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About the Role

The Central Utility Plant Operations Manager is responsible for the reliable, efficient, and high-performance operation of a state-of-the-art central chiller plant and associated facility infrastructure. This role leads all aspects of plant operations, building maintenance, system optimization, reliability engineering, and vendor management, directing a team to ensure maximum uptime, energy efficiency, and a safe, well-maintained facility.

Responsibilities

Drive continuous optimization of chilled water production, distribution, and energy performance.
Analyze system trends, load profiles, and operational data to improve efficiency, stability, and reliability.
Optimize performance of secondary process glycol cooling loops.
Implement performance strategies for laboratories, direct-to-chip cooling loops, critical systems, and AI hardware development environments.
Enhance performance of industrial control systems, BMS/EMS platforms, and advanced monitoring tools.
Maintain and refine SOPs, MOPs, EOPs, and system documentation.
Oversee daily operations of the central plant to ensure high reliability, safety, and operational excellence.
Manage preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs for mechanical, electrical, controls, and process cooling systems.
Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for performance issues.
Ensure compliance with all safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
Oversee building operations and maintenance for office areas, laboratory support spaces, and shared facility infrastructure.
Ensure proper functioning of building systems including HVAC, plumbing, lighting, and life-safety systems.
Coordinate with lab managers, researchers, and office occupants to support facility needs.
Manage space readiness, occupant comfort, and facility appearance standards.
Support minor construction, tenant improvements, and facility modifications.
Oversee operation and optimization of industrial control systems.
Support operation and maintenance of medium-voltage substations, switchgear, protective relays, and distribution equipment.
Coordinate mechanical and electrical system performance to maintain redundancy, stability, and safe operating conditions.
Support electrical safety programs, arc-flash studies, and breaker coordination.
Lead and develop a team of in-house engineers, operators, and technicians.
Assemble and coordinate subject matter experts in various technical fields.
Foster a culture of safety, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.
Manage service contracts for various plant and facility systems.
Oversee vendor support for glycol cooling systems.
Develop scopes of work, evaluate proposals, and ensure contractor performance meets SLAs.
Maintain strong vendor relationships and enforce accountability.
Develop and manage annual OPEX and CAPEX budgets.
Evaluate lifecycle costs, energy performance, and system upgrade opportunities.
Lead initiatives related to sustainability, energy reduction, and advanced cooling technologies.
Partner with R&D, lab operations, and AI hardware teams to support evolving requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Facilities Engineering.
10+ years of experience in central plant operations, facility operations, optimization, or mission-critical mechanical/electrical systems.
Expertise with centrifugal chillers, hydronic systems, cooling towers, industrial controls, and building systems.
Hands-on experience with secondary process glycol cooling loops, including systems from nVent, Vertiv, Motivair, CoolIT, or similar OEMs.
Experience with medium-voltage electrical systems, substations, and protective equipment.
Background supporting laboratories, semiconductor environments, data centers, or high-density research facilities.
Strong leadership, communication, and vendor management capabilities.
Demonstrated success managing budgets, contracts, and technical teams.

Skills

Central chiller plant operations
Facility infrastructure management
System optimization
Reliability engineering
Vendor management
Centrifugal chillers
Cooling towers
Hydronic distribution systems
Industrial controls
Medium voltage electrical infrastructure
Secondary process cooling loops
Building maintenance
Preventive maintenance
Predictive maintenance
Corrective maintenance
Troubleshooting
Root-cause analysis
Safety compliance
Environmental compliance
Regulatory compliance
HVAC systems
Plumbing systems
Lighting systems
Life-safety systems
Building Management Systems (BMS)
Energy Management Systems (EMS)
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)
Medium-voltage substations
Switchgear
Protective relays
Electrical distribution equipment
Electrical safety programs
Arc-flash studies
Breaker coordination
Team leadership
Subject matter expert coordination
Budget management
Contract management
Technical team management
Sustainability initiatives
Energy reduction strategies
Advanced cooling technologies

Location

Remote

Work Type

Full-time

Experience Level

10+ years

Education Level

Bachelor's degree

Salary/Compensations

$153,000.00 - $180,000.00

Benefits

Health insurance
Vision insurance
Dental insurance
Flexible spending accounts
Health savings accounts
Retirement savings plans
Life insurance
Disability insurance
Paid time away from work
Unpaid time away from work

About the Company

Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a global leader in real estate services, leveraging specialized expertise to deliver innovative solutions and exceptional value to owners and occupiers.
With 52,000 employees in nearly 400 offices across 60 countries, we are one of the largest firms in the industry, with more than 100 years of history.
In 2023, we generated $9.5 billion in revenue from our core services.
Learn more at www.careers.cushmanwakefield.com.

Equal Opportunity

Cushman & Wakefield is an Equal Opportunity employer to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position at Cushman & Wakefield, please call the ADA line at 1-888-365-5406 or email Accommodations@cushwake.com.
Please refer to the job title and job location when you contact us.