Design Manager - Modeling and CAD

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Design Manager provides overall leadership for the modeling and CAD teams and is responsible for organizational performance, employee engagement, resource planning, budgeting, strategic initiatives, and cross-functional collaboration. This position ensures the department effectively supports design, engineering, estimating, business development, operations, and construction through high-quality design development, modeling services, drafting support, and technical software expertise.

The Design Manager is accountable for department performance, employee development, process improvement, and the successful execution of department objectives.

Company Overview

Since 1990, CSI Electrical Contractors, Inc. (CSI Electric) – a subsidiary of MYR Group Inc. – has been a leader in highly technical and innovative electrical design and construction. Our team of consultants, engineers, project managers, and professionals deliver the best solutions to our customers’ greatest electrical engineering and construction needs.

We have the resources and expertise to manage any commercial, industrial, or one-of-a-kind challenge in aerospace, biotech/pharmaceutical, education, healthcare, entertainment, hospitality, manufacturing, and retail.

Our services include electrical construction, technology solutions, and alternative energy where CSI Electric is regarded as a premier provider of energy development, installation, and maintenance. Whether your project entails mission-critical power, energy production, or a simple space upgrade, CSI Electric offers unmatched expertise in electrical, energy, and technology solutions. We’re proud to celebrate more than 30 years of commitment to do all things with excellence for our customers, ourselves, and our craft. We Build Better.

Essential Functions

Build and lead a high‑performing team of designers/drafters (I–IV, Senior, Lead, Principal and Chief); set goals and conduct performance reviews.

Own capacity planning, staffing plans, and professional development; manage hiring, onboarding, mentoring and training.

Manage departmental design priorities and resolve resource conflicts.

Help employees develop career paths and succession planning; foster a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement.

Own preliminary design and modeling delivery across a portfolio of projects; balance workloads and allocate leads.

Support strategic business initiatives and growth objectives while ensuring effective utilization of department software platforms

Set and monitor KPIs (schedule adherence, quality, rework, field issue rates, budget conformance).

Oversee preliminary design and modeling activities supporting both DG and Utility scale PV and BESS projects.

Partner with estimating on proposals, value engineering strategies, and technical narratives.

Collaborate with estimating/operations/construction/commissioning to de‑risk preliminary design; support root‑cause analyses and lessons learned.

Chair preliminary design/model reviews/gate reviews; approve non‑standard solutions and technical deviations.

Establish and maintain standards & templates, standard operating procedures, and QA/QC processes; ensure consistent application.

Ensure compliance with codes and standards (NEC/CEC, IEEE, NFPA, UL/IEC, Title‑24) and rapidly operationalize updates.

Ensure projects are delivered in accordance with departmental schedules and quality standards while driving productivity improvements.

Manage support for project teams during permitting, AHJ review, utility review, and construction phases.

Evaluate and standardize technology and vendor platforms; sponsor pilots and tool upgrades (CAD, power system analysis, document control).

Ensure compliance with company drafting standards, quality procedures, and document management practices.

Promote consistent modeling methodologies and quality standards.

Support development and maintenance of CAD standards, templates, workflows,best practices and continuous improvement.

Evaluate opportunities to improve design quality, efficiency, standardization, and automation.

Assist Senior Design Manager with departmental initiatives and strategic planning activities.

Oversee departmental use of specialized software, AutoCAD, Bluebeam, HelioScope, PVsyst, PVFarm, etc.

The preceding functions have been provided as examples of the types of work performed by employees assigned to this job classification. Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind work assignments and to make reasonable accommodations as needed.

This position is classified as exempt meaning more than 50% of the employee’s time is spent performing exempt job duties consistent with this job description. If the employee finds the actual job duties change from those described herein, so the employee is not performing exempt duties more than 50 % of the time, the employee must immediately inform management.

ABOUT YOU

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related engineering technology field preferred. Prefer the degree is from a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum. Substantial directly related experience may substitute for formal education.
• 12 + years in electrical/renewable engineering (utility scale preferred) with progressive leadership responsibility.
• Minimum 2 years managing multi-team engineering organizations.
• EPC/design‑build and project pursuit experience strongly preferred.
• Customer‑facing leadership and utility/AHJ engagement experience desired.
• Experience developing and implementing standards, procedures and quality programs.
• Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
• Expert communication, stakeholder management, and conflict resolution; executive‑ready presentation skills.
• Advanced knowledge of DG and utility scale solar/BESS/hybrid systems, LV/MV distribution, protection/coordination, and constructability.
• Solid understanding of electrical design principles, AHJ requirements and renewable energy project development.
• Strong program and people leadership; proven ability to run multi‑project portfolios.
• Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD, Bluebeam, MS Office; familiarity with ETAP/SKM, PVFarm and PVSyst. Revit/Navisworks is a plus.
• Understanding of NEC, utility interconnection requirements and industry best practices
• Excellent executive‑level communication; able to present tradeoffs clearly to customers and leadership.
• Strong analytical, organizational, time management and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Master in software and practices of researching engineering and design issues, evalutating alternatives, making sound recommendations and preparing and presenting recommendations.
• Demonstrated success leading teams and delivering complex portfolios to scope, schedule, and budget.
• Strong collaboration skills with multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, resolve conflicts and make sound operational decisions in a fast paced environment.
• Ability to lead and mentor junior staff.
• Effective communication skills with a team‑oriented approach.
• Physical Demands
• Frequently works outdoors on uneven surfaces.
• May be required to sit or stand for long periods.
• May be required to stoop, bend, and crouch and navigate construction environments.
• Ability to travel up to 30% to project, vendor, or client sites.
• Work Environment
• This position is primarily office-based but will require periodic field assignments and travel to project sites.
• Works in a climate-controlled environment 50% of the time.
• May work in varying weather conditions: hot, cold, and wet conditions.
• Frequently works in areas with large industrial equipment subject to high noise levels.
• May work in proximity to high-voltage electrical systems.
• May occasionally work in areas with hazardous chemicals.
• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

WHAT WE OFFER

Responsibilities

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related engineering technology field preferred. Prefer the degree is from a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum. Substantial directly related experience may substitute for formal education.
• 12 + years in electrical/renewable engineering (utility scale preferred) with progressive leadership responsibility.
• Minimum 2 years managing multi-team engineering organizations.
• EPC/design‑build and project pursuit experience strongly preferred.
• Customer‑facing leadership and utility/AHJ engagement experience desired.
• Experience developing and implementing standards, procedures and quality programs.
• Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
• Expert communication, stakeholder management, and conflict resolution; executive‑ready presentation skills.
• Advanced knowledge of DG and utility scale solar/BESS/hybrid systems, LV/MV distribution, protection/coordination, and constructability.
• Solid understanding of electrical design principles, AHJ requirements and renewable energy project development.
• Strong program and people leadership; proven ability to run multi‑project portfolios.
• Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD, Bluebeam, MS Office; familiarity with ETAP/SKM, PVFarm and PVSyst. Revit/Navisworks is a plus.
• Understanding of NEC, utility interconnection requirements and industry best practices
• Excellent executive‑level communication; able to present tradeoffs clearly to customers and leadership.
• Strong analytical, organizational, time management and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Master in software and practices of researching engineering and design issues, evalutating alternatives, making sound recommendations and preparing and presenting recommendations.
• Demonstrated success leading teams and delivering complex portfolios to scope, schedule, and budget.
• Strong collaboration skills with multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, resolve conflicts and make sound operational decisions in a fast paced environment.
• Ability to lead and mentor junior staff.
• Effective communication skills with a team‑oriented approach.
• Physical Demands
• Frequently works outdoors on uneven surfaces.
• May be required to sit or stand for long periods.
• May be required to stoop, bend, and crouch and navigate construction environments.
• Ability to travel up to 30% to project, vendor, or client sites.
• Work Environment
• This position is primarily office-based but will require periodic field assignments and travel to project sites.
• Works in a climate-controlled environment 50% of the time.
• May work in varying weather conditions: hot, cold, and wet conditions.
• Frequently works in areas with large industrial equipment subject to high noise levels.
• May work in proximity to high-voltage electrical systems.
• May occasionally work in areas with hazardous chemicals.
• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

Qualifications