Director of Design Services

Orange, CA, CA
Full Time
Executive
About Zephyr Rail

Zephyr Rail is a nationally recognized rail and infrastructure consulting firm, delivering innovative engineering and design solutions for freight, commuter, and high-speed rail. We are committed to technical excellence, client success, and the professional growth of our staff. 

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Director of Design Services to lead the daily operations of our design group. This role is pivotal to ensuring our engineering teams are well-managed, properly resourced, and consistently delivering high-quality plans and designs for rail and infrastructure projects. This position is on-site, located in Orange, CA - presence at our headquarters is essential to manage staff effectively, oversee plan production, and maintain collaboration across teams. 

Key Responsibilities
  • Lead and Manager Staff - Supervise and mentor engineers, designers, and support staff. Oversee assignments, workloads, and performance reviews.
  • Project Delivery - Manage plan production, schedules, and deliverables. Ensure design projects meet quality, budget, and client requirements.
  • Business Management - Monitor group financials, utilization, and manpower. Provide staffing and level-of-effort estimates for proposals and ongoing projects.
  • Collaboration - Partner with the VP of Design Services for technical guidance and client engagement while focusing on daily operations, staffing, and business oversight.
  • Quality and Innovation - Enforce QA/QC standards across design deliverables. Stay current with tools, technology, and best practices to drive efficiency. 
  • Client and Proposal Support - Provide input for proposals, staffing plans, and resource needs. Support interviews and client pursuits as needed.
  • Strategic Contribution - Contribute to strategic planning for design group growth, resource development, and market competitiveness.
 Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or related field.
  • 12+ years of experience in engineering design, including at least 4 years in management/supervisory roles.
  • Direct experience in engineering plan production.
  • Strong understanding of workload forecasting, resource planning, and project budgets.
  • Excellent leadership, organizational, and communication skills.
  • Must be able to work on-site, daily at our Headquarter located in Orange, CA.
 
Preferred  Qualifications
  • PE License in California (or ability to obtain).
  • Rail, transit, or infrastructure design project experience.
  • Experience managing medium to large design teams (20+ staff)
 
 Compensation and Benefits
  • Base Salary - $140, 000 - $200,000 DOE.
  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance - 100% employer-paid for employees; 50% for dependents.
  • Retirement - 401K with employer match
  • Paid Vacation
  • Paid Holidays
  • Paid Sick Time

*No outside Agencies or Recruiters, please!

Explore more about us at www.zuirail.com or our careers page at www.zuirail.com/careers. If you do not see what you're looking for, please email your resume to us at [email protected] to potentially become a part of a top-ranked team dedicated to redefining standards in the rail engineering industry. We look forward to hearing from you!
 
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