DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING

The Director of Engineering is a senior technical leader within the Project Development Department, the enterprise resource that bridges design intent and field execution across CMAR, Design-Build, and Delegated Design projects. On alternative delivery projects, this role assists design-phase technical execution  from award through IFC, then supports Operations through construction, startup, and commissioning so that what gets built matches what was designed and promised to the client. The Director sets department strategy, staffs projects with technical talent, and develops the next generation of engineers across the enterprise.

Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership & Department Strategy

• Provide technical leadership for the Engineering Department, set department strategy, and staff projects with Technical Engineers.
• Serve as the escalation point for cross-project issues and systemic design problems, and as Engineering's liaison to executive leadership and external stakeholders.
• Work with Operations, Quality, Commissioning, and Project Development to develop standardized company procedures for project engineering, including technical submittal review, RFIs, Owner and Engineer correspondence, and engineering inputs to startup and commissioning plans.
• Own and continuously improve engineering procedures: review them regularly, update them as lessons learned, codes, tools, and delivery practices change, and verify project teams are following them.

Design-Phase Technical Execution (Award through IFC)

• Own design-phase technical execution on behalf of the VP of Project Development: integrate multi-discipline systems, manage design-build and delegated design scopes, and align design with construction needs and contract requirements.
• Align technical review, design coordination, and deliverable tracking so the design-integration function and Engineering operate as one team.
• Communicate regularly with the Client's technical staff, the Engineer of Record, and design consultants to keep design progressing and reviews moving.
• Track Design Team needs, open technical issues, and Owner design comments from kickoff through IFC; drive items to closure through regular core team design meetings, and escalate Client and Design Team decisions, contract issues, and unresolved gaps to the VP of Project Development.
• Verify the design complies with the Owner's program and agreed requirements: assign discipline responsibility, confirm compliance at each design milestone, document deviations from Owner-agreed requirements, and route exceptions to the VP of Project Development for review before Owner sign-off.
• Lead design review and quality assurance at each milestone (SD, DD, 30/60/90, IFP, IFC) for code compliance, completeness, and constructability, with structured documentation of every review.
• Evaluate major process and equipment for feasibility and fit, recommend selections to the Design Team, and provide technical scoping narratives that support Preconstruction and Estimating.
• Own mitigation of design and technical risks, and support the VP of Project Development on design-related constraints, cross-checking due dates against the design schedule.
• Participate in regular reviews of VE ideas and cost-trending design changes, and coordinate with the Design Team to formally document approved VE and design-change items (ASI, bulletin, sketch) into the drawings.

Technical Support to Operations

• Provide technical leadership for submittal development and serve as the technical resource for RFI development, calculations, submittal review, and performance guarantee questions (e.g., arc flash calculations, system performance criteria).
• Partner with Operations on field-driven deviations, documenting and presenting the need to the Owner and Engineer/Architect of Record so changes are communicated the right way.
• Avoid claims by recognizing potential Owner and Engineer impacts early, and give project teams technical guidance on how and when to notify the Owner of potential or ongoing impacts.
• Keep drawings, specifications, RFI responses, and approved changes complete and current, and manage design changes and escalations through construction.
• Maintain on-site presence during the phases that matter most: preconstruction, design-build execution, system startup, and commissioning.

Mentoring & Developing Engineering Talent

• Lead, mentor, and develop Technical Engineers, building technical depth, judgment, and readiness for larger roles.
• Build onboarding, training, and competency development for engineering staff, and hold regular one-on-one performance reviews to set development goals and give regular feedback.
• Coach Project Engineers and Field Engineers to form complete, specific RFIs and submittals that are answerable on the first pass.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition on recruiting and workforce planning to grow engineering capacity with the business.

Pursuit Support

• Provide technical input to pursuits: constructability and process assessments on owner site visits, technical write-ups and project approach for proposals, and insight on owner priorities to inform win strategy.
• Review proposals before submission from the owner's technical perspective, help prepare technical interview content, and participate in shortlist interviews to present the design approach and add technical credibility.

 

Qualifications

• 10-15 years of industry-related experience in design or construction engineering on large, complex industrial projects (data center, semiconductor, manufacturing, or water/wastewater), including 5+ years leading engineering teams.
• Demonstrated experience delivering projects through Design-Build, Progressive Design-Build, CMAR, , or delegated design, including the design phase from SD through IFC.
• In-depth knowledge of engineering principles, practices, and methodologies, and of how design decisions affect safety, cost, quality, constructability, schedule, and system performance, with strong electrical and mechanical/process systems knowledge.
• Working knowledge of applicable codes and standards (NEC, IBC, NFPA 70E and related) and of the Engineer of Record's role and responsibilities.
• Proven track record of mentoring engineers and building a technical team, including onboarding, training, and performance development.
• Experience building out processes and procedures, including design review, quality assurance, and engineering workflows, that bring structure and consistency across projects.
• Ability to influence without authority across Project Development, Preconstruction, Estimating, Operations, Quality, and Commissioning.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to coordinate regularly with owners, design teams, executives, and field leadership.
• Proficiency with Bluebeam Revu and Autodesk Construction Cloud (Forma), with working familiarity in BIM/VDC coordination tools.
• Willingness to travel to project sites, offices, and client meetings, including out of state.

 

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, or a related engineering discipline required.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred.
• OSHA 30 certification preferred; may be required within the first 90 days of employment.

 

Safety Level
This is a safety sensitive position and all applicable policies including drug test and background check will apply.

 

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