What does a building engineer do?

The job of building engineers is to provide advice on design, installation, and maintenance of energy-efficient and cost-effective systems for all building services, including lighting, water, and air conditioning. These professionals are responsible for the distribution of water supply and electricity and resolving tenants' maintenance problems such as plumbing and electrical systems. Additional duties of the building engineers include conducting tests on systems, ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements, and liaising with construction professionals like surveyors and electricians.
Building engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real building engineer resumes:
- Coordinate with team leads to determine needs and how best to implement JIRA within department.
- Create python script to automate the deployment process which deploys the application and restarts the servers.
- Manage service MEP vendor contracts (elevators, fire life support, annual test and inspections).
- Manage and sustain manufacturing processes via monitoring, SPC, and data analysis to maintain overall process health and stability.
- Contribute PowerShell functions to a PowerShell module used to automate software upgrades.
- Provide property preventive maintenance, electrical repair, HVAC maintenance/troubleshooting, construction, plumbing, custom carpentry and renovations.
- Provide technical expertise to plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and security systems, including computer-driven energy management systems.
- Respond to tenant service calls relating to overall building operations, mechanical, electrical and plumbing problems and initiate corrective action.
- Maintain A/C units, U.P.S.
- Service A/C units, elevators.
- Improve the efficiency of PLC processes.
- Assess and coordinate repair and installation of commercial roofing systems.
- Identify and solve issues relate to DNS (bind).
- Work on creating a test OpenStack environment testing VMWARE integrate OpenStack support.
- Develop Perl and shell scripts for automation of the build and release process.
Building engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Building Engineers are proficient in HVAC, Ladders, and Plumbing. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Dexterity, and Troubleshooting skills.
We break down the percentage of Building Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- HVAC, 13%
Provided technical expertise to plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and security systems, including computer-driven energy management systems.
- Ladders, 12%
Stooped, climbed ladders and lifted heavy loads during set-up for events.
- Plumbing, 12%
Responded to tenant service calls relating to overall building operations, mechanical, electrical and plumbing problems and initiate corrective action.
- Preventive Maintenance, 10%
Included implementation of preventive maintenance program (DataStream MP-2), equipment maintenance troubleshooting and electrical repair, installation and maintenance.
- Emergency Situations, 9%
Identify and be able to immediately recognize system faults and respond to operational and emergency situations related to building environment.
- Roofing, 8%
Managed new construction to cornice and roofing repairs of historical building in Center City Philadelphia including scaffold erections.
"hvac," "ladders," and "plumbing" are among the most common skills that building engineers use at work. You can find even more building engineer responsibilities below, including:
Customer-service skills. One of the key soft skills for a building engineer to have is customer-service skills. You can see how this relates to what building engineers do because "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis." Additionally, a building engineer resume shows how building engineers use customer-service skills: "respond immediately to emergency situations and customer concerns. "
Dexterity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling building engineer duties is dexterity. The role rewards competence in this skill because "many repair and maintenance tasks, such as repairing small devices, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination." According to a building engineer resume, here's how building engineers can utilize dexterity in their job responsibilities: "stooped, climbed ladders and lifted heavy loads during set-up for events. "
Troubleshooting skills. building engineers are also known for troubleshooting skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to building engineer responsibilities, because "workers find, diagnose, and repair problems." A building engineer resume example shows how troubleshooting skills is used in the workplace: "experience in building and deploying java & soa applications and troubleshooting the build and deploy failures. "
The three companies that hire the most building engineers are:
- CBRE Group357 building engineers jobs
- ManTech220 building engineers jobs
- CB Richard Ellis Memphis LLC190 building engineers jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable building engineer resume templates
Build a professional building engineer resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your building engineer resume.Compare different building engineers
Building engineer vs. Hvac mechanic
An HVAC mechanic specializes in installing and repairing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, ensuring quality and efficiency. Their responsibilities revolve around communicating with clients to identify their needs, troubleshooting, identifying the root of issues, and performing corrective measures. They may also perform regular maintenance checks to ensure that the devices are functioning efficiently and safely. Furthermore, as an HVAC mechanic, it is essential to explain the extent of repairs to the clients and recommend ways to maintain systems in good condition.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between building engineers and hvac mechanic. For instance, building engineer responsibilities require skills such as "emergency situations," "roofing," "snow removal," and "building operations." Whereas a hvac mechanic is skilled in "hand tools," "epa," "control systems," and "chillers." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Hvac mechanics really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $57,885. Comparatively, building engineers tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $98,279.hvac mechanics tend to reach similar levels of education than building engineers. In fact, hvac mechanics are 2.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Building engineer vs. Handyman
A handyman can perform various repair and maintenance tasks involving electricity, carpentry, plumbing, and even appliance installation. Most handymen work independently, but they can also choose to be part of a company. Furthermore, a handyman must also discuss the extent of repairs to clients, even sharing insights on maintaining facilities in good condition. There are instances when a handyman may be required to work in a group setting, which requires an active line of communication and coordination.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that building engineer responsibilities requires skills like "ladders," "preventive maintenance," "emergency situations," and "roofing." But a handyman might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "drywall repair," "mowing," "sheetrock," and "door installation."
Handymen may earn a lower salary than building engineers, but handymen earn the most pay in the construction industry with an average salary of $51,528. On the other hand, building engineers receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $98,279.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Handymen tend to reach similar levels of education than building engineers. In fact, they're 3.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Building engineer vs. Repair technician
A repair technician's role focuses on assessing the problem or damage of a device and implementing solutions for it to function again. Although the extent of a technician's tasks will depend on the device or industry of employment, most of it revolves around troubleshooting, providing technical support, installing and writing programs, detaching and re-attaching wirings, welding, and even thoroughly discussing problems and solutions to clients. Furthermore, there are instances when a repair technician must work in a team setting that requires coordination and communication.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, building engineers are more likely to have skills like "ladders," "preventive maintenance," "emergency situations," and "roofing." But a repair technician is more likely to have skills like "hand tools," "customer satisfaction," "preventative maintenance," and "work ethic."
Repair technicians earn the highest salary when working in the manufacturing industry, where they receive an average salary of $49,974. Comparatively, building engineers have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $98,279.Most repair technicians achieve a similar degree level compared to building engineers. For example, they're 3.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Building engineer vs. Maintenance specialist
A maintenance specialist is responsible for maintaining the company's technology equipment and machinery, as well as computer and network systems, and other related instruments to support the business operational functions, ensuring the highest client service and satisfaction. Maintenance specialists conduct preventive and repair maintenance, inspect defective lines and components, and perform troubleshooting to maintain optimal performance and service delivery. A maintenance specialist must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, especially when assisting the end-users with their concerns and inquiries.
Types of building engineer
Updated January 8, 2025











