Chief Engineer

Chief Engineer Department: Facilities Employment Type: Full Time Location: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library Reporting To: Stephen Vellon Compensation: $100,000 - $110,000 / year Description Job Summary The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) is part of The New York Public Library (NYPL), which consists of four major research libraries and 88 branch libraries located in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. The newly renovated, state‑of‑the‑art, LEED Silver certified, 180,000 square‑foot facility, is NYPL’s largest and busiest circulating library, with more than 1.7 million visits a year. The Facilities department is tasked with keeping all NYPL locations safe, clean, comfortable, and welcoming for our patrons and staff. Reporting to the Senior Building Manager, the Chief Engineer manages the maintenance and operation of the physical plant, including the facility's mechanical, HVAC, electrical, elevator, fire protection, and plumbing systems. We are looking for someone we can count on to: Own: The maintenance and operation of the building’s physical plant. Management of the SNFL maintenance team and provide a positive team environment in which members participate, respect, and cooperate to achieve desired results. Teach: Team members safe and efficient operating procedures. Best practices in the maintenance of equipment and machinery to prolong useful life and achieve efficient output. Learn: How to manage building maintenance needs efficiently and sustainably, with limited resources. Stay up to date with BMS technologies and building code compliance. Improve: The ability of NYPL to provide patrons and staff with a safe and welcoming environment. Expectations in Time Frames Within 1 month Understand how the library is organized and physically laid out. Understand the specific goals and role of the Facilities Operations team. Perform inspections, troubleshoot issues, and operate building systems. Within 3 months Serve as a primary point of contact for critical conditions, emergencies, or escalations. Participate in department planning meetings and develop long term strategic goals. Oversee implementation of schedules for daily and periodic services. Resolve problems and create action plans within limited resources. Within 6 months and beyond Provide direction, motivation and set an example to staff through open communication and modeling best practices. Demonstrate ability to motivate others to meet a common goal; recognize and effectively leverage employees’ skills and abilities. Develop cost estimates / procure bids for repairs and renovations. Responsibilities Direct overall operation, maintenance, and reliability of all building systems and equipment, ensuring optimal performance and compliance with standards. Oversee and validate work performed by outside vendors, ensuring technical accuracy, quality, and timely completion of contracted services. Conduct and enforce routine inspections, rounds, and preventative maintenance programs; maintain detailed logs of equipment status, temperatures, flows, and consumption. Operate, troubleshoot, and maintain critical systems, including chillers, cooling towers, generators, air compressors, motors, pumps, and associated controls to ensure peak efficiency. Supervise, train, and coordinate engineering and maintenance staff, including refrigerating system operating engineers (Q‑01), while managing schedules, shift coverage, and performance. Manage building automation systems (BMS), adjusting controls and monitoring system performance to maintain optimal environmental and operational conditions. Lead maintenance of HVAC components, including air filters, coils, fan coil units, dampers, fans, and ventilation systems, as well as pneumatic and electric controls. Administer departmental operations, including budgeting (overtime), materials procurement, task prioritization, record‑keeping, and response to emergency situations, including off‑hours coverage. Serve as senior on‑site authority during emergencies, including acting as an FDNY‑certified Fire and Life Safety Director. Managerial / Supervisory Responsibilities Manage approximately 6 staff members; onsite operating engineers and maintenance personnel. Coach others to develop in‑depth knowledge and expertise in all areas within their function. Ensure compliance with safety procedures and local ordinances. Required Education, Experience & Skills Required Education and Certifications High school diploma or equivalent; technical certifications or vocational training in relevant fields. Must possess a valid Refrigerating System Operating Engineer (Q‑01), issued by the NYC Fire Department. Valid driver’s license and clear driving record. Ability to qualify and obtain valid certificates of fitness for the following: Standpipe and Sprinkler systems; P‑98 - Supervision of Fuel‑Oil Piping and Storage Systems, A‑35 - Certificate to Operate and Maintain Air Compressors, F‑89 - High Rise Fire and Life Safety Director and Freon Handler (CFC). Required Experience 7+ years of relevant technical experience. 3+ years of substantial supervisory experience. Experience in building trades in a collectively bargained environment. Experience with the operation and maintenance of large‑scale heating, air conditioning (Large Central Units and Package Units), elevator, electrical, and plumbing systems. Experience reading blueprints, maintaining logs, writing reports, and preparing work schedules. Required Skills Strong technical background in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems. Ability to manage a team and supervise building engineers. Proficient with Microsoft Word and Google Suite. Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to respond effectively to emergencies. Must be familiar with all hand tools, specialty tools and equipment required to operate machinery throughout the facility. More NYPL Core Values Be Helpful to patrons and colleagues. Be Resourceful in solving problems. Be Curious in all aspects of your work. Be Welcoming and Inclusive. Work Environment Public service library. Mechanical rooms and roofs. Office setting. Outdoors. Physical Duties Must be physically capable of making prescribed inspections and repairs of the plant, and be able to visually and audibly determine any discrepancies. Requires bending, stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and lifting/moving 50 pounds and up. Ability to ascend/descend, and work on ladders or manlift when required. May require travel within NYC. Pre‑placement Physical Required? Yes. Schedule 35 hours per week. Tuesday to Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Evenings and weekends as needed. This job description represents the types and levels of responsibilities that will be required of the position and shall not be construed as a declaration of all of the specific duties and responsibilities for the role. Job duties may change if Library priorities change. Employees may be directed to perform job‑related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description as needed. The New York Public Library Salary Statement At the Library, we believe that pay transparency and pay equity are important to ensuring we source the best candidates and keep the best employees. When making a determination as to the appropriate salary for a candidate, we consider a variety of factors such as, but not limited to, the position requirements, the skills, prior experience, and educational background required or preferred for the job, the scope and impact of the role within the organization, internal peer equity, and the candidate’s specific training, experience, education level, and skills. No single factor is conclusive; the Library reserves the right to consider any and all relevant factors and make a decision consistent with its policies. Union Salaries are determined by collective bargaining agreement(s). #J-18808-Ljbffr New York Public Library