Assistant Chief Engineer

SDA - Maintenance; Dublin; On-site; EUR 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free meals on duty

Discounted employee friends & family →

Food and beverage discounts

Christmas gifts and employee parties

Introduce a friend scheme

Life assurance scheme

Employee assistance programme

Arora star employee recognition

Long service recognition award

Job summary

Arora Group is opening Sofitel Dublin Airport Hotel, a luxury flagship property connected to Dublin Airport Terminal 2. The Assistant Chief Engineer will drive pre-opening readiness, maintain engineering systems, and lead a team to achieve exceptional guest experiences from day one.

You will coordinate commissioning, testing, and handover of MEP, Lifts, fire and life safety systems, and implement preventive maintenance and CMMS processes. Strong leadership and English fluency are essential.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in a luxury hotel environment.
• Excellent attention to detail and high standards of service.
• Strong communication and organisational skills.
• Experience in coaching and developing teams in a 5-star setting.
• Good knowledge of Opera PMS and Microsoft Office.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Support the Chief Engineer in pre-opening and ongoing hotel operations.
• Commission, test, inspect, and hand over mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and life-safety systems.
• Coordinate defect identification and snagging with contractors and project teams.
• Develop preventive maintenance programmes, SOPs, risk assessments, and permit-to-work processes.
• Assist with CMMS implementation, asset loading, maintenance scheduling and training.
• Recruit, onboard and develop engineering staff for opening day readiness.
• Ensure all statutory inspections and licenses are completed before opening.
• Collaborate with Operations, Housekeeping, Front Office and other departments to ensure luxury standards.

Skills

Leadership

Attention to detail

Communication

Team development

Opera PMS

Microsoft Office

English proficiency

CMMS

Tools

CMMS

Job description

We are seeking an Assistant Chief Engineer to play a pivotal role in the pre-opening and launch of Sofitel Dublin Airport Hotel- a luxury flagship property managed by the award-winning Arora Group in partnership with Accor's Sofitel brand.

Directly connected to Terminal 2, this landmark hotel will redefine the guest experience at one of Europe's busiest international gateways and will feature:

• 412 elegant guestrooms
• Extensive meetings and events facilities
• A spectacular rooftop bar with panoramic views across Dublin and the airport

The Role

The Assistant Chief Engineer will support the successful pre-opening and ongoing operation of the hotel, ensuring all engineering systems, maintenance programmes, compliance requirements, and team members are fully prepared to deliver an exceptional guest experience from day one.

• Support the Chief Engineer throughout the pre-opening phase, ensuring all hotel facilities, plant rooms, back-of-house areas, guest rooms, public spaces, and engineering systems are operationally ready for opening.
• Assist with the commissioning, testing, inspection, and handover of all mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, kitchen, laundry, lift, fire and life safety systems, ensuring all equipment performs to specification and brand standards.
• Coordinate defect identification and snagging processes with contractors, consultants, and project teams, ensuring issues are documented, tracked, and resolved prior to opening.
• Develop and implement preventive maintenance programmes, standard operating procedures, risk assessments, permit-to-work processes, and emergency response procedures to support a safe and efficient operation from day one.
• Support the implementation of the Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS), including asset loading, preventive maintenance scheduling, workflow creation, and team training.
• Recruit, onboard, train, and develop engineering team members, ensuring colleagues are fully prepared to deliver exceptional service standards and maintain operational excellence from opening day.
• Ensure all statutory inspections, certifications, licences, and compliance requirements are completed and documented prior to opening, including fire safety, water hygiene, electrical testing, gas safety, and health and safety obligations.
• Work closely with Operations, Housekeeping, Front Office, Food & Beverage, Security, and other departments during the pre-opening period to ensure facilities, equipment, and guest-facing areas are fully operational and meet luxury hospitality standards.
• Participate in mock service periods, trial stays, operational readiness reviews, and opening exercises, proactively identifying and resolving engineering-related issues to ensure a seamless guest experience.

About You…

• Strong leadership and motivational abilities.
• Exceptional attention to detail and drive to maintain high standards.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and organisational skills.
• Proven experience in managing, coaching and developing teams.
• Approachable and positive manner with a "can do" attitude.
• A smart and professional appearance.
• Proven track record in a similar position within a 5-star hotel.
• Good working knowledge of Opera PMS and Microsoft Office.
• Excellent standard of English, both written and spoken.

What'sin it for you…

Competitive salary

Butthere'smore...

• Free meals on duty.
• Discounted employee friends & family rates at Arora Hotels.
• Food and beverage discounts.
• Christmas gifts and employee parties.
• Introduce a friend scheme.
• Life assurance scheme.
• Employeeassistanceprogramme.
• Arora star employee recognition.
• Long service recognition award.

Grow with us...

We are growing rapidly and with growth comes advancement opportunities. Being part of the Arora group there are exciting opportunities for career progression and development across our properties and brands

Compensation: Competitive salary