Maintenance Engineer, Commercial Office Buildings

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ABOUT THE JOB
Keep good buildings running right for the people who work in them.
Our client has owned and operated office, retail, and residential properties on the West Coast for more than 50 years. They run their buildings with their own engineering team, so you work for the owner, not a contractor. The office properties you’d look after have onsite security, gyms, and cafes, and their tenants include fertility clinics, where a comfortable, dependable building is part of the care.
Working under the Chief Engineer, you’re the person tenants see when something needs fixing. A work order comes in and you’re on it within the hour: a hot suite, a dead light, a running toilet. In between, you do the work that keeps problems from happening: preventive maintenance on the HVAC, monthly inspections, getting empty suites ready for the next tenant, and keeping an eye on the vendors working on site. You’ll be based in San Diego and also cover a property in Solana Beach.
Do it well and the people upstairs have a normal day. The clinic keeps its schedule, the offices stay comfortable, and a small problem gets fixed before it turns into a big one. It’s a 7-to-4 day shift, paid hourly with overtime, in a seat where you keep building your trade across HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and life safety.
THE MANDATE
This seat isn’t for someone who waits to be told what’s next, or who treats a tenant’s problem as an interruption. It isn’t for someone who leaves a mechanical room messier than they found it.
It’s for someone who takes pride in a building: who answers the call fast, fixes it right, and follows up. The right person is good with people, from the tenant in the lobby to the vendor on the roof, can tell an urgent work order from one that can wait, and works as well alone as with the team.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Answer tenant and property work orders within the hour, unless management sets a different priority
Help with preventive maintenance and repairs on the office HVAC systems
Handle lighting and electrical repairs, inside and out, including re-lamping
Walk the properties every month, make the repairs that come out of it, and close out every punch list item
Take care of general repairs and paint touch-up, inside and out, plus landscape, irrigation, and bioswale fixes
Turn over vacant suites and get them ready for the next tenant
Oversee vendors working on site, and keep tenant and vendor relationships courteous, prompt, and followed through
Help keep common areas clean and free of trash
Support site safety plans and the engineering team’s standards and procedures, including the documentation
Back up the property management team when they need a hand
IDEAL PROFILE
At least 2 years in a similar role is preferred
The basics of how a building runs: HVAC, fire protection, plumbing, elevators, and lighting
HVAC: able to help with minor repairs such as strainers, filter changes, and clearing condensate
Electrical: 277/120V lighting and ballast replacement, swapping receptacles, and troubleshooting
Plumbing: automatic faucets and flush valves, replacing wax rings, and troubleshooting
A basic understanding of fire and life safety systems
Safe and skilled with hand and power tools, and able to maintain them
Intermediate computer skills, including the work order system, plus email with tenants, vendors, and the management office
Great with people, detail-minded, and able to judge which work order comes first
Dependable working alone and with a team, and keeps utility and mechanical rooms clean and professional
A reliable vehicle
Able to stand and walk most of the day, bend, squat, and kneel, climb stairs and ladders, push, pull, reach overhead, grip with either hand, and lift as much as 50 pounds
LOCATION & WORK MODEL
San Diego, CA, with travel to a second property in Solana Beach
Full-time, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM
On call occasionally
COMPENSATION
Pay: $80,000 to $90,000 a year. This is an hourly, non-exempt role, so overtime is paid.
Discretionary bonus
401(k) with a 5% company match
ABOUT THIS SEARCH
This search is being conducted by Signal & Strand, a boutique recruiting and people operations firm headquartered in Long Beach, CA with national and international reach, on behalf of our client. The company’s name will be shared with candidates as the conversation moves forward. All inquiries are held in confidence.
The Right Hire Changes Everything®
Base Compensation Range
$80,000—$90,000 USD
Equal Opportunity & Non-Discrimination Statement
Signal and Strand is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We—and our clients—do not discriminate in employment or contracting on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.
We comply fully with the provisions of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). All employment decisions are made based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We are committed to providing a workplace that is inclusive, respectful, and free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.