Mechanical Operations & Engineering Manager - Washington, DC with Security Clearance

Unofficial M.C. Dean; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 104,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision, life

401k Retirement Plan

Paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Paid maternity leave

Job summary

M.C. Dean is seeking a Mechanical Operations & Engineering Manager to lead the site’s mechanical SME activity, ensuring reliability, performance, and technical integrity of HVAC, chilled water, steam, and hydronic systems.

You’ll oversee vendors, guide root-cause analyses, and coordinate with controls teams to optimize operations. The role emphasizes mission-critical facilities experience, field mentorship, and adherence to site processes, with reporting to site leadership and a strong focus on

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil) or related field with progressive experience in facilities operations is required.
• Strong leadership experience managing multidisciplinary teams (engineering, maintenance, trades, subcontractors).
• Expert level knowledge of HVAC and mechanical systems and building services.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary SME for chilled water, cooling towers, steam and hydronic systems.
• Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analyses for mechanical issues.
• Provide technical oversight of vendors and contractors by reviewing proposals and scopes of work.
• Review SOO and optimize sequences of operation with controls/BAS teams.
• Mentor mechanical technicians and support major repairs and transitions.

Skills

HVAC systems

Facilities management

Leadership

CMMS

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil)

High School Diploma with 10+ years experience

Tools

CMMS platforms

Work control systems

Job description

Overview About M.C. Dean M.C. Dean is Building Intelligence. We design, build, operate, and maintain cyber-physical solutions for the nation's most mission-critical facilities, secure environments, complex infrastructure, and global enterprises. With over 7,000 employees, our capabilities span electrical, electronic security, telecommunications, life safety, automation and controls, audiovisual, and IT systems. Headquarters in Tysons, Virginia, M.C. Dean delivers resilient, secure, and innovative power and technology solutions through engineering expertise and smart systems integration. Why Join Us? Our people are passionate about engineering innovation that improves lives and drives impactful change. Guided by our core values-agility, expertise, and trust-we foster a collaborative and forward-thinking work environment. At M.C. Dean, we are committed to building the next generation of technical leaders in electrical, engineering, and cybersecurity industries.

Clearance Requirement: Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements, including U.S. Citizenship, for access to classified information; HSPD-12 & Secret Clearance required.

Responsibilities

The Mechanical Operations & Engineering Manager serves as the site's lead mechanical subject matter expert (SME), responsible for ensuring the performance, reliability, and technical integrity of mechanical systems. This role supports mission-critical and facility operations through advanced troubleshooting, system optimization, and technical oversight of vendors across HVAC, chilled water, steam, and hydronic systems. Operating within established Work Control, Quality Control (QC), and standard operating frameworks, this position is execution-focused and reports directly to site leadership without independent program or operational authority.

Clearance Requirement: Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements, including U.S. Citizenship, for access to classified information; HSPD-12 & Secret Clearance required.

Mechanical Systems Technical Authority

Serve as the primary SME for chilled water systems, cooling towers, condenser water systems, steam and hydronic systems, and HVAC equipment including AHUs, FCUs, VAVs, and CRAH units. Evaluate system performance, identify deficiencies, and assess operational risks while supporting system stabilization and performance improvement efforts.

Advanced Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis

Lead the diagnosis of complex mechanical and controls-related issues, including chiller and cooling tower instability, hydronic flow imbalances, and BAS sequence misalignment. Develop and document root cause analyses, corrective actions, and preventative recommendations to improve system reliability.

Vendor Technical Oversight

Provide technical oversight of mechanical vendors and contractors by reviewing and validating proposals, scopes of work, field findings, and installation quality. Ensure all vendor activities align with site standards, specifications, and operational objectives.

Sequence of Operations & System Optimization

Review and validate sequences of operation (SOO) for mechanical systems, identify discrepancies between design intent and actual performance, and coordinate with controls/BAS teams to optimize system functionality.

Reliability & Preventative Maintenance Optimization

Analyze recurring failures and performance trends to recommend enhancements to preventative maintenance strategies, intervals, and scope. Support the development of reliability-centered maintenance practices and contribute to System Operational Risk Assessments (SORA), Facility Condition Index (FCI) evaluations, and spare parts/inventory strategies.

Field Support & Technical Mentorship

Provide technical guidance and mentorship to mechanical technicians, supporting field execution during major repairs, outages, and system transitions. Enhance overall team capability in troubleshooting and system operations. Develop training plans for HVAC/Mechanical team members. As our organization is evolving, this role may formally manage and supervise HVAC technicians, mechanics, and operating engineers.

Operational Integration

Work within established site processes including Work Control, Quality Control (QC), and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), supporting leadership initiatives while maintaining an execution-focused role without independent operational authority.

Authority & Reporting Structure

This position reports directly to the Assistant Chief Engineer and operates as a technical resource within the site's organizational structure.

You will succeed in this role if you:

• Have an attitude of extreme ownership.
• Are highly motivated, proactive, and drive projects to completion.
• Thrive in challenging, dynamic environments with complex mechanical challenges.
• Take a systems approach to identifying and solving problems and root cause.
• Are motivated to implement standards and structure into an operational environment.
• Have expert level communication skills, and are able to convey complex issues and solutions to a wide range of peers, customers, and others.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma with Minimum10+ years of experience
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil), Facilities Management, Construction Management, or a related technical field (Equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of degree) with 5 + years of progressive experience in facilities operations, engineering, or maintenance management, including complex or mission-critical facilities
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing multidisciplinary teams (engineering, maintenance, trades, subcontractors)
• Expert level knowledge and field experience with HVAC and mechanical systems.
• Strong knowledge of other building systems:
• Experience with preventive/predictive maintenance programs, asset management, and reliability-centered maintenance (RCM)
• Planning and management acumen, including labor forecasting, scheduling, cost controls, vendor management, and performance monitoring & reporting.
• Working knowledge of codes, standards, and compliance requirements, such as:
• Strong client-facing and stakeholder communication skills, including briefing senior leadership
• Proficiency with CMMS platforms, work management systems, and performance tracking tools

Desired Qualifications

• Professional certifications, such as:
• CFM (Certified Facility Manager)
• PE (Professional Engineer)
• PMP (Project Management Professional)
• Experience supporting government, defense, healthcare, data center, or mission-critical facilities
• Demonstrated success driving operational improvements, including:
• KPI development and tracking
• Continuous improvement initiatives
• Productivity and lifecycle cost reduction
• Familiarity with energy management, sustainability initiatives, or utility optimization programs
• Strong understanding of risk management, life-safety planning, and business continuity
• Advanced experience with vendor management, subcontractor oversight, and SLA enforcement

Benefits Package

A competitive salary

• Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
• Paid time off
• Tuition reimbursement
• 401k Retirement Plan
• Military Reserve pay offset
• Paid maternity leave

Abilities

• Exposure to computer screens for an extended period of time.
• Sitting for extended periods of time.
• Reach by extending hands or arms in any direction.
• Have finger dexterity in order to manipulate objects with fingers rather than whole hands or arms, for example, using a keyboard.
• Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Identify and understand the speech of another person. Pay Range USD $104,240.00 - USD $130,300.00 /Yr.