Chief Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Location: Detroit, MI

Employment Type: Full-Time

Compensation: $90,000 - $100,000

Benefits: Health and retirement plans, paid time off, employee travel benefits, and professional development opportunities

A full-service hotel in downtown Detroit is seeking to identify an experienced Chief Engineer. This executive leadership position is responsible for the reliability, safety, and overall condition of the property, ensuring that guest rooms, public spaces, meeting facilities, and building systems consistently support an exceptional guest experience.

Reporting to the General Manager, the Chief Engineer will lead the property’s engineering team, oversee preventive maintenance and capital projects, and manage departmental budgets and vendor relationships. The ideal candidate is a hands-on hotel engineering leader who combines strong technical knowledge with financial discipline, team development, and a genuine commitment to hospitality.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct all engineering and maintenance operations, including HVAC, boilers, electrical, plumbing, mechanical equipment, elevators, and fire/life-safety systems
• Maintain building reliability, guest comfort, and operational readiness across guest rooms, public areas, meeting spaces, and back-of-house facilities
• Develop and execute preventive and predictive maintenance programs to reduce deferred maintenance and minimize out-of-order rooms
• Oversee work-order completion, maintenance scheduling, documentation, and performance through the property’s maintenance management system
• Conduct regular facility inspections and identify opportunities to improve safety, efficiency, and building condition
• Manage engineering budgets, forecasting, inventory, repair expenses, and utility consumption
• Identify and implement energy and water conservation initiatives that support operating efficiency
• Lead capital improvement projects, renovations, and property rehabilitations, including budgeting, scheduling, contractor coordination, and project execution
• Manage vendor relationships, service agreements, contractor bidding, and outside maintenance providers
• Ensure compliance with applicable building codes, OSHA requirements, fire/life-safety regulations, environmental standards, and required inspections
• Obtain and maintain required permits, licenses, certifications, and operational documentation
• Recruit, train, coach, schedule, and develop engineering team members while maintaining appropriate coverage for a 24/7 hotel operation
• Partner with Rooms, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage, Sales, and Security to address facility needs and minimize guest disruption
• Respond promptly to guest and team member maintenance concerns, ensuring issues are resolved with ownership and urgency
• Serve as a member of the hotel’s executive leadership team and communicate engineering priorities, performance, and capital needs to the General Manager

Ideal Experience

• Proven engineering or facilities leadership experience within a full-service hotel, resort, suites property, or comparable multi-building operation
• Strong technical knowledge of HVAC, boilers, electrical, plumbing, mechanical systems, and fire/life-safety equipment
• Experience developing preventive maintenance programs and managing maintenance performance in a 24/7 guest environment
• Demonstrated ability to manage departmental budgets, utility expenses, vendors, and capital projects
• Experience with computerized maintenance management systems, work-order tracking, and maintenance documentation
• Ability to read technical drawings and coordinate contractors, repairs, and property improvement projects
• Working knowledge of OSHA, building codes, fire regulations, and environmental compliance
• Relevant licenses or certifications as required by applicable local regulations
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to recruit, coach, and develop a dependable engineering team
• Hands-on, solutions-focused leadership style with strong communication and organizational skills
• Ability to prioritize urgent operational needs while maintaining long-term building reliability and preventive maintenance goals
• Experience with major hotel brand standards and energy-management programs is a plus

To apply, please send a resume to View email address on ziprecruiter.com