Building Engineer I/II/III

The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia, bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington, and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The city features a charming waterfront and a unique, historic environment, with about one-quarter of its area designated as a national or local historic district.

About the role

Under general supervision, the Building Engineer performs full performance or journey-level skilled maintenance, repairs, and preventative maintenance in HVAC, plumbing, and/or electrical work as a licensed journeyman. The role ensures maximum efficiency, economy, and quality of work on the City's buildings. Responsibilities include working on building systems such as building automation systems, HVAC (including boilers, chillers, cooling towers, VAVs), fire protection equipment, emergency generator back-up systems, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, roofing, and other structural and non-structural building systems.

Responsibilities

• Perform preventive maintenance, monitor, repair, and replace controls for major/minor HVAC equipment, including VDF drives, pneumatic and digital thermostats, and consumable parts such as belts, filters, pumps, bearings, and couplings.
• Check gauges regularly to ensure boilers and air conditioners operate properly; perform adjustments and repairs.
• Calibrate and maintain control systems; conduct combustion efficiency tests on boilers and adjust burners for optimal performance.
• Monitor computer information regarding HVAC equipment and respond as required; maintain logs of operations and temperature readings.
• Repair and replace plumbing parts and fixtures, including supply lines, Sloan valves, faucets, and O-rings; clear large and small drain lines.
• Access the work order maintenance system to determine maintenance needs; perform administrative duties such as answering emails, inputting information into the City works system, and communicating with vendors.
• Read building drawings and blueprints to locate equipment and identify sources of problems.
• Access the Building Automation System (BAS) to clear alarms, alter building schedules, and identify equipment needing repairs or maintenance.
• Respond to after-hours emergency repair calls when serving in an on-call capacity.
• Perform other duties as required.

About the Department

The Department of General Services mission is to provide exceptional management of the City's real estate, property, and other support services for all customers, internal and external. Staff strive to deliver unmatched services by proactively managing the City's assets, responding to service requests promptly, listening to customers, and ensuring satisfaction with resolutions.

Requirements

The position may be filled at the Building Engineer I, II, or III level, depending on education and experience. Below are the minimum qualifications for each level:

Building Engineer I

• High School Diploma or GED supplemented by building trades or technical maintenance courses.
• One year of experience in the operation and maintenance of boilers, air conditioning, refrigeration, electrical, mechanical, or plumbing systems; or an equivalent combination of experience and training.
• Must possess a valid driver's license from state of residence.

Building Engineer II

• High School Diploma or GED.
• HVAC, Electrical, or Plumbing Journeyman's License.
• Five years of work experience repairing and maintaining HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems in commercial buildings.
• Experience using and operating automated building systems.
• Experience servicing boilers.
• Possession of Universal CFC Recovery License and Low-Pressure Boiler Certification.
• Must possess a valid driver's license from state of residence.

Building Engineer III

• High School Diploma or GED.
• HVAC, Electrical, or Plumbing Master license.
• Three years of journey-level work experience.
• Two of the following four certifications: (1) Air Balancing Certification, (2) Hydraulic Balancing Certification, (3) Indoor Air Quality Certification, and/or (4) Backflow Certification.
• Must possess a valid driver's license from state of residence.

Preferred Qualifications

• Significant experience in more than one of the following areas: plumbing, electrical, generator, and/or general mechanical repairs.
• Working knowledge of the operation of boilers, HVAC equipment, other auxiliary equipment, and controls.
• Demonstrated understanding of means, methods, and practices used in maintaining boilers, air conditioning, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing equipment.
• Awareness of hazards and safety precautions particular to the trade.
• Ability to understand, operate, and troubleshoot Building Automated Systems (BAS), Energy Management Systems (EMS), and other computer-based control and monitoring systems in buildings.
• Ability to identify problems in systems to ensure early detection of breakdowns.

Notes

• This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment background checks, including drug testing and criminal background.
• All Department of General Services employees are deemed essential or emergency personnel and may be required to report to work during emergencies, including when the City government is open with liberal leave or closed.
• Outside of general business hours, the Building Engineer will be required to work evening and weekend hours on a rotational basis.

Pay

• Building Engineer I: $48,191.26 - $84,805.24 Annually
• Building Engineer II: $53,148.68 - $93,528.76 Annually
• Building Engineer III: $58,597.76 - $103,119.64 Annually