Forward Deployed Engineer (Design + BIM)

Augrade Inc; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Augrade Inc in San Francisco seeks a Forward Deployed Engineer to apply design expertise with BIM execution, shaping AI-powered building design workflows. You will work closely with AI and product teams to enhance how buildings are generated, validated, and documented, delivering complex projects across multiple disciplines.

This role emphasizes hands-on design leadership, independent project delivery, and collaboration with engineers and researchers to define best practices for AI-enabled BIM

Qualifications

• 14–20 years of experience delivering complex building projects from design through documentation.
• Professional experience in Architecture, Structural Engineering, MEP, or Building Systems Design.
• Demonstrated ability to independently design projects within at least one engineering discipline.
• Strong BIM expertise with Revit and multidisciplinary coordination.
• Comprehensive understanding of building codes, engineering standards, and design best practices.
• Ability to work across multiple building systems while maintaining design quality.
• Strong communication skills and confidence working directly with clients and teams.
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving startup with ownership and autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Design buildings and building systems from concept through detailed design.
• Develop, coordinate, and manage BIM models across Architecture, Structural, and MEP.
• Deliver high-quality project work across diverse commercial and infrastructure projects.
• Apply engineering expertise to improve AI-generated designs, validation rules, and workflows.
• Collaborate with AI researchers, software engineers, and product teams to translate knowledge into scalable systems.
• Evaluate design quality, constructability, code compliance, and multidisciplinary coordination.
• Support client engagements, communicate technical recommendations, and represent our platform in discussions.
• Help define best practices for AI-enabled design and BIM execution.

Skills

BIM expertise

Revit

Multi-discipline design

Client communication

Startup experience

Code compliance

Design validation

Coordination across systems

Job description

We are empowering people to go from concepts to construction within hours, enhancing collaboration in the world of atoms & pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, for humanity over the next few decades.

For phase 1, we’re training foundational AI models that create building code-compliant BIM models, cost analysis & documentation from 2D building blueprints.

We are a small team of 20+ and looking for people passionate about 3D generation/reconstruction.

We’re targeting $100B+ opportunity in construction’s design, estimation, and planning software—ripe for disruption by AI-first platforms.

Build the Future of AI-Powered Building Design

We're building the AI infrastructure that will transform how buildings are designed and delivered.

Our mission is to enable teams to go from concept to construction in hours—not weeks—by combining foundational AI models with advanced geometric reasoning, BIM intelligence, and physics-based systems.

We're starting by training AI models that automatically generate building code-compliant BIM models, cost estimates, and construction documentation from 2D building plans. Our long-term vision is to redefine how the world designs, plans, and builds physical infrastructure.

We're a team of 20+ engineers, researchers, and builders tackling one of the largest software opportunities in the built world: a $100B+ market spanning design, estimation, planning, and construction workflows.

If you're excited about AI, computational design, 3D generation, and solving challenging engineering problems, we'd love to hear from you.

About the Role

We're looking for a Forward Deployed Engineer who combines deep design expertise with exceptional BIM execution.

This is not a traditional BIM modeling role.

You’ll be responsible for applying engineering judgment while working closely with our AI and product teams to improve how buildings are generated, validated, and documented. You’ll contribute directly to the intelligence behind our platform by bringing real-world design expertise into AI-powered workflows.

Our vision is for every Forward Deployed Engineer to independently deliver complex projects across multiple disciplines while helping shape the next generation of AI-assisted building design.

What You'll Do

• Design buildings and building systems within your primary discipline from concept through detailed design.
• Develop, coordinate, and manage BIM models across multiple disciplines, including Architecture, Structural, and MEP.
• Deliver high-quality project work across a diverse portfolio of commercial and infrastructure projects.
• Apply engineering expertise to improve AI-generated designs, validation rules, and automated design workflows.
• Collaborate closely with AI researchers, software engineers, and product teams to translate engineering knowledge into scalable systems.
• Evaluate design quality, constructability, code compliance, and multidisciplinary coordination.
• Support client engagements, communicate technical recommendations, and represent our platform in project discussions.
• Help define best practices for AI-enabled design and BIM execution.

What We’re Looking For

Required

• 14-20 years of experience delivering complex building projects from design through documentation.
• Professional experience in Architecture, Structural Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, or Building Systems Design.
• Demonstrated ability to independently design projects within at least one engineering discipline.
• Strong BIM expertise with Revit and multidisciplinary coordination.
• Comprehensive understanding of building codes, engineering standards, and design best practices.
• Ability to work across multiple building systems while maintaining design quality.
• Strong communication skills and confidence working directly with clients and multidisciplinary teams.
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving startup where ownership and autonomy are expected.

Preferred Experience

Experience with one or more of the following:

• Multifamily developments
• Commercial buildings
• Data centers
• Airports
• Healthcare facilities
• Research laboratories
• Industrial or manufacturing facilities
• Semiconductor or mission-critical infrastructure

Experience from engineering consultancies, EPC firms, multidisciplinary design firms, or design-build organizations is highly valued.

Nice to Have

• Dynamo, Grasshopper, Rhino, or computational design experience
• Python or scripting for BIM automation
• AI-assisted design workflows
• Digital engineering or Design Technology experience
• BIM automation, QA/QC, or model validation
• Exposure to digital twins, reality capture, or 3D reconstruction

Why Join Us?

You’ll have the opportunity to help build foundational AI models that redefine how buildings are designed worldwide.

Instead of simply using design software, you’ll influence the intelligence behind it—working alongside engineers and AI researchers to create systems that automate complex design tasks while maintaining engineering quality and code compliance.

If you’re passionate about the intersection of engineering, BIM, AI, and computational design—and want to solve some of the hardest problems in the built environment, we’d love to meet you.