Area Manager - Mission Critical - Columbus, OH at Engineering Economics, Inc. – Columbus, Ohio

Salary Range: $130,000 - $170,000 annually

This position is open to candidates local (or open to relocation) to the Columbus, OH area who can travel to job sites and attend in-person meetings & events as needed.

About EEI

EEI is a recognized leader in facility and energy consulting. We deliver innovative, performance-focused solutions that maximize building performance, extend system lifecycles, and reduce utility costs. This dedication has earned us trusted partnerships with Fortune 500 organizations, national healthcare networks, prestigious universities, and leading government agencies.

Nationally recognized for building commissioning and building performance, EEI also provides facility assessments, master planning, energy audits, and technical program management, supported by specialty teams serving healthcare, data, and mission-critical facilities.

Our reputation is built by the people who lead our work every day. That’s why our values aren’t just words, they are lived out daily in how we make decisions, build trusted relationships, and deliver quality. As an employee-owned company, we share success through our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), reflecting our commitment to building something meaningful together. And as EEI rapidly grows, we’re looking for talented people who want meaningful work, a supportive team, and room to grow.

Learn more at https://eeibuildingperformance.com/.

About the Position

The Area Manager – Mission Critical provides senior-level leadership, with a strong emphasis on both people and mission-critical work, for the commissioning quality assurance, and performance validation of mission-critical facilities, including data centers, healthcare facilities, and other high reliability environments where excellence is non-negotiable. This role is responsible for leading supervisors and their teams, ensuring they feel supported, aligned and empowered, on complex multi-disciplinary projects from early planning through closeout, managing client relationships, and ensuring technical excellence, financial performance, and schedule adherence.

This position is ideal for someone ready to mentor and elevate teams, serve as a trusted advisor to clients and internal stakeholders, and champion the technical and operational consistency for which our Mission Critical teams are known. It can be expected that this role include up to 75% of time spent traveling to project sites proving the opportunity to support teams, tackle challenges, and shape successful outcomes firsthand.

• Promote a culture grounded in building trust, championing what’s right, fostering growth opportunities and exceeding expectations.
• Support supervisors, through coaching, in developing their own leadership capabilities while also guiding the growth of their team members on their career paths, both personally and professionally.
• Support onboarding, training, performance development, policy enforcement, & team accountability.

• Ensure projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in alignment with EEI quality standards.
• Lead all phases of commissioning for large-scale, complex mission-critical projects, from pre-design planning through final acceptance and turnover.
• Adjust project schedules, and manpower to accommodate changing scope, meet project demands, etc.

• Provide financial leadership and coaching to Project Managers to assist in meeting budget, forecasting, and performance expectations.
• Own responsibility of the Area’s financial performance, including profit & loss.
• Support business development efforts, develop proposals, and oversee change order process.

• Serve as the senior point of contact for clients, contractors, vendors, and internal leadership.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships.
• Lead high-level coordination meetings.

• Ensure alignment between design intent, construction execution, and operational performance.
• Provide technical and managerial oversight, and escalation support to Project Managers, Engineers, and Commissioning Agents.
• Oversee commissioning, functional performance testing of systems, etc.

• Identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities to continuously enhance project delivery, ensuring accurate, timely and compliant documentation.
• Provide direction & support with commissioning standards, procedures, and best practices, and review & approve plans, test procedures, etc.

• Proactively identify project risks, system deficiencies, and protect project timelines and client satisfaction.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action planning for technical and execution issues, escalating critical issues when appropriate.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field.
• Experience: 8+ years experience in commissioning, project management, people management or a related role in mission-critical environments (data centers, healthcare, or similar high-reliability environments).
• Demonstrated experience leading complex mission-critical projects.
• Advanced knowledge of MEP systems, controls, and integrated systems testing.
• Proven senior-level leadership and people management skills
• Strong project financial management, scheduling, and risk-management capabilities.
• Ability to interpret and apply technical documents, drawings, specifications, and codes.
• Proficiency with project management tools and software.
• Strong commitment to ethical standards and confidentiality.
• Currently authorized to work in the U.S. full-time

PMP, LEED AP, CxA, PE, or other relevant commissioning or project management certifications strongly preferred.

Benefits:

Taking care of our people is our highest priority. We’re committed to creating a workplace where our people are supported through meaningful connection, genuine care, and real opportunities to grow. That’s why we provide the benefits, tools, and resources our team needs to thrive and do their best work.

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP); 100% employer funded
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
• Company-paid LTD, STD, and basic life insurance
• Voluntary life, accident coverage, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance
• Profit-sharing + discretionary performance bonuses
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match; 100% immediate vesting
• Vacation + sick time
• Eight (8) paid holidays
• Parental Leave
• Milestone Travel Award (Every 5 Years)
• Remote first company
• Paid certifications, seminars, and conferences
• Professional development opportunities

Equal Opportunity Employer

EEI is a proud equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and are committed to an inclusive culture. EEI does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or genetic information.

Attention Search Firms / Third-Party Recruiters:

EEI is not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes for this role. Resumes submitted without a valid written search agreement are the sole property of EEI; no fee will be paid if a candidate is hired.

EEI participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your completed Form I-9 to confirm your work authorization in the United States.