Chief Engineer - Union Position - Operating Engineers Local

We’re Sonesta International Hotels—the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S. (and growing fast).

With a dynamic mix of full-service and focused hotels across major cities, our diverse portfolio of owned, managed, and franchised properties means we’re everywhere our guests need us to be.

But here’s the thing—we’re not just in the business of hotels, we’re in the business of people. We bring service with passion, loyalty with purpose, and create experiences that genuinely connect—delivering quality, value, and memorable stays across 1,000+ properties in eight countries (and counting).

The Chief Engineer is responsible for the safe, efficient, and economical operation of the hotel’s physical plant and Engineering Department. This position provides day-to-day leadership to the hotel’s engineers and apprentice engineer while remaining actively involved in bargaining-unit engineering work.

This position is covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between The Clift Hotel and the International Union of Operating Engineers, Stationary Engineers Local 39. Wages, benefits, working conditions, and other terms of employment are governed by the CBA.

• Direct the operation, care, preventive maintenance, and repair of the hotel’s steam, electrical, mechanical, HVAC, plumbing, refrigeration, life-safety, and building-control systems.
• Maintain responsibility for the safe and economical operation of the hotel’s physical plant.
• Supervise, assign, and coordinate the work of employees under the Chief Engineer’s direction.
• Provide orientation, technical guidance, and training to engineers, apprentice engineers, and trainees.
• Carry out hotel management’s operational directives while maintaining compliance with the Local 39 CBA.
• Perform bargaining-unit engineering work in addition to leadership responsibilities.
• Perform the engineering duties assigned under the CBA, including the operation, maintenance, and repair of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, refrigeration, water-distribution, energy-management, and life-safety systems.
• Inspect equipment and mechanical areas regularly and identify maintenance, repair, safety, and capital-improvement needs.
• Develop and maintain preventive-maintenance programs, operating records, equipment logs, inspection reports, and regulatory documentation.
• Respond to emergency conditions involving building systems, utilities, guest rooms, public areas, and life-safety equipment.
• Coordinate appropriate work with outside vendors and contractors while observing CBA jurisdiction and bargaining-unit work requirements.
• Monitor energy usage and recommend measures that improve efficiency without compromising guest comfort, safety, or hotel operations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local safety codes, environmental requirements, permits, and hotel policies.
• Co-chair the hotel Safety Committee, represent the Engineering Department, and support hotel-wide safety and injury-prevention programs.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels for tools, equipment, parts, and operating supplies.
• Work collaboratively with hotel leadership and operating departments to support guest service and uninterrupted hotel operations.
• Perform all other work customarily performed by stationary engineers and assigned to the Chief Engineer classification under the CBA.

• Significant hands‑on experience operating, maintaining, and repairing mechanical, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, refrigeration, and building-control systems in a hotel, commercial building, hospital, or comparable facility.
• Previous supervisory or lead‑engineer experience, preferably in a union environment.
• Strong knowledge of preventive maintenance,…