Driving Operational Excellence in Commercial Real Estate Engineering

Leadership in commercial real estate operations demands technical rigor and strategic foresight. Over the last four decades, Scott Marcos has steadily shaped the engineering standards behind high-performing buildings, addressing infrastructure challenges with lasting solutions.

As the associate director of engineering at The RMR Group, Marcos oversees the full operational scope of commercial facilities, from HVAC, life safety and electrical systems to plumbing, elevators and building envelope. His work impacts every component that determines a building’s functionality, safety and sustainability. He also leads a regional team of engineers and maintenance professionals, providing strategic direction and daily operational oversight to ensure that every property in the portfolio meets the highest performance standards. Marcos’s foundation in building systems began with a formal education in heating, air conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration at Pittsburg State University, where he graduated with a 4.0 GPA. This academic discipline quickly translated into practical expertise as he moved through early-career roles at Cohen Asset Management and State Management before joining The RMR Group in 1997. Over the decades, his work has spanned every major operational domain while his core focus has remained the same—ensuring that buildings operate efficiently and evolve with changing demands and technologies.

Marcos’s approach to engineering leadership is rooted in accountability and precision. He is deeply involved in developing scopes of work for routine maintenance and capital projects, rigorously evaluating vendor proposals and ensuring technical accuracy in every execution aspect. He closely aligns with property management to manage procurement processes, authorizing purchase and service orders that create long-term value. His key responsibilities include creating and conducting staff development programs for engineering and operations personnel.

What distinguishes Marcos is his ability to navigate the intersection of systems management and regulatory compliance. With deep knowledge of building codes, air quality standards and safety protocols, he ensures that operational procedures meet state and federal requirements. His OSHA 30 certification and decades of field leadership have enabled him to establish a workplace culture grounded in safety, transparency and proactive risk management.

Throughout his tenure at The RMR Group, Marcos has held numerous senior roles, including building engineer, chief engineer and area chief engineer, before assuming his current leadership position. His leadership has played a central role in successfully executing asset upgrades, tenant improvement projects and due diligence activities related to new property acquisitions.

Marcos’s career reflects what it means to lead with integrity and purpose in a field where the smallest technical detail can shape the largest asset decision. In every challenge he faces, Marcos brings the experience of a veteran and the mindset of a forward-thinking leader, building stronger systems, better teams and more resilient facilities for the future.