Director of Engineering - Hospitality Experience

About Orient Express

Artisan of Travel since 1883 Orient Express is a legendary brand, steeped in history and loved by past, present and future generations. Representing the pinnacle of ultra-luxury hospitality within Accor Group, this brand is currently going through exciting phases of rebirth and expansion.

Orient Express embodies the refined nomadic spirit of travel, inviting each traveller to a place where the journey is the destination. Bringing awe-inspiring travel experiences to a new generation of adventurers, its exceptional portfolio includes The Orient Express, with its original carriages reimagined as the new embassy of French luxury; Orient Express La Dolce Vita, a train embodying the ‘Made in Italy’ way; Orient Express Silenseas – the world’s largest sailing ship; and hotels coming to Rome and Venice.

Progressively shaping the future of luxury hospitality, Orient Express is focusing on employee journey and growth.

ABOUT ORIENT EXPRESS PALAZZO DONA’ GIOVANNELLI, VENICE 

For the spectacular Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice, the architect and interior designer Aline Asmar d’Amman designed and decorated the spaces. Venice, once the gateway to Constantinople and a mythical stop on the legendary Orient Express train – that opened its doors in 1919 with the completion of the Simplon tunnel linking Switzerland to Italy – will be the home of the second Orient Express hotel, set to open in 2025. Located just ten minutes from Venice’s Santa Lucia train station, next to the Cannaregio shopping district, and rooted in the origins of the City of the Doges, Palazzo Donà Giovannelli is a treasured palace built in 1400 by architect Filippo Calendario, known for Venice’s famed Doge’s Palace. Former home of the Duke of Urbino, a patron of the arts, it has been renovated twice, notably in 1800 by architect Gian Battista Meduna. At one time a pinacotheque which housed the painting La Tempesta by Giorgione, it was successively owned by the Donà and Giovannelli families.

Reporting to the General Manager and guidance of the Director of Operations, the Director of Engineering will be responsible for implementing Accor engineering and work standards and overseeing the engineering department operations. Team leadership and effective delegation skills will be key to success in this role.

The mains responsibilities will be the following:

- Assist in the pre-opening of the hotel (and residences if requested) and ensure all the MEP and FLS systems are handed over correctly.

- Assist in “punching” the building and ensuring the repairs completed by the contractors and sub-contractors.

- Build a highly technical engineering team and oversee the engineering department with attention to details and follow-up to ensure satisfactory completion of tasks and projects.

- Maintain all equipment and systems in correct operational status including but not limited to Accor MEP standards, Fire & Life Safety standards, Risk Management, environmental standards, expenditures, and project management.

- Ensure proper completion of the Preventive Maintenance Program for guest rooms, public areas, and safety systems while working closely with the Rooms Division, Food & Beverage Department, Security, purchasing and other operational departments.

- Maintain all mechanical rooms inclusive of Boiler Plant, HVAC equipment, chilled water circulation, air handling units, fan coils, VAVs, motors, pumps …etc.

- Build-up, control and manage the monthly and annual engineering department budget and expenses.

- On a monthly basis to be able to prepare the expense accruals of the department Able to forecast and manage the hotel energy and water usage and all the associated costs.

- Assist in preparation of CAPEX expenditures for the engineering department and assist all other departments in preparing their CAPEX needs.

- Understand water treatment for closed systems and maintains all the related logs for testing of chemicals balance and legionella control.

- Monitoring the Hotel’s Energy consumption on daily and monthly basis.

- Ensuring prompt and/or immediate response to maintenance requests from our guests, employees, and management of the Hotel.

- Responsible for departmental health and safety, training programs, statutory compliance

- Coordination and management of 3rd parties and outside contractors.

- Ensures hotel compliance with all City and State regulations and ordinances.

- Bachelors’ degree in the engineering field with a minimum of 5+ years’ experience in a similar position at an luxury hotel.

- English  and Italian fluency is required.

- Hotel opening experience is preferred.

- Experienced with working with consultants, contractors and suppliers relating to projects and startup of new MEP & FLS systems, inclusive of new technologies such as VRF HVAC systems, AV equipment, BMS/GRMS.

- Experience in Operation & Maintenance Software.

- Team player and a proven team builder.

- Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills

- Highly organized with the ability to be flexible, and to work well under pressure

- Must be computer literate and familiar with computerized maintenance systems.

- Must lead by example by displaying a high standard of performance with the ability to communicate these expectations to the team to achieve above expectation results.

- Able to work in a fast-paced, upscale, luxury hotel at a downtown location that caters to leisure, meetings & conference environments.