Assistant Chief Engineer

Remington Hospitality; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Remington Hospitality is seeking an experienced Assistant Chief Engineer to support the Chief Engineer and act as head during their absence, guiding maintenance of hotel systems and ensuring safety and reliability across operations.

You will supervise engineers, review equipment logs, coordinate on‑call coverage, manage preventive maintenance programs, supervise vendors, and lead emergency responses, evacuations, and safety protocols with the General Manager and security team.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Chief Engineer in meeting operational standards for the Engineering department.
• Act as Engineering department head in the Chief Engineer's absence, with authority to make operational decisions.
• Serve as Manager on Duty (MOD) as scheduled and participate in the hotel's leadership rotation.
• Keep the Chief Engineer informed of equipment status, open work orders, vendor activity, safety concerns and staffing issues.
• Assist in preparing the Engineering department budget, capital expenditure requests and project plans; conduct daily walk-throughs and ensure safe operation of the hotel systems.

Job description

• Assist the Chief Engineer in meeting all operational standards related to the Engineering department.
• Act as Engineering department head in the Chief Engineer's absence, including vacations, sick days and off-shift hours, with full authority to make operational decisions.
• Serve as Manager on Duty (MOD) as scheduled, and participate in the hotel's leadership rotation.
• Keep the Chief Engineer informed of equipment status, open work orders, vendor activity, safety concerns and staffing issues.
• Assist in preparing the Engineering department budget, capital expenditure requests and project plans. Conduct daily walk-throughs and visually assess the safe and efficient maintenance and operation of the hotel structure, systems and equipment.
• Assign, schedule and follow up on daily work orders and guest requests; ensure timely completion and accurate records in the work order system.
• Assist the Chief Engineer in establishing, scheduling and auditing the Rooms and Public Area Preventive Maintenance (PM) program, assigning PM work to engineering associates and ensuring completion is documented.
• Provide hands-on technical support only when needed to cover staffing gaps, resolve complex or recurring problems beyond an associate's skill level, demonstrate proper methods during training, verify the quality of completed work or in the event of an emergency. Routine work orders and PM tasks remain assigned to the Engineer I, II and III positions.
• Review the daily, weekly and monthly equipment logs (boilers, chillers, cooling towers, pumps, water heaters, fire panels) completed by engineering associates, and follow up on abnormal readings.
• Track utility usage (electric, gas, water) and support energy conservation and sustainability initiatives.
• Supervise, coach, counsel, and evaluate engineer associates. Participate in hiring decisions make recommendations regarding hiring, performance, and disciplinary determinations.
• Oversee the department training program, working with the Engineering team to deliver technical training, and ensure all associates are trained on safety practices and emergency response.
• Assist with associate scheduling to ensure adequate engineering coverage on all shifts.
• Implement the hotel's safety and emergency policies and procedures (evacuations, first aid, etc.), including removing safety hazards and following the company's OSHA Hazcom program, lockout/tagout and safe lifting techniques.
• Assist in maintaining current permits, licenses, inspection certificates and records for the building and physical plant (elevators, boilers, fire systems, backflow, kitchen hood suppression).
• Assist in maintaining adequate inventory of parts, supplies, tools and materials, and support the department's inventory and purchasing system.
• Coordinate and supervise 3rd party vendors and contractors on property, ensuring work meets hotel standards and safety requirements.
• The Assistant Chief Engineer must have the technical knowledge to direct emergency response. Assess system failures, coordinate engineering staff, and provide hands -on assistance when necessary.
• Respond on-site or by phone to after-hours emergencies; participate in the department's on-call rotation.
• Direct the response to critical system failures (loss of power, HVAC/chiller/boiler failure, water leaks and flooding, sewer backups, gas leaks, elevator entrapments, kitchen equipment failure), assigning on-shift engineers first, and provide hands-on assistance when required to perform.
• Know the location and operation of all main shut-offs (water, gas, electrical, fire sprinkler zones) and isolation valves, and be able to safely isolate systems.
• Oversee the safe operation of the emergency generator, fire alarm panel, fire pump and life safety systems, including resets and silencing of alarms per hotel and fire department procedures; ensure required testing is completed by engineering associates or vendors and documented.
• Act as Engineering lead during evacuations, severe weather, fire alarms and other emergencies, coordinating with the General Manager, Security, Front Office and emergency responders.
• Document all emergencies, actions taken and follow-up needed, and debrief the Chief Engineer.