Chief Engineer

Job Title:

Chief Engineer

Job Summary:

USF Facilities Mission Statement:

The USF Facilities Management team is dedicated to stewarding the campus with integrity, preserving its architectural heritage, and enhancing its infrastructure to meet present and future challenges. Our mission is to maintain a functional, safe, and beautiful environment that fosters exceptional learning experiences while prioritizing sustainability, environmental responsibility, and economic efficiency.

Position Summary:

Under the direction of the Director of Operations, the Chief Engineer is responsible for oversight of campus engineering operations, including the operation of an on-site cogeneration power plant. The Chief Engineer manages a team of Assistant Chiefs and stationary engineers, and ensures the effective maintenance, safety, and sustainability of university operations. This position requires comprehensive technical knowledge of college campus building and infrastructure systems, including HVAC, plumbing, structural, electrical, telecom/data-com, access controls, life safety, vertical transportation, and water systems, as well as advanced leadership skills to manage a skilled workforce. The Chief Engineer works collaboratively across departments various institutional stakeholders, vendors, and contractors to align engineering operations with USF’s mission and strategic goals.

Full Job Description:

Duties and Responsibilities include:

Leadership and Team Management

• Direct the workloads, schedules and performance of engineers and utility engineers, including evaluating skills, abilities, safe work practices, and identifying their training needs.
• Provide leadership to the Assistant Chiefs to ensure coordinated operations.
• Foster teamwork and camaraderie to build and maintain a motivated and high performing engineering division.
• Conduct regular meetings with staff to communicate goals, review performance, and resolve issues.

Operations and Maintenance

• Manage and oversee maintenance and repair efforts in all academic and administrative buildings, residence halls, athletic facilities, special event venues, and other campus locations.
• Ensure proper operations, preventative maintenance, and repair of systems, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, life safety, and central plant.
• Utilize and manage computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) and building automation systems (BAS) for efficient operations. Provide feedback on the functionality of existing systems and programs, recommend improvements or changes as needed to the facilities IT infrastructure and tools team.
• Conduct routine inspections of facilities to identify maintenance needs, assess work quality, and ensure compliance with university standards.
• Formulate, recommend, and implement site specific policies and procedures to improve the facility physical plant and operations. 
• Recommend equipment purchases to replace obsolete items and provide assistance in formulating long-range equipment replacement.

Collaboration and Coordination

• Serve as a liaison between Facilities Management and other institutional stakeholders to align maintenance activities with university priorities. Coordinate workloads with labor, grounds, and custodial staff as required.
• Coordinate within Facilities Management and the various University user groups to ensure prompt scheduling and completion of work.
• Coordinate with approved vendors/contractors and escalate maintenance and operations requirements appropriately. Produce cost-effective, quality solution estimates for small and large projects for Facilities, Project Management, and other university departments.
• Ensure that University standards and conduct are enforced.
• Ensure that work is performed in accordance with applicable codes, regulations and industry standards.

Budget Management

• Collaborate with Director of Operations and other stakeholders to develop long-term strategies for campus maintenance, sustainability initiatives, and capital improvement projects.
• Monitor engineering budgets for equipment repairs, staffing, and training, ensuring effective use of university resources.
• Identify and implement cost-saving measures through efficiency improvements and innovative solutions.
• Ensure proper inventory management of maintenance supplies and equipment.
• Monitor timekeeping records to ensure compliance with the collective bargaining agreement and applicable University policies for paid and unpaid time. In consultation with the Director of Operations, monitor and limit the use of overtime to reasonable essential projects and activities.

Safety and Compliance

• Ensure all