Chief Engineer

JLL; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

JLL is seeking a Chief Engineer to lead the safe, reliable operation and maintenance of life sciences campus facilities, providing senior technical authority and guiding engineering, maintenance, and facilities staff while ensuring regulatory compliance.

This role partners with scientific teams, EHS, Quality, vendors, and clients to sustain laboratory readiness, drive continuous improvement, and deliver exceptional workplace experiences across complex infrastructure.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years in facilities engineering, operations, or maintenance.
• 3–5 years of leadership managing engineering and maintenance staff.
• EPA Universal Certification.
• Experience in life sciences, biotech, pharmaceutical, or lab environments.
• Experience with facility infrastructure projects and capital improvements.
• Experience with CMMS platforms, preferably Maximo.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and guidance to facilities and engineering teams.
• Oversee operation and maintenance of building infrastructure and lab support systems.
• Manage CMMS processes and preventive/predictive maintenance.
• Develop and enforce SOPs, EOPs, and engineering standards.
• Review budgets, schedules, and technical specifications for projects.
• Coordinate inspections and maintain asset documentation.
• Drive energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives.
• Participate in 24/7 on-call emergency response.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Facilities operations

Regulatory compliance

Problem solving

Communication

Education

High School Diploma or GED

EPA Universal Certification

Tools

Maximo CMMS

BMS/BAS

Job description

JLL empowers you to shape a brighter way.

Our people at JLL are shaping the future of real estate for a better world by combining world class services, advisory and technology for our clients. We are committed to hiring the best, most talented peopleand empowering them tothrive, grow meaningful careers and to find a place where they belong. Whether you've got deep experience in commercial real estate, skilled trades or technology, or you're looking to apply your relevant experience to a new industry, join our team as we help shape a brighter way forward.

Chief Engineer - JLL

What this job involves:

The Chief Engineer is responsible for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of all building infrastructure, critical utilities, laboratory support systems, and facility operations within a life sciences campus. This role serves as the senior technical authority for engineering operations and provides leadership to engineering, maintenance, and facilities personnel while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, company policies, and client expectations.

The Chief Engineer partners closely with scientific staff, business stakeholders, Facilities Management, EHS, Quality, contractors, and vendors to support laboratory operations, maintain business continuity, and drive operational excellence.

A hospitality mindset is fundamental to delivering exceptional workplace experiences for our client. We seek candidates who excel in collaborative environments, communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, manage multiple priorities simultaneously, maintain high standards of accuracy, and adapt quickly to resolve challenges.

What your day-to-day will look like:

Leadership & Team Management

• Provide leadership, direction, coaching, and technical guidance to the Facilities teams and engineering personnel.

• Establish goals, objectives, and performance expectations for direct reports and conduct regular performance evaluations.

• Develop workforce planning, succession planning, technical training, and professional development programs for engineering staff.

• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, reliability, and continuous improvement.

• Ensure effective communication between JLL Facilities Management, client stakeholders, scientific staff, Lab Operations, vendors, contractors, and partner service providers.

Facility Operations & Engineering Oversight

• Serve as the senior technical authority for all facility infrastructure systems including:

  • HVAC systems

  • Building Automation Systems (BAS/BMS)

  • Chillers and cooling towers

  • Boilers and steam systems

  • Pumps and hydronic systems

  • Electrical distribution systems

  • Emergency generators

  • UPS systems

  • Compressed air systems

  • Laboratory support infrastructure

  • Plumbing and life safety systems

• Ensure facilities and critical infrastructure are operated and maintained safely, efficiently, and in accordance with approved budgets and operational plans.

• Maintain operational readiness of laboratory environments and supporting infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted scientific and research activities.

• Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of complex mechanical, electrical, and control system issues.

• Develop and implement reliability-centered maintenance strategies to improve equipment performance, reduce downtime, and extend asset life.

• Monitor system performance and maintenance metrics to drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Maintenance & CMMS Management

• Oversee the Facilities Work Order and CMMS platform (Maximo experience preferred), ensuring work is prioritized, assigned, completed, and documented appropriately.

• Ensure preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, and corrective maintenance programs are effectively executed.

• Review maintenance performance indicators, backlog reports, compliance metrics, and equipment reliability trends.

• Maintain complete and accurate maintenance records, equipment histories, and asset documentation.

SOP, Compliance & Risk Management

• Develop, implement, and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs), and engineering standards.

• Conduct annual reviews and updates of all engineering procedures and documentation.

• Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations including:

• Cal-OSHA

• Cal-EPA

• BAAQMD

• County Health Departments

• Fire and Life Safety Codes

• Environmental regulations

• Applicable client standards

• Partner with EHS, Quality, and Facilities leadership to support inspections, audits, and regulatory reviews.

• Lead emergency response, business continuity planning, and incident investigations for facility-related events.

Capital Projects & Infrastructure Planning

• Support facility improvement projects, equipment installations, lab renovations, office buildouts, and infrastructure upgrades.

• Provide technical review and oversight for engineering designs, construction activities, commissioning efforts, and contractor work.

• Collaborate with project teams for scopes, budgets, schedules, and technical specifications.

• Coordinate bi-annual maintenance shutdowns and major infrastructure outages while minimizing operational impact.

• Support long-range (GLAM) capital planning and asset replacement strategies.

Facility Inspections & Asset Management

• Conduct routine facility inspections and document findings using approved reporting tools.

• Ensure all technical spaces, utility rooms, mechanical rooms, and support areas maintain first-class housekeeping standards.

• Assess facility conditions and recommend repairs, maintenance activities, and capital improvements.

• Develop business cases and technical justifications for facility investments and infrastructure upgrades.

Sustainability & Continuous Improvement

• Identify and implement initiatives that improve energy efficiency, sustainability, operational performance, and cost management.

• Support utility reduction programs and environmental sustainability objectives.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that improve reliability, customer satisfaction, and engineering performance.

Emergency Response

• Participate in a 24/7 on-call rotation and provide leadership during facility emergencies, equipment failures, and business continuity events.

• Respond effectively to critical incidents while coordinating internal teams, vendors, and emergency response personnel.

Required Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED and equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

• Minimum 8-10 years of facilities engineering, operations, or maintenance experience.

• Minimum 3-5 years of leadership experience managing engineering and maintenance personnel.

• EPA Universal Certification.

• Experience supporting life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, laboratory, healthcare, or other critical environments.

• Experience managing facility infrastructure projects and capital improvements.

• Experience utilizing CMMS platforms, preferably Maximo.

Technical Knowledge:

Strong working knowledge of:

• HVAC systems

• Chillers and cooling towers

• Boilers and steam systems

• Electrical distribution systems

• Emergency generators and