Chief Engineer

The Chief Engineer is responsible for providing the customer with a secure, comfortable environment by maintaining the hotel’s assets through ongoing preventive maintenance programmes, and ensuring that all mechanical systems are operating in accordance with corporate policies and procedures, and according to local requirements and regulations. The job incumbent operates in line with hotel and corporate policies and guidelines, and the hotel’s business plan.

TASKS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING A SECURE AND COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT

• Maintains facilities and equipment by conducting inspections on a regular basis to determine need and extent of service, equipment required, type of operation, and maintenance needed

• Develops and implements strategies to achieve goals for “customer complaints per thousand rooms”, and “willingness to return”

• Ensures adherence to applicable laws by meeting with government and insurance inspectors, and performing follow-up as required

• Communicates with department heads regarding engineering programmes as they pertain to the physical plant

• Keeps all mechanical, electrical, and structural blueprints and diagrams up to date; maintains library of part lists, maintenance manuals, reference books, catalogues, etc.

• Takes prompt corrective action as necessary

• Ensures that the physical plant is operating in a safe, efficient, and orderly fashion by directing all phases of maintenance, repair and renovation

• Determines if work should be done internally or through external contractors

• Schedules employees in accordance with plan

• Assigns work orders by priority, and delegates duties and supervises work

• Schedules the appropriate preventive maintenance programme

• Responds to guest complaints and department service requests

• Maintains a supply of inventory necessary for optimal operating efficiency by initiating purchasing orders for maintenance supplies, machinery, equipment, parts and services as required

• Achieves the best price and suitability of product by appropriately selecting from available contractors and vendors

• Directs and aids in the replacement of systems that become inadequate or obsolete

• Recommends, establishes, and maintains inventory level thresholds based on budget and availability of supplies

• Reviews and approves invoices • Develops and promotes energy conservation programmes by continually monitoring utility costs and consumption

• Maintains logs and journals for all utilities, reviews meter readings and regulates controls • Designs and supervises recycling programmes for aluminium, paper, plastic, glass, etc.

• Prepares the operating budget for engineering, recommends items to be included in the hotel’s capital budget, and insures adherence with approved budget

MANAGING THE ENGINEERING FUNCTION

• Manages employees working for the engineering function, including contractors and hotel employees

LAWS, REGULATIONS AND POLICIES

• Follows all applicable laws

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

• Screens, interviews and selects potential staff for the department

• Develops and recommends appropriate training to meet guest and internal needs

• Checks that own staff meets and exceeds expectations by training and encouraging staff to provide Yes I Can! service

• Makes sure staff receives skills training to provide consistent, reliable service

• Encourages, develops and manages effective employee relations throughout the hotel

• Identifies employees with potential for promotion and/or transfer and makes appropriate development plans for him or her together with the Human Resources Manager

• Works closely with the Human Resources Manager on the following Human Resources related tasks:

- Coaching - Counselling

- Discipline and grievance

- Employee relations

- Wage and salary administration

- Compensation and benefits

- Succession planning

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

• Fosters and develops effective employee relations throughout the hotel

• Establishes and maintains effective internal communications, including weekly meetings with own staff to ensure optimum team work and productivity

• Looks for ways to motivate and challenge employees

HEALTH AND SAFETY

• Ensures that all potential and real hazards are reduced immediately

• Fully understands the hotel’s fire, emergency, and bomb procedures

• Ensures that emergency procedures are practiced and enforced to provide for the security and safety of guests and employees

• Ensures that own staff works in a safe manner that does not harm or injure self or others • Stimulates and encourages a general awareness of health and safety in tasks and activities

• Ensures the safety of the people and property within the premises by applying hotel regulations, adhering to existing laws and regulations

• Anticipates possible and probable hazards and conditions and corrects them or take action to prevent them from happening

• Ensures that the highest standards of personal hygiene, dress, uniform, appearance, body language and conduct of hotel employees is maintained by self and own staff

MISCELLANEOUS

• Attends meetings and training required by the General Manager

• Assists colleagues to perform similar or related jobs when necessary

• Ensures guest satisfaction by attending to their requests and inquires courteously and efficiently

• Accepts flexible work schedule necessary for uninterrupted service to hotel guests and the hotel’s stakeholders

• Maintains own working area, materials and company property clean, tidy and in good shape

• Continuously seeks to endeavor and improve the department’s efficient operation, and knowledge of own job function

• Is well updated on, and possesses solid knowledge of the following:

- Hotel fire, bomb and emergency procedures

- Hotel health and safety policies and procedures

- Hotel facilities and nearby sights of interest and importance (i.e. hospitals, stations, tourist sights)

- Hotel standards of operation and departmental procedures

- Current licensing relating to own responsibility, and to the hotel

- Accepted methods of payment by the hotel

- Short and long term hotel as well as corporate marketing and promotionalprogrammers

- Corporate clients and clients generating high business volume

- Union agreements

Job Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF POSITION

The Chief Engineer is responsible for providing the customer with a secure, comfortable environment by maintaining the hotel’s assets through ongoing preventive maintenance programmes, and ensuring that all mechanical systems are operating in accordance with corporate policies and procedures, and according to local requirements and regulations. The job incumbent operates in line with hotel and corporate policies and guidelines, and the hotel’s business plan.

TASKS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING A SECURE AND COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT

• Maintains facilities and equipment by conducting inspections on a regular basis to determine need and extent of service, equipment required, type of operation, and maintenance needed

• Develops and implements strategies to achieve goals for “customer complaints per thousand rooms”, and “willingness to return”

• Ensures adherence to applicable laws by meeting with government and insurance inspectors, and performing follow-up as required

• Communicates with department heads regarding engineering programmes as they pertain to the physical plant

• Keeps all mechanical, electrical, and structural blueprints and diagrams up to date; maintains library of part lists, maintenance manuals, reference books, catalogues, etc.

• Takes prompt corrective action as necessary

• Ensures that the physical plant is operating in a safe, efficient, and orderly fashion by directing all phases of maintenance, repair and renovation

• Determines if work should be done internally or through external contractors

• Schedules employees in accordance with plan

• Assigns work orders by priority, and delegates duties and supervises work

• Schedules the appropriate preventive maintenance programme

• Responds to guest complaints and department service requests

• Maintains a supply of inventory necessary for optimal operating efficiency by initiating purchasing orders for maintenance supplies, machinery, equipment, parts and services as required

• Achieves the best price and suitability of product by appropriately selecting from available contractors and vendors

• Directs and aids in the replacement of systems that become inadequate or obsolete

• Recommends, establishes, and maintains inventory level thresholds based on budget and availability of supplies

• Reviews and approves invoices • Develops and promotes energy conservation programmes by continually monitoring utility costs and consumption

• Maintains logs and journals for all utilities, reviews meter readings and regulates controls • Designs and supervises recycling programmes for aluminium, paper, plastic, glass, etc.

• Prepares the operating budget for engineering, recommends items to be included in the hotel’s capital budget, and insures adherence with approved budget

MANAGING THE ENGINEERING FUNCTION

• Manages employees working for the engineering function, including contractors and hotel employees

LAWS, REGULATIONS AND POLICIES

• Follows all applicable laws

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

• Screens, interviews and selects potential staff for the department

• Develops and recommends appropriate training to meet guest and internal needs

• Checks that own staff meets and exceeds expectations by training and encouraging staff to provide Yes I Can! service

• Makes sure staff receives skills training to provide consistent, reliable service

• Encourages, develops and manages effective employee relations throughout the hotel

• Identifies employees with potential for promotion and/or transfer and makes appropriate development plans for him or her together with the Human Resources Manager

• Works closely with the Human Resources Manager on the following Human Resources related tasks:

- Coaching - Counselling

- Discipline and grievance

- Employee relations

- Wage and salary administration

- Compensation and benefits

- Succession planning

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

• Fosters and develops effective employee relations throughout the hotel

• Establishes and maintains effective internal communications, including weekly meetings with own staff to ensure optimum team work and productivity

• Looks for ways to motivate and challenge employees

HEALTH AND SAFETY

• Ensures that all potential and real hazards are reduced immediately

• Fully understands the hotel’s fire, emergency, and bomb procedures

• Ensures that emergency procedures are practiced and enforced to provide for the security and safety of guests and employees

• Ensures that own staff works in a safe manner that does not harm or injure self or others • Stimulates and encourages a general awareness of health and safety in tasks and activities

• Ensures the safety of the people and property within the premises by applying hotel regulations, adhering to existing laws and regulations

• Anticipates possible and probable hazards and conditions and corrects them or take action to prevent them from happening

• Ensures that the highest standards of personal hygiene, dress, uniform, appearance, body language and conduct of hotel employees is maintained by self and own staff

MISCELLANEOUS

• Attends meetings and training required by the General Manager

• Assists colleagues to perform similar or related jobs when necessary

• Ensures guest satisfaction by attending to their requests and inquires courteously and efficiently

• Accepts flexible work schedule necessary for uninterrupted service to hotel guests and the hotel’s stakeholders

• Maintains own working area, materials and company property clean, tidy and in good shape

• Continuously seeks to endeavor and improve the department’s efficient operation, and knowledge of own job function

• Is well updated on, and possesses solid knowledge of the following:

- Hotel fire, bomb and emergency procedures

- Hotel health and safety policies and procedures

- Hotel facilities and nearby sights of interest and importance (i.e. hospitals, stations, tourist sights)

- Hotel standards of operation and departmental procedures

- Current licensing relating to own responsibility, and to the hotel

- Accepted methods of payment by the hotel

- Short and long term hotel as well as corporate marketing and promotionalprogrammers

- Corporate clients and clients generating high business volume

- Union agreements

Qualifications

* Communication skills
* Supervisory experience required
*Analytical skills
* A sound understanding of engineering principles
* Ability to work in extreme conditions
* Experience in maintenance
* Leadership skills
* Team management skills
* Negotiation skills