Hard Service Manager

Position Summary:

The Hard Services & Technical Manager is responsible for the effective management, maintenance, safety, reliability and performance of all assigned building engineering systems, infrastructure and hard facilities management services across Al Qana.

The role oversees MEP systems, critical utilities, planned and reactive maintenance, specialist contractors, statutory compliance, energy efficiency and asset lifecycle management across this mixed-use waterfront destination, including its common areas, public spaces, commercial facilities and associated infrastructure. This is not limited to ownership of all property AMC follows and SLA agreements related to said trades and coordination with authorities on designated approvals and compliances 

The successful candidate must combine strong engineering knowledge with commercial awareness and operational leadership to ensure safe, reliable and cost-effective operations while minimising service disruptions and protecting asset value.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Technical & Hard Services Management

• Oversee all assigned mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fire and life-safety, BMS, ELV and other building engineering systems.
• Ensure the reliable operation and maintenance of critical plant, utilities, infrastructure, public areas and associated facilities.
• Develop and implement preventive, reactive and predictive maintenance strategies.
• Monitor equipment performance, identify recurring failures and implement corrective actions to minimise downtime.
• Ensure maintenance activities are properly planned, documented and executed in accordance with approved standards and manufacturer recommendations.

2. Asset Management & Infrastructure

• Maintain accurate asset registers, maintenance records, equipment histories and technical documentation.

• Establish asset criticality assessments and lifecycle replacement plans.

• Identify infrastructure risks, equipment deterioration and opportunities for reliability improvements.

• Coordinate technical interfaces between common-area systems, tenants, specialist attractions and other operators.

• Support technical reviews, refurbishment projects, commissioning and handover of new or upgraded systems.

• Coordinate and approve all related fitouts technical submittals and works for ongoing and upcoming tenants.

3. Compliance, Health & Safety

• Ensure compliance with applicable UAE and Abu Dhabi regulations, statutory inspections, technical standards and authority requirements.

• Maintain compliance records, certifications, testing schedules and corrective action registers.

• Enforce permit-to-work, lockout/tagout, risk assessment and safe working procedures.

• Ensure fire and life-safety systems are maintained, tested and operational.

• Lead technical incident investigations and coordinate emergency response, service recovery and business continuity measures.

4. Contractor & Service Provider Management

• Manage hard services contractors, specialist vendors and maintenance service providers.

• Establish and monitor SLAs, KPIs, maintenance standards and contractual obligations.

• Conduct technical inspections, audits and performance reviews to ensure quality and compliance.

• Review technical proposals, quotations, variations and maintenance plans.

• Hold contractors accountable for service quality, response times, safety and timely closure of defects.

5. Budget & Cost Management

• Prepare and manage annual maintenance and hard services operating budgets.

• Monitor expenditure, investigate cost variances and identify cost-saving opportunities.

• Develop capital expenditure plans for asset replacement, refurbishment and infrastructure upgrades.

• Optimise maintenance costs without compromising safety, compliance or asset reliability.

• Review equipment lifecycle costs and recommend investments that improve long-term operational performance.

6. Energy & Operational Efficiency

• Monitor electricity and water consumption and identify opportunities to reduce utility costs.

• Optimise HVAC operations, BMS controls, equipment schedules and energy performance.

• Implement practical energy-efficiency and sustainability initiatives.

• Use CMMS, BMS and performance reports to monitor maintenance compliance, asset reliability and operational trends.

7. Team & Stakeholder Management

• Lead and develop technical teams, engineers, supervisors and maintenance personnel.

• Coordinate with operations, security, HSE, tenants, attraction operators and other stakeholders.

• Ensure adequate technical coverage during operating hours, weekends, public holidays and emergencies.

• Provide regular management reports on asset performance, maintenance, compliance, expenditure and technical risks.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Building Services Engineering or a related discipline.

• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in facilities management, technical operations or building engineering, including at least 5 years in a managerial or senior supervisory role.

• Proven experience managing complex facilities such as mixed-use developments, retail destinations, hospitality, entertainment or other high-footfall environments.

• Strong knowledge of MEP systems, HVAC, BMS, fire and life-safety systems, maintenance planning and asset management.

• Experience in contractor management, budgeting, statutory compliance and capital expenditure planning.

• Familiarity with UAE and Abu Dhabi regulations and authority requirements.

• Experience with CMMS platforms, energy management and technical performance reporting.