Chief Engineer

Complete Building Services; Fairfax (VA); On-site; USD 108,000 - 132,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

401k with match

Tuition reimbursement

Employee discounts

Job summary

Complete Building Services is seeking a Chief Engineer to provide hands-on technical leadership for the operation, maintenance, and repair of building systems across a large healthcare campus. The role emphasizes patient safety, reliability, and staff supervision in a 24/7 environment.

Key duties include supervising engineers, overseeing boilers, chillers, BAS, electrical, and life-safety systems, and coordinating repairs with vendors.

Qualifications

• Ten or more years in building engineering or facilities maintenance with supervisory experience.
• Trade school or union apprenticeship or equivalent.
• Current DC Third Class Steam Engineer or MD Grade 1 Stationary Engineer license.
• Strong troubleshooting across mechanical, electrical, plumbing, BAS, and door hardware.
• Practical locksmith experience including lock repair and re-keying.
• Ability to read blueprints, schematics, manuals and technical drawings.
• EPA Section 608 Universal certification.

Responsibilities

• Supervise, train, and support engineering staff; assign work and monitor PMs and work orders.
• Oversee operation and repair of boilers, chillers, HVAC, electrical distribution, and generators.
• Coordinate inspections and maintenance of fire protection and life safety systems.
• Perform locksmith tasks and coordinate door hardware repairs with Security/vendors.
• Conduct campus inspections and coordinate repairs to maintain safe, functional facilities.
• Support Joint Commission readiness and facility safety procedures.
• Coordinate vendors and projects to minimize disruption to clinical operations.
• Maintain maintenance records in CMMS and assist with budgets and energy planning.

Skills

Staff supervision

Mechanical systems

Electrical systems

Locksmithing

Building automation

Blueprints & schematics

Emergency response

Education

DC Third Class Steam Engineer license

MD Grade 1 Stationary Engineer license

Job description

About the Role

The Chief Engineer provides hands-on technical leadership and supervision for the daily operation, maintenance, and repair of building systems serving a 118-acre healthcare campus encompassing more than 1.8 million square feet. This position supports safe, reliable, and efficient operations in a 24/7 environment, with a focus on patient safety, continuity of care, customer service, and equipment reliability.

Essential functions include:

• Supervise, train, and support engineering and maintenance staff; assign work, monitor performance, and ensure timely completion of preventive maintenance and corrective work orders.
• Oversee operation, troubleshooting, and repair of boilers, chillers, cooling towers, HVAC equipment, building automation systems, electrical distribution, emergency generators, plumbing, and related infrastructure.
• Coordinate inspections, testing, and maintenance of fire protection, life safety, and other critical building systems.
• Perform and oversee basic locksmith work, including troubleshooting locks, re-keyingcylinders, maintaining key inventories and master key records, and repairing door hardware in coordination with Security and approved vendors.
• Conduct campus inspections, identify deficiencies, and coordinate repairs to maintain safe, functional buildings and grounds.
• Support Joint Commission readiness, Environment of Care activities, infection prevention precautions, and facility safety procedures.
• Coordinate vendors, contractors, system shutdowns, and repair projects to minimize disruption to clinical and campus operations.
• Maintain accurate maintenance records, inspection documentation, equipment histories, and operational reports using the computerized maintenance management system.
• Assist with budgets, purchasing, equipment replacement planning, energy conservation, and capital improvement recommendations.
• Respond to equipment failures and campus emergencies; provide on-call, after-hours, weekend, and holiday support as needed.

Base hours: 6:00 am - 2:30 pm

Salary: $120,000 + depending on experience

You Should Have

We are looking for:

• Ten or more years of progressively responsible experience in building engineering, central plant operations, or facilities maintenance, including supervisory experience. Hospital or healthcare campus experience strongly preferred.
• Trade school, technical school, union apprenticeship, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Current District of Columbia Third Class Steam Engineer license or Maryland Grade 1 Stationary Engineer license.
• Demonstrated troubleshooting skills across mechanical, electrical, plumbing, building automation, and door hardware systems.
• Practical locksmith experience, including lock repair, re-keying, and key control.
• Ability to read blueprints, schematics, equipment manuals, and technical drawings.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and customer service skills.
• EPA Section 608 Universal certification.

EOE, including disability/veterans

Why You'll Love Working With Us

Complete Building Services (CBS) is a company that is passionate about the operation and maintenance of buildings/facilities in the commercial and government sectors. CBS is the largest division of The Donohoe Companies, Inc. - Washington DC's most established real estate company. At CBS, we celebrate and empower our talented employees - and it shows as we have been ranked by the Washington Business Journal as the "Best Place to Work" multiple times.

Perks & Benefits

• We offer a full slate of benefits, including competitive salaries, medical, dental, vision, life and disability coverages, FSA, flexible vacation, commuter benefits, and a 401k plan with a match.
• And...we offer some not-so-standard, extra great benefits, including tuition reimbursement for education/certifications, employee discounts programs (including hotels and our vendor's products), and an Employee Assistance Program that offers free financial consultants, therapists, and lawyers.

We value diversity and believe in forming teams in which everyone can be their authentic self is the key to our success. Come join us, and find out what the best work of your career could look like for you.