Engineering & Maintenance
Hotel staff and guests expect to feel safe and comfortable when working, dining, drinking or staying in a hotel. The Engineering and Maintenance team play an important role to ensure that they are!
The types of functions employees within this department undertake include:
- • Preventative maintenance on electrical systems, plant and equipment;
- • Ensuring compliance with safety and emergency procedures;
- • Maintaining hotel buildings, guest rooms and grounds in a safe and presentable condition;
- • Implement initiatives to reduce energy consumption and waste;
- • Monitor and ‘troubleshoot’ any issues with building management and/or audio visual systems, and
- • Implement and maintain systems for room and building access control.
Engineering & Maintenance Hierarchy
one
If you are handy on the tools and a good “all-rounder”, this could be the role for you. Mainly found in small hotels or pubs, you will be asked to do everything from changing a light globe to fixing a leaky tap. You will organise external ‘tradies’ when needed such as electricians or plumbers if you don’t hold a relevant trade licence.
two
Large hotels or pub chains may directly employ specialist trades. If you have experience working in commercial premises, then there could be the role for you in hospitality.
three
Only found in large hotels, a maintenance shift supervisor will lead a team of maintenance personnel (from handyman to electrician or plumber for example) ensuring any issues with the hotel’s plant, equipment and systems are fixed quickly.
four
Keeping the hotel’s plant, equipment and systems up and running is a major part of a Maintenance Manager or Engineer’s role in a hotel. If the lifts or room key access systems don’t work, guests are not going to be too happy. To be a hotel Maintenance Manager, you might have a trade qualification or in a larger operation, be managing a team with specialist trades and have spent some time looking after electrical, ventilation and air-conditioning systems in buildings like hotels.
five
Large hotels often have complex electrical, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, and teams of maintenance personnel. Normally very experienced and trade qualified, the Assistant Director of Engineering works closely with the Director of Engineering, across both day-to-day and longer term requirements of the hotel. You might also stand-in for the Director when needed.
six
In large hotel chains or even large single hotels, it is up to the Director of Engineering to ensure the smooth running of plant and equipment both today and for the future. You will probably manage a team of maintenance personnel or perhaps manage external contractors to perform all tasks required. You will also be looking to the future to innovative ideas or technology that produces a better outcome for guests and your hotel/s, for example, reduced wastage and energy useage, or accreditation to recognised energy ratings/savings programs.
