Associate Director, HVAC Operations (Rahway, NJ)

Job Description

The Associate Director, HVAC Operations is responsible for leading a team that operates, optimizes, and continuously improves the HVAC and building automation systems for our commercial offices and pharmaceutical laboratories across our Rahway, NJ campus.

This role ensures HVAC systems are reliable, meet strict regulatory standards (FDA, cGMP/GxP as applicable), maintain critical environmental conditions for product and research quality, and support 24/7 operations. The ideal candidate brings deep technical knowledge of HVAC in a highly regulated environment, combined with strong leadership experience managing teams and vendors in a unionized setting.

Major Responsibilities:

Team & Operations Leadership

• Lead the HVAC operations team responsible for 24/7 operation, troubleshooting, and optimization of HVAC systems across both commercial office buildings and pharmaceutical laboratories.

• Develop and manage a team of salary and hourly union employes; provide oversight of contract partner support team.

• Ensure all staff are trained and follow standard operating procedures.

• Promote and model strong safety leadership.

Technical & Regulatory Excellence

• Lead the operation, monitoring, and optimization of the site Building Automation System (BAS) using data analytics to drive performance.

• Develop, implement, and maintain HVAC operational strategies that ensure compliance with GxP (as applicable), cGMP, and other regulatory requirements.

• Drive root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA) for HVAC system issues, deviations, and failures.

• Monitor environmental conditions and ensure HVAC system reliability, energy efficiency, and cost-effective performance.

Performance, Projects & Stakeholder Management

• Establish, track, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) for HVAC reliability, energy efficiency, compliance, and service levels.

• Partner with facility owners, engineering, capital projects, and other stakeholders to provide technical HVAC input to the site utilities master plan and capital projects.

• Identify and support HVAC-related capital projects; collaborate with project teams to ensure designs meet operational and regulatory requirements.

• Coordinate with outsourced service providers to deliver services to agreed service level agreements (SLAs) and KPI targets.

Financial & Compliance Oversight

• Develop and manage operating expense budgets for HVAC operations; identify and deliver cost savings and energy optimization opportunities.

• Ensure compliance with all relevant Safety, Health, Environmental, GxP (as applicable), DOT, Labor, HR, and company policies and procedures.

• Prepare and present status updates, risk assessments, and continuous improvement initiatives to senior management.

Continuous Improvement & Industry Awareness

• Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes in HVAC and controls.

• Champion continuous improvement and innovation in HVAC operations, maintenance strategies, and automation.

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Bachelor’s Degree in engineering or related field

Required Experience and Skills:

•  Minimum of 7 years of experience in Maintenance, Engineering, Facilities, or Utilities leadership, preferably in complex, multi-building campuses.

• Strong technical knowledge of HVAC system design, operation, and maintenance in laboratories; experience with Building Automation Systems

• Experience leading teams, including managing and developing staff and working with external service providers.

• Working knowledge of EHS principles and regulatory compliance in a technical operations environment.

• Proven ability to lead through competing priorities, influence across a large organization, and drive results in a matrixed or enterprise environment.

• Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis skills; able to use data and analytics to make decisions.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Advanced Engineering degree or related graduate degree.

• Direct HVAC/BAS operations experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or other highly regulated environments (e.g., cGMP, GxP).

• Experience working with collective bargaining units and administering Collective Bargaining Agre