Chief Engineer

BG Staffing; Town of Florida (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

BG Staffing is seeking an experienced Chief Engineer to oversee the engineering operations of a large, occupied Class A commercial office property in New York.

This hands-on leadership role requires direct central plant operation, BAS management (Niagara/Lynxspring preferred), after-hours response, budgets, vendor management, and strong tenant service.

Qualifications

• Must have direct experience operating an occupied Class A commercial office building.
• Proven leadership of engineering staff, vendors, and budgets.
• Strong hands-on experience with central plant systems and BAS (Niagara/Lynxspring preferred).

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily engineering and technical operations for a large Class A commercial office property.
• Operate, troubleshoot, and maintain central plant equipment (chillers, cooling towers, pumps, VAVs).
• Monitor and troubleshoot the Building Automation System (BAS).
• Oversee generators, electrical switching, fire/life-safety, and stair pressurization systems.
• Lead and supervise building engineering staff.
• Manage outside vendors, contractors, service providers, and major maintenance projects.
• Review work orders, invoices, contractor proposals, and maintenance schedules.
• Assist with operating budgets, capital planning, equipment replacements, and major repairs.
• Coordinate building shutdowns and service interruptions while minimizing tenant impact.
• Respond to after-hours HVAC requests, tenant concerns, outages, emergencies, and other critical issues.
• Provide strong customer service to commercial tenants and work closely with property management.
• Respond effectively to major outages, severe weather, and emergency situations.
• Maintain a safe, compliant, and reliable operating environment for the property.

Skills

Class A building experience

Central plant systems

BAS management

Vendor & staff management

Emergency response

Tools

Niagara

Lynxspring

Job description

Schedule: Full-Time | On-Site | After-Hours/Emergency Availability Required

Required

• EPA 608 Universal Certification
• Chief Engineer, Lead Engineer, or comparable engineering leadership experience
• Direct experience operating an occupied Class A commercial office building, preferably 300,000+ SF
• Strong hands‑on experience with central plant systems, including chillers, cooling towers, pumps, and VAV systems
• Building Automation System (BAS) experience; Niagara and/or Lynxspring strongly preferred
• Experience with generators, electrical switching, fire/life‑safety systems, and stair pressurization
• Experience managing engineering staff, vendors, contractors, work orders, invoices, budgets, and maintenance planning
• Strong tenant-service experience in a multi‑tenant commercial office environment
• Experience responding to building emergencies, major outages, storms/hurricanes, and after‑hours issues

Overview

Our Client is seeking an experienced, hands‑on Chief Engineer to oversee the building engineering and technical operations of a large, occupied Class A commercial office property. This role is ideal for an engineering leader who combines strong technical expertise with the ability to manage day‑to‑day building operations, engineering staff, vendors, contractors, and tenant service.

The Chief Engineer will be responsible for the reliable operation of the property's central plant, BAS, emergency power, life‑safety systems, and other critical building infrastructure. The successful candidate will be comfortable troubleshooting complex systems, responding to emergencies and after‑hours issues, and working closely with property management and commercial tenants.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily engineering and technical operations for a large Class A commercial office property
• Operate, troubleshoot, and maintain central plant equipment, including chillers, cooling towers, pumps, and VAV systems
• Monitor and troubleshoot the Building Automation System (BAS)
• Oversee generators, electrical switching, fire/life‑safety systems, and stair pressurization systems
• Lead and supervise building engineering staff
• Manage outside vendors, contractors, service providers, and major maintenance projects
• Review work orders, invoices, contractor proposals, and maintenance schedules

Assist with operating budgets, capital planning, equipment replacements, and major repairs

Coordinate building shutdowns and service interruptions while minimizing tenant impact

Respond to after‑hours HVAC requests, tenant concerns, outages, emergencies, and other critical building issues

Provide strong customer service to commercial tenants and work closely with property management

Respond effectively to major outages, severe weather, hurricanes, and other emergency situations

Maintain a safe, compliant, and reliable operating environment for the property

Preferred Experience

• Experience operating a Class A commercial office property of approximately 300,000+ SF
• Experience managing building operations during a hurricane, significant outage, or other major emergency
• Experience overseeing major capital repairs, equipment replacements, shutdowns, and vendor projects
• Strong experience partnering directly with property management and commercial tenants

Ideal Candidate

Our Client is specifically seeking someone who has personally operated and managed a comparable commercial office building and central plant. Senior engineering titles alone will not be considered equivalent to direct Class A office‑building experience.

Candidates with hotel, residential, portfolio, or other 24/7 facility experience are encouraged to apply if they also have direct experience operating a comparable Class A commercial office property.

Candidates who meet the core requirements may advance to a technical interview and plant walk.