Utility Plant Lead

Position: Central Utility Plant Lead
This job is with JLL, an inclusive employer and a member of my Gwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.

JLL empowers you to shape a brighter way .

Our people at JLL and JLL Technologies are shaping the future of real estate for a better world by combining world class services, advisory and technology for our clients. We are committed to hiring the best, most talented people  and empowering them to  thrive, grow meaningful careers and to find a place where they belong.  Whether you've got deep experience in commercial real estate, skilled trades or technology, or you're looking to apply your relevant experience to a new industry, join our team as we help shape a brighter way forward.

The Central Plant Lead serves as the technical and operational authority for the Central Utility Plant (CUP), providing hands-on leadership, oversight, and accountability for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of all plant systems. This role bridges plant operations, engineering execution, safety compliance, and client service delivery, while acting as the primary escalation point for plant-related risks, failures, and optimization opportunities.
This role is critical to maintaining business continuity, reducing unplanned downtime, and ensuring Central Plant performance aligns with JLL engineering standards, client service level agreements, and all applicable regulatory requirements.
Responsibilities  The Central Plant Lead is accountable for systems that may include, but are not limited to:
Chilled water plants (centrifugal, screw, magnetic bearing chillers)

Boilers, heat exchangers, and hydronic systems

Cooling towers and condenser water systems

Primary/secondary pumping systems and VFDs

Building Automation Systems (BAS) and plant controls

Electrical interfaces supporting plant operations

Chemical treatment programs

Make-up water, blowdown, and water quality systems

Emergency response coordination for plant failures

Core Competencies  Central Plant Operations & Reliability    Lead day-to-day operation of the Central Plant, ensuring systems are operated within  design intent, manufacturer recommendations, and JLL engineering standards .

Direct plant startup, shutdown, load transfers, seasonal changeovers, and abnormal operating conditions.

Maintain continuous situational awareness of plant performance, redundancy status, and system constraints.

Serve as the  technical authority on shift  for operational decision-making impacting plant reliability and downstream building loads.

Identify early indicators of equipment degradation through trending, alarms, vibration, temperature differentials, and BAS analytics.

Preventive, Predictive & Corrective Maintenance    Own execution quality for preventive and predictive maintenance (PM/PdM) on all plant equipment.

Validate PM procedures, frequencies, and task content for effectiveness and compliance.

Troubleshoot complex mechanical, electrical, and controls issues; determine root cause and corrective actions.

Ensure all maintenance activities are properly planned, risk-assessed, and executed to avoid service disruption.

Verify post-maintenance testing, return-to-service protocols, and system normalization.

Leadership & Workforce Direction    Provide daily leadership to Central Plant Operators and Engineers, including work assignment, prioritization, and technical coaching.

Serve as the subject-matter expert (SME) for Central Plant operations, providing technical guidance and escalation support to JLL staff, client stakeholders, and vendors to ensure consistent and compliant plant operations.
Set clear expectations around professionalism, documentation, safety, and operational discipline.

Participate in performance feedback, training plans, and succession development for plant personnel.

Safety, Compliance & Risk Management    Champion a zero-incident safety culture within the Central Plant.

Enforce compliance with OSHA, NFPA, EPA, ASHRAE, and local AHJ requirements.

Ensure proper execution of:

Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)

Confined Space Entry

Hot Work

Chemical handling and storage

Lead or support incident investigations, near-miss reporting, and corrective action tracking.

Maintain inspection readiness for regulatory and client audits.

CMMS, Documentation & Reporting    Ensure accurate, timely, and high-quality documentation within the CMMS (Corrigo).

Validate work order closure quality, labor reporting, failure codes, and asset history accuracy.

Maintain plant logs, operating procedures, SOPs, MOPs, and EOPs.

Support reporting on KPIs such as uptime, PM compliance, backlog, energy use, and incident trends.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement    Serve as a trusted technical representative to the client for central plant operations.

Communicate plant status, risks, and planned activities clearly and professionally to Facilities Operations Leaders, and client stakeholders.

Support client meetings, audits, and reviews related to plant performance and risk…