
- Looks for root causes rather than repeatedly treating symptoms.
- Holds themselves and their team accountable.
- Develops employees rather than simply assigning work.
- Takes pride in organized mechanical spaces, well-maintained equipment, and accurate records.
- Understands when an issue can be handled internally and when specialized expertise is needed.
- Follows through until problems are fully resolved.
- Communicates clearly and professionally.
- Values resident service without compromising sound technical judgment.
- Thinks beyond today's repair and considers the long-term condition and performance of the buildings.
- Takes pride in protecting the community's physical assets and property values.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $110,000–$125,000 annually, depending on experience, qualifications, certifications, and demonstrated technical and leadership capabilities.
The Mutual is committed to attracting and retaining strong technical leadership. The advertised salary range reflects the anticipated starting compensation for this position and is not intended to represent a permanent earnings ceiling. Future compensation growth may be considered based on performance, professional development, certifications, market conditions, and the Mutual's compensation practices and budget.
The position also includes a comprehensive benefits package available to eligible employees, which may include:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Employer-sponsored retirement plan
- Paid vacation and sick leave
- Paid holidays
- Employer-provided life and disability insurance
- Professional development and training opportunities
- Support for relevant industry certifications and continuing education
This is a full-time, on-site position in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Join Our Team
This is an opportunity for an experienced building professional to take an important leadership role in the operation and long-term care of a complex high-rise residential community.
We are looking for someone who wants to do more than maintain the status quo - someone who can strengthen maintenance operations, develop a capable team, improve preventive maintenance, solve problems at their source, and help position our buildings for the future.
If you have successfully operated complex building systems, know how to develop a strong maintenance team, believe in proactive and preventive maintenance, and are ready to bring both technical expertise and leadership to a community committed to improving its building operations, we encourage you to apply.
Pay: $110,000.00 - $125,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Referral program
- Retirement plan
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- How many years of experience do you have in building engineering or facilities management, and what types of buildings have you been responsible for?
- Please briefly describe your experience supervising and developing building engineering or maintenance staff.
- Please describe your hands-on and supervisory experience with major building systems, including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, generators, fire/life-safety systems, elevators, and building controls.
- Please describe a significant building emergency you have managed, such as a major water leak, plumbing failure, equipment failure, or similar event. What was your role in identifying the problem, coordinating the response, and preventing it from happening again?
- Please provide an example of a preventive maintenance program, major repair, or capital project you led. What was your role, and what was the outcome?
Ability to Commute:
- Silver Spring, MD 20906 (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
