The Principal Facilities Engineer serves as the technical authority for manufacturing facility infrastructure, utilities, and building systems, driving long-term reliability, operational excellence, and strategic capital improvements across the site. This role provides engineering leadership for facility systems, develops reliability strategies, leads complex technical problem-solving efforts, and partners with Operations, Maintenance, EHS, and Engineering teams to ensure safe, efficient, and sustainable manufacturing operations.
The successful candidate will leverage deep technical expertise to optimize facility performance, reduce operational risk, improve equipment reliability, and support business growth through infrastructure planning and execution.
Position
Principal Facilities Engineer
Location
USA, Decatur, AL

How You'll Create Possibilities

Provide Technical Leadership & Facility Infrastructure Strategy

• Serve as the site subject matter expert for facility infrastructure systems, including electrical distribution, HVAC, compressed air, chilled water, steam, process utilities, fire protection, and building systems.
• Develop and execute long-term facility asset management and reliability strategies aligned with operational and business objectives.
• Lead engineering assessments and recommend improvements to enhance system performance, energy efficiency, capacity, and reliability.
• Establish technical standards, specifications, and best practices for facility systems and infrastructure projects.
• Provide expert guidance on complex equipment failures, system performance issues, and operational risks.

Drive Reliability & Continuous Improvement

• Lead root cause investigations for critical infrastructure and utility failures, implementing sustainable corrective actions.
• Analyze facility and utility performance data to identify opportunities for reliability improvement and cost reduction.
• Develop predictive and preventive maintenance strategies to maximize asset life and minimize downtime.
• Collaborate with maintenance teams to improve maintenance effectiveness and equipment availability.
• Support reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) initiatives and asset lifecycle management programs.

Lead Capital Projects & Facility Modernization

• Identify, scope, justify, and execute facility infrastructure and utility capital projects.
• Develop project budgets, schedules, technical specifications, and business cases for facility investments.
• Manage engineering contractors, consultants, and vendors through project execution.
• Oversee installation, commissioning, validation, and startup activities for facility upgrades and expansions.
• Support manufacturing growth initiatives, new equipment installations, and facility expansion projects.

Ensure Safety, Compliance & Sustainability

• Ensure facility systems comply with OSHA, EPA, NFPA, local code requirements, and corporate standards.
• Lead facility risk assessments and implement mitigation strategies to improve operational safety and business continuity.
• Support environmental sustainability initiatives through energy reduction, water conservation, and utility optimization projects.
• Partner with EHS teams to maintain regulatory compliance and drive continuous improvement in safety performance.

Influence Across Functions

• Collaborate with Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Product Engineering teams to support production objectives.
• Mentor engineers, maintenance personnel, and technical teams on facility systems and reliability best practices.
• Provide technical leadership during plant shutdowns, major maintenance events, and emergency response situations.
• Influence strategic decisions related to facility infrastructure investments and operational readiness.

What You'll Bring to Our Team

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Facilities Engineering, or related technical field, highly preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive engineering experience supporting manufacturing facilities, industrial infrastructure, utilities, or reliability engineering.
• Demonstrated expertise in industrial facility systems including electrical power distribution, HVAC, compressed air, chilled water, process utilities, and building automation systems.
• Experience leading complex technical projects and facility infrastructure improvements within a manufacturing environment.
• Proven knowledge of reliability engineering principles, root cause analysis, and asset management methodologies.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with reliability analytics and predictive maintenance technologies.
• Experience leading energy management, sustainability, and cost-reduction initiatives

Our Culture

Our work is centered on our People and Culture as reflected in our Zero Distance philosophy and we recognize the importance of reaffirming our commitment to inclusion and diversity (I&D). This underscores our commitment to fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, connected, and empowered to contribute, while positioning our organization to adapt seamlessly to the evolving needs of our workforce and communities.

This reflects our dedication to creating solutions that: Empower colleagues by fostering an environment where all voices are heard, valued, and encouraged to contribute. Strengthen communities where we live and work. Reinforce a culture of belonging, purpose, and engagement. Reflect the diversity of the communities we serve through our workforce, products, and practices.

By further embedding Zero Distance into our People and Culture framework, we will continue to build a deeply connected organization. We are cultivating a culture of engagement, belonging, and connection, because while attracting new talent remains a priority, retention is a cornerstone of our strategy.

GE Appliances is a trust-based organization. It is important we offer our employees the flexibility they need to do their best work while balancing the needs of the business and individuals. When you join GE Appliances, you will have the opportunity to work with your leader to create a flexible work arrangement that balances the needs of the individual, team, and organization.