Chief Engineer

Life Sciences Facility Chief Engineer

Location : Scottsdale, AZ

Position Type : Full-time, on-site (including on-call / after-hours as required)

Position Summary

The Chief Engineer is responsible for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation, maintenance, and performance of the mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), HVAC, building automation, and life-science critical systems for a multi-building life sciences facility / campus. This role oversees the engineering and maintenance staff, ensures compliance with regulatory, safety, and environmental standards, manages preventive maintenance programs, facilitates capital project coordination, and supports a high-uptime / critical environment (labs, research, biotech).

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and supervise engineering / maintenance staff (in-house and / or contract trades) for the facility / campus.
• Develop, oversee, and execute a preventive maintenance (PM) program for all major building systems (HVAC, plumbing, life safety, electrical, controls, etc.).
• Monitor and manage building automation systems (BAS), direct digital controls (DDC), energy monitoring platforms, and other controls / automation systems to optimize performance and minimize downtime.
• Oversee mechanical, electrical, and plumbing system operations to ensure the facility meets required environmental, temperature / humidity, clean-room, or lab conditions as needed for life sciences research / production.
• Serve as liaison for construction / retrofit projects : attend design / engineering meetings, review drawings / schematics, monitor contractor work, ensure systems are installed per engineered specifications.
• Ensure compliance with safety codes (OSHA, NFPA, NEC, equipment licensing), building codes, life safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements for life sciences facilities.
• Manage work orders, maintain logs, and documentation of maintenance, repairs, special projects, and capital improvements.
• Assist in budget planning and capital project forecasting : monitor and control costs for maintenance, repairs, and energy usage.
• Identify opportunities for system optimization, energy efficiency, reliability improvements, cost reduction, and propose capital / maintenance plans accordingly.
• Provide after-hours availability / on-call support for emergency response given the critical nature of life science operations.
• Develop training programs for staff, ensure safety / technical training is completed, and maintain a high performance, reliable engineering team.
• Maintain effective customer / tenant / occupant relations (labs, research groups), responding to service issues, ensuring minimal disruption to critical operations.

Qualifications

Education & Experience :

Skills & Knowledge :

Certificates / Licenses (Preferred or Required) :

Working Conditions & Expectations

This role is in a high-demand, high-uptime life science facility / campus environment; may require early starts, late shifts, overtime, on-call, and emergency response.

Requires active presence on site, frequent walk-throughs of mechanical rooms, labs, plant equipment, rooftops, parking structures, and may include exposure to lab environments.

Physical demands may include climbing stairs / ladders, walking long distances, standing, kneeling, lifting equipment / parts (up to ~50 lbs+).

Emphasis on safety culture, proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and adherence to facility / tenant protocols.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) & Success Metrics

ABM is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer qualified applicants without regard race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran or any other protected factor under federal, state, or local law. ABM is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities.