Assistant Chief Engineer

Makeready; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO exchange

Medical/Dental/Vision benefits

Pet insurance

401k match

Student loan repayment program

Job summary

Makeready in Houston seeks an Assistant Chief Engineer to lead the Engineering department, uphold preventive maintenance, and ensure safe, reliable building operations for a luxury hotel. You will troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and life-safety systems while supporting daily leadership and guest‑facing outcomes.

As a hands‑on leader, you will mentor staff, manage on‑call rotations, monitor energy use, and coordinate with vendors on facility improvements to protect the asset and

Qualifications

• Minimum 3–5 years in hotel engineering, facilities management, or a similar technical environment.
• Experience supervising or leading an Engineering or Facilities team is strongly preferred.
• Hospitality or luxury hotel/ mixed‑use building experience is preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, refrigeration and life-safety systems.

Responsibilities

• Support the Director of Engineering in daily leadership, organization, and operation of the Engineering department.
• Oversee maintenance of hotel facilities, equipment, and life safety systems to safety and appearance standards.
• Provide hands‑on technical guidance and mentorship to engineering staff.
• Supervise, train, schedule, and develop Engineering team members.
• Coordinate vendor relationships, service agreements, inspections, and capital projects.

Skills

Maintenance leadership

HVAC systems

Electrical systems

Plumbing systems

Life safety

BMS experience

Preventive maintenance

Emergency response

Team development

Tools

BMS (Building Management Systems)

Energy-management systems

Preventive maintenance software

Job description

The Moran Hotel is a contemporary expression of luxury, where sleek design meets warm, intuitive hospitality in the heart of Houston’s CITYCENTRE. Designed for the modern traveler, it offers a refined yet accessible experience that seamlessly blends business and leisure.

The Assistant Chief Engineer has a natural curiosity for how things work—and how they should look, feel, and perform. With a keen eye for detail and a proactive approach to maintenance, this leader helps protect the property’s physical assets while ensuring the hotel remains safe, functional, and beautifully maintained.

Reporting to the Director of Engineering, the Assistant Chief Engineer supports the daily leadership and operation of the Engineering department, helping oversee preventive maintenance, repairs, building systems, life safety, team development, and departmental projects. This individual is a hands‑on leader and collaborative partner who anticipates needs, responds quickly to operational challenges, and helps create a seamless experience for guests and team members.

This individual has a natural curiosity for how things work and should look and feel. This allows them to spot, correct and anticipate any preventative maintenance needed to protect the asset and keep the hotel running smoothly. The ultimate team player looking forward to go a step further to get it done with ease. Their primary role is to ensure a safe, quality hotel experience that improves guest satisfaction.

Requested Tasks

• Support the Director of Engineering in the daily leadership, organization, and operation of the Engineering department
• Assist with maintaining all hotel facilities, equipment, mechanical systems, and physical assets to established safety, operational, and appearance standards.
• Serve as a hands‑on leader, providing technical guidance and support to engineering team members while responding to operational and guest‑related maintenance needs.
• Help supervise, train, mentor, schedule, and develop Engineering team members.
• Provide departmental leadership in the absence of the Director of Engineering.
• Monitor and support preventive maintenance programs to maximize equipment life, reduce downtime, and protect the property’s physical assets.
• Conduct regular inspections of guest rooms, public areas, back‑of‑house spaces, mechanical rooms, and exterior areas to identify maintenance and safety concerns.
• Ensure maintenance requests, work orders, and repairs are completed accurately, efficiently, and within established service standards.
• Troubleshoot and support the repair of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, refrigeration, lighting, and other building systems.
• Assist with the operation and monitoring of building management systems, energy‑management systems, and preventive maintenance platforms.
• Support ongoing life‑safety programs and ensure equipment, systems, inspections, and required documentation remain current and compliant.
• Partner with the Director of Engineering to coordinate vendor relationships, service agreements, inspections, repairs, and capital projects.
• Assist with monitoring departmental expenses, supplies, inventory, equipment, and labor to support established financial goals.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce energy consumption, strengthen preventive maintenance practices, and enhance overall building performance.

Requested Capabilities

• Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in hotel engineering, facilities management, building operations, or a related technical environment preferred.
• Previous supervisory or leadership experience within an Engineering or Facilities department strongly preferred.
• Hospitality, luxury hotel, mixed‑use, or commercial building experience preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, refrigeration, and life‑safety systems.
• Experience with building management systems (BMS), energy‑management systems, and preventive maintenance software preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot building systems and effectively manage maintenance priorities.
• Strong understanding of preventive maintenance practices, workplace safety, and asset protection.
• Ability to lead, motivate, train, and develop Engineering team members.
• Strong organizational and time‑management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and respond effectively to changing operational needs.
• Detail‑oriented and proactive, with the ability to identify potential issues before they impact guests or operations.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across departments.
• Ability to respond to emergency situations and participate in an on‑call rotation as business needs require.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and emergency situations as needed.

As part of the Makeready collection, we proudly offer a variety of thoughtful benefits for eligible team members, including accommodating PTO/PTO exchange, medical/dental/vision benefits, pet insurance, company‑matched dependent care & 401k, student loan repayment program and a wide range of additional ancillary benefits. The health, happiness, and well‑being of our team is our top priority.

We take pride in our Guiding Principles to help define how we successfully work together. We follow them not out of duty but live by them instinctively.

Makeready LLC and its affiliated entities are proud to encourage and support an environment where everyone can be a successful team member as their true independent self. We are an equal opportunity workplace and employer that does not discriminate based on race, color, disability, gender/sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, or any other protected status. We are committed to building a team and a workplace where we are all able to be successful based solely on our individual qualifications, experience, abilities, and job performance.