Chief Engineer

Cushman & Wakefield; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 58,000 - 69,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Retirement plan

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Cushman & Wakefield seeks a Chief Engineer to lead engineering operations across assigned properties, ensuring top-quality maintenance and exceptional customer service. You will supervise staff, manage budgets, and align with asset management, EH&S, and client expectations.

The role emphasizes preventive maintenance programs, energy management, and coordination with contractors, tenants, and management teams, with hands-on duties as needed.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED Equivalent.
• 7+ years of related work experience in a commercial property setting.
• Vocational/Technical training certificate and required licenses.
• Familiar with Energy Management System (EMS) and Fire alarm systems.
• Basic computing skills in Outlook, Excel & Word.

Responsibilities

• Supervise engineers and maintenance staff, including hiring and training.
• Ensure 100% compliance with safety programs and HR processes.
• Manage operating and capital budgets and utility tracking.
• Coordinate maintenance with outside contractors and tenants.
• Respond to emergencies and maintain vendor communications.
• Develop and maintain preventive maintenance programs.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Budgeting

Team Development

Technical Proficiency

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Outlook

Excel

Word

Job description

Job Title Chief Engineer Job Description Summary POSITION SUMMARY Chief Engineer is responsible for the effective daily leadership of his/her staff, managing the engineering program to the highest level of quality work and customer service as well as the administration of the engineering department in alignment with the management team, the C&W engineering platform, and client expectations. The Chief Engineer will perform at the highest of ethical standards, reflecting the core values of C&W as defined in its Business Code of Conduct, Policies and Procedures Manual, and other related company policies. Responsible to plan, implement, coordinate, and supervise all mechanical operations, maintenance, communications, energy management, and manpower development programs for assigned properties. The Chief Engineer may be required to perform limited hands on operational duties and is not precluded from performing Watch Activity.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supervise engineers and maintenance staff including hiring, training, personnel development, etc.
• Ensure performance management, coaching, and development of team members through established HR processes and disciplinary actions.
• Participate and coordinate annual scheduling and execution of the C&W Safety Program as directed by Asset Services, Engineering Leadership, EH&S Administration, and so forth. Responsible for 100% Compliance at his/her site.
• Manage operational accounts for building, including variance reporting, as required and assist in development of operating and capital budgets
• Utility Management such as tracking use, consumption, cost, reporting, comparison models, sub-metering, budgeting, variances as directed by Management and/or Leadership.
• Conduct regular inspections of building systems and equipment; identify and resolve issues.
• Assist in maintenance/engineering issues as required
• Recommend and implement improvements for preventive maintenance programs on an ongoing basis.
• Develop, implement, and maintain an effective preventive and predictive maintenance program for task scheduling, routines, and performance. Program to include procedures for annual, semi-annual, quarterly, monthly and other scheduled maintenance as provided by the manufacturer’s recommendations and/or industry best practices.
• Develop and maintain effective building-specific maintenance and safety procedure manuals.
• Coordinate development of and/or maintain an Operations Document Library, including but not limited to construction plans, structural plans, as-built drawings, MEP schedules, line diagrams and schematics, equipment and operation manuals, start up and commissioning documents, and equipment warranties.
• Formulate and conduct building-related systems and equipment training.
• Coordinate maintenance efforts with outside contractors, tenant finish personnel, and engineers.
• Oversee all building systems including fire/life safety, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical issues; must remain current with latest HVAC technology trends.
• Maintain ongoing communication with tenants, clients, property management, and vendors
• Develop specifications and assist in solicitation, administration, execution and performance of maintenance/ repair service contracts.
• May assist in solicitation and acquisition of new management contracts
• Respond to all emergency situations quickly (fire, evacuation, equipment failure etc.) and customer concerns
• Implement and administer inventory control programs, purchase parts and supplies.
• Ensure compliance with applicable codes, requisitions, government agency, and company directives as relates to building operations.
• Duties are inclusive of approximately 50% operating engineer responsibilities; May be only maintenance staff member on duty during certain shifts; may require shift work and/or on-call or stand-by duties

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Communication Proficiency (oral and written)
• Interpersonal Skills
• Organization Skills
• Technical Proficiency
• Leadership

IMPORTANT EDUCATION

• High School Diploma or GED Equivalent

IMPORTANT EXPERIENCE

• 7+ years of related work experience in a commercial property setting or any similar combination of education or experience

ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY QUALIFICATIONS

• Vocational/Technical training certificate
• Appropriate license/permit for trade as may be required, i.e. Journeyman or Master Electrician License or City Licenses
• Universal Technician for CFC’s depending on market licensure requirements
• Financial knowledge necessary for reading and understanding budgets, budget variances and basic reporting as required by management
• Familiar with Energy Management System (EMS)/programming and fire alarm systems
• Basic Computing Skills in Outlook, Excel & Word

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The PHYSICAL DEMANDS described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate with others and exchange accurate information; operate a computer and other office productivity machinery; move about the workplace; remain in a stationary position for 30-40% of the time; and extend hands and arms in any direction.

Cushman & Wakefield also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life, and disability insurance programs, and paid and unpaid time away from work. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, Cushman and Wakefield provide eligible employees with competitive pay, which may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, total hours worked, job type, business line, and applicability of collective bargaining agreements. The compensation that will be offered to the successful candidate will depend on factors such as whether the position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the geographic area in which the work will be performed, market pay rates in that area, and the candidate’s experience and qualifications. The company will not pay less than minimum wage for this role. The compensation for the position is: $42.91 - $50.48

Cushman & Wakefield is an Equal Opportunity employer to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position at Cushman & Wakefield, please call the ADA line at 1-888-365-5406 or email [e-mail]. Please refer to the job title and job location when you contact us.

INCO: “Cushman & Wakefield” About Cushman & Wakefield Cushman & Wakefield Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global commercial real estate services firm for occupiers and investors with approximately 53,000 employees in over 350 offices and nearly 60 countries. In 2025, the firm reported revenue of $10.3 billion across its core service lines of services, Leasing, Capital markets, and Valuation and other. Built around the belief that Better never settles, the firm receives numerous industry and business accolades for its award-winning culture. For additional information, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com