Design Engineer
The Lead Design Engineer provides advanced technical leadership and oversight for the design, documentation, and implementation of complex building automation and control systems across commercial, industrial, data centre, and mission-critical facilities.
This position leads and supports a team of experienced Design Engineers, ensuring engineering quality, consistency, and adherence to company standards. The Lead Design Engineer acts as a key link between engineering leadership, project teams, field personnel, vendors, and customers.
The successful candidate will help advance the organisation's building automation capabilities through technical leadership, mentoring, process improvement, and cross-functional collaboration.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership and Team Development
- Lead, mentor, and provide technical oversight to a team of Design Engineers.
- Deliver ongoing coaching, performance feedback, and professional development support.
- Assist engineering management with workload planning, project assignments, and resource allocation.
- Review and approve engineering deliverables for technical accuracy, completeness, and compliance.
- Ensure the team meets project schedules, milestones, and deliverable deadlines.
- Identify technical skill gaps and support the development of training plans.
- Drive the adoption of engineering standards, templates, workflows, and best practices.
Technical Design and Project Execution
- Lead the design and implementation of DDC control systems through pre-construction, installation, commissioning, and project closeout.
- Oversee the development of HVAC and building automation designs, including:
- Control schematics
- Riser and network diagrams
- Control panel layouts
- Wiring details
- System architecture drawings
- Translate mechanical and electrical plans and specifications into complete automation control designs.
- Develop and review sequences of operation, control narratives, and system logic for complex HVAC and automation systems.
- Prepare and review technical submittals, bills of material, and device specifications.
- Design system architectures using BACnet, Modbus, LonWorks, and IP-based communication networks.
- Design and review custom control panels.
- Support factory and site acceptance testing, shop verification, system startup, and commissioning.
- Apply NEC, NFPA, ASHRAE, UL 508A, and applicable local codes across engineering deliverables.
Quality, Coordination, and Continuous Improvement
- Conduct and oversee quality assurance and quality control reviews of drawings, submittals, and as-built documentation.
- Prepare and review RFIs to resolve design questions and technical clarifications.
- Coordinate with Project Managers, construction teams, field technicians, vendors, consultants, and customers.
- Support system commissioning, startup, troubleshooting, and performance verification.
- Lead the development and improvement of drawing standards, CAD templates, and engineering workflows.
- Provide input on engineering tools, technology, products, and process improvements.
- Ensure accurate and timely completion of O&M manuals and closeout documentation based on construction redlines.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a related technical field. Equivalent industry experience will also be considered.
- Strong proficiency in AutoCAD or AutoCAD Electrical.
- Advanced understanding of HVAC systems, control sequences, DDC systems, and system integration.
- In-depth knowledge of building automation communication protocols, including BACnet and Modbus.
- Working knowledge of NEC, NFPA, ASHRAE, UL 508A, and applicable local energy codes.
- Demonstrated leadership, mentoring, supervisory, or technical team lead experience.
- Strong organisational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Experience Requirements
- 7+ years of progressive experience within building automation, HVAC controls, MEP design, or industrial controls.
- Extensive experience designing DDC architectures, system layouts, control drawings, and custom control panels.
- Proven experience reviewing and approving engineering deliverables.
- Experience supporting commissioning, system startup, testing, or troubleshooting.
- Previous experience leading engineers or overseeing engineering workflows is required.
- PLC, HMI, or SCADA experience is advantageous.
- Experience with major PLC and DDC platforms is desirable.
- P.E. or E.I.T. certification is preferred but not required.
Benefits and Total Rewards
Career Development
Hands-on technical training and career advancement opportunities within the growing data centre and mission-critical automation industry.
Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
The company covers 100% of individual medical insurance premiums and contributes towards family coverage.
401(k) with Employer Match
Employees become eligible after 90 days, with employer matching available to support long-term financial planning.
Disability Coverage
Short-term and long-term disability insurance is provided at no cost to employees.
Flexible PTO
Employees can take time away from work when needed without accruing traditional PTO hours.
Field-Based Employee Benefits
Eligible field-based employees who are required to travel receive:
- Coverage of approved business travel expenses
- Per diem
- Phone allowance
- Tools and personal protective equipment
- Paid training
- Reimbursement of eligible business expenses
About the Company
Our client is a growing building automation and controls integrator delivering fully integrated automation solutions across the United States.
The organisation designs and delivers high-performance solutions across HVAC controls, lighting, power monitoring, industrial automation, and mission-critical systems. Its engineering teams work with a range of DDC, PLC, HMI, SCADA, and open-protocol technologies to improve building performance, energy efficiency, reliability, and operational visibility.
The company supports technically complex projects and provides scalable automation solutions from initial design through installation, commissioning, and long-term system support.
Agency Notice
The company does not accept unsolicited candidate submissions from recruitment agencies. Agencies must have an executed agreement in place before submitting candidates.
Main improvements made
- Anonymisation: Removed the company name, headquarters, branded wording, and identifiable company references.
- Formatting: Removed HTML code and reorganised the content into clear sections.
- Confidentiality: Generalised specific technology manufacturers while retaining the required technical capability.
- Clarity: Simplified repetitive wording and made the responsibilities easier for candidates to understand.
- Searchability: Preserved important keywords such as DDC, HVAC controls, BACnet, Modbus, AutoCAD, commissioning, data centres, and mission-critical systems.
FAQs
Congratulations, we understand that taking the time to apply is a big step. When you apply, your details go directly to the consultant who is sourcing talent. Due to demand, we may not get back to all applicants that have applied. However, we always keep your resume and details on file so when we see similar roles or see skillsets that drive growth in organizations, we will always reach out to discuss opportunities.
Yes. Even if this role isn’t a perfect match, applying allows us to understand your expertise and ambitions, ensuring you're on our radar for the right opportunity when it arises.
We also work in several ways, firstly we advertise our roles available on our site, however, often due to confidentiality we may not post all. We also work with clients who are more focused on skills and understanding what is required to future-proof their business.
That's why we recommend registering your resume so you can be considered for roles that have yet to be created.
Yes, we help with resume and interview preparation. From customized support on how to optimize your resume to interview preparation and compensation negotiations, we advocate for you throughout your next career move.