Modular Design Manager

Atlantic Constructors Inc.; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Short-Term Disability Plan

Life Insurance Plan

Vision Insurance Plan

401(K) Retirement Plan

Health Savings Plan

Wellness Programs

Job summary

Atlantic Constructors Inc. is seeking a Design Manager to lead the design and drafting of modular buildings, including data centers and power houses.

The role translates client requirements into fabrication-ready packages and coordinates with engineering, procurement, and fabrication teams to ensure constructability and on-time delivery. You will oversee multidisciplinary designers, manage resources and schedules, and drive standardization and continuous improvement across design processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management or related field.
• Typically 7+ years in modular buildings, industrial facilities, or data centers.
• 3+ years leading designers, CAD/BIM personnel, or multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong knowledge of modular building systems, MEP coordination, and constructability.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor multidisciplinary design teams across architectural, structural, mechanical, lighting, and BIM/CAD.
• Coordinate with project management, PE reviews, and authorities to align design with codes and approvals.
• Develop and maintain design standards, schedules, and delivery milestones.
• Ensure model integrity, clash detection, and proper handoffs to fabrication and installation.
• Support FAT, QA/QC, and change management with clear design documentation.

Skills

Leadership

Multidiscipline design

CAD / BIM proficiency

Project management

Communication

Scheduling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Architecture/Construction Management

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit

Navisworks

Bluebeam

BIM 360

Job description

At ACI we build our company and our culture not by counting people, but by making our people count!

$0.00 COST FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, SHORT TERM DISABILITY & LIFE INSURANCE (EMPLOYEE ONLY) COVERAGE!

Atlantic Constructors is seeking dynamic, motivated, career minded individuals to join our expanding team! Atlantic Constructors has been recognized as an industry leader in the Mid-Atlantic Region for over 50 years.

Benefits:

• Medical Insurance Plan ($0.00 Employee-Only)
• Dental Insurance Plan ($0.00 Employee-Only)
• Short-Term Disability Plan ($0.00 Employee-Only)
• Life Insurance Plan ($0.00 Employee-Only)
• Vision Insurance Plan
• 401(K) Retirement Plan with Generous Company Matching
• Health Savings Plan with Generous Company Matching
• Wellness Programs

Summary / Objective:

The Design Manager leads the design and drafting function for a broad portfolio of modular buildings and engineered modular solutions, including modular data centers, control rooms, MCC buildings, electrical and instrumentation buildings, power houses, E-houses, switchgear buildings, industrial enclosures, and custom prefabricated structures. The position translates client requirements, project specifications, engineering criteria, and equipment information into coordinated, accurate, fabrication-ready design packages that support procurement, manufacturing, inspection, transportation, and installation.

This role provides technical and organizational leadership to multidisciplinary design teams; manages resources, priorities, schedules, and design quality; and coordinates with project management, engineering, VDC/BIM, procurement, fabrication, quality, vendors, clients, and third-party reviewers. The Design Manager is accountable for design execution, constructability, standardization, and continuous improvement while balancing scope, schedule, cost, and technical requirements.

Product and Project Types:

• Modular data centers, data halls, IT / white-space modules, and supporting infrastructure buildings.
• Control rooms, electrical control buildings, PLC / DCS / instrumentation buildings, and operator shelters.
• MCC buildings, switchgear buildings, E-houses, PDU / UPS / battery rooms, and electrical equipment enclosures.
• Power houses, generator enclosures, utility buildings, and power distribution modules.
• Industrial process buildings, compressor / pump buildings, analyzer shelters, and packaged equipment enclosures.
• Skid-mounted, panelized, volumetric, prefabricated, and custom modular structures for energy, industrial, and mission-critical applications.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Lead, supervise, mentor, and develop multidisciplinary designers across architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and BIM / CAD disciplines.
• Assign personnel and balance workloads based on project priorities, complexity, skill sets, and required deliverable dates.
• Establish clear responsibilities, review expectations, accountability, and communication practices within the design team.
• Conduct design coordination meetings, workload reviews, and performance discussions; identify resource constraints and resolve bottlenecks.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, training, performance feedback, and professional development.
• Coordinate with engineering and operations leadership to align department capacity with business and project needs.

Design Development and Multidiscipline Coordination

• Oversee design packages from proposal / concept and design development through IFA / IFR, IFC, fabrication, and as-built stages, as applicable.
• Ensure drawings and models reflect approved project criteria, specifications, equipment layouts, structural requirements, architectural details, and discipline interfaces.
• Coordinate architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, controls, fire protection, and vendor information within the modular building envelope.
• Lead coordination of equipment placement, access and maintenance clearances, cable and conduit routing, HVAC / cooling systems, piping, penetrations, lifting points, shipping splits, and field connections.
• Oversee integration of data center systems where in scope, including hot / cold aisle layouts, containment, cooling distribution, CDUs, PDUs, UPS, switchgear, busway, and generators.
• Confirm design considers transportation dimensions, module weight, center of gravity, lifting / rigging interfaces, shipping restraints, field assembly, and installation sequence.
• Resolve design clashes and constructability issues before packages are released for procurement or fabrication.

CAD, BIM, and Design Standards

• Establish and maintain CAD / BIM standards for templates, title blocks, layers, model coordinates, file naming, revision control, and deliverable formats.
• Oversee design platforms such as AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks, Bluebeam, BIM 360 / Autodesk Construction Cloud, and other project-specific tools.
• Coordinate with VDC / BIM teams on model integrity, shared coordinates, model federation, clash detection, and model-to-shop-drawing workflows.
• Develop reusable details, Revit families, CAD libraries, typical assemblies, design checklists, and modular design standards.
• Promote repeatable, standardized design solutions while accommodating project-specific requirements.

Schedule, Scope, and Deliverable Management

• Develop and maintain design schedules, staffing plans, and deliverable trackers aligned with the master project schedule.
• Coordinate milestones such as kickoff, design criteria confirmation, equipment layout approval, IFA / IFR, BOM development, client review, PE review, state submissions, IFC release, production release, and as-builts.
• Monitor progress, identify late inputs and schedule risks, and communicate recovery plans to project management and leadership.
• Review contract scope, proposal assumptions, specifications, and client changes; identify design impacts and support change-order documentation.
• Coordinate design completion with Project Engineer Leads and PEs, tracking engineering comments, drawing revisions, and required approvals through final release.
• Ensure drawing and model revisions are controlled and communicated to procurement, fabrication, quality, and site teams.
• Confirm deliverables are complete, reviewed, traceable, and issued through established document-control procedures.

Manufacturing, Fabrication, and Constructability

• Work directly with structural and MEP fabrication teams to ensure designs are practical, buildable, and aligned with shop capabilities and production methods.
• Resolve shop questions, field dimensions, material substitutions, fabrication conflicts, and installation constraints.
• Use feedback from production and field installation to reduce rework, material waste, and manufacturing delays.
• Coordinate with procurement and material control on bills of material (BOMs), takeoffs, long-lead items, and purchasing requirements.
• Participate in production-readiness reviews and verify that current approved drawings and technical information are available before release.
• Support factory acceptance testing (FAT), quality inspections, punch-list resolution, and installation / commissioning clarification as needed.

Engineering, Code, and Certification Coordination

• Coordinate design documentation with licensed Professional Engineers (PEs), third-party reviewers, certification agencies, inspectors, and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), as applicable.
• Manage design inputs and packages required for PE review / seal, state plan review, modular building approvals, product certification, and project permitting.
• Track applicable building, structural, fire / life safety, electrical, mechanical, energy, accessibility, and modular construction requirements.
• Coordinate design criteria including wind, snow, seismic, roof and floor live loads, equipment loads, thermal performance, hazardous-area classifications, and transportation / lifting loads.
• Ensure calculations, code interpretations, and sealed documents are completed or approved by appropriately qualified professionals where required.
• Maintain records of review comments, responses, approvals, deviations, and design assumptions.

Client and Internal Coordination

• Participate in project kickoffs, design reviews, client coordination meetings, and project status meetings.
• Coordinate with clients, consultants, vendors, subcontractors, and internal stakeholders to obtain and verify design information.
• Communicate design status, technical concerns, required decisions, and schedule impacts clearly and promptly.
• Support project management with technical input for RFIs, submittals, change orders, design clarifications, and client presentations.
• Maintain effective coordination among design, engineering, VDC, procurement, fabrication, quality, and field installation teams.

Quality, Risk, and Continuous Improvement

• Implement design quality-control procedures, including discipline checks, interdisciplinary reviews, and formal approval gates.
• Identify risks early, including incomplete criteria, late vendor data, equipment changes, code conflicts, long-lead constraints, and scope gaps.
• Track design errors, rework, RFIs, and revision impacts; establish corrective actions and lessons learned.
• Maintain organized project records and ensure models, drawings, calculations, and revisions are controlled and retrievable.
• Improve processes through standard details, automation, libraries, checklists, training, and manufacturing feedback.

Project Engineering and Estimating Coordination

• Work closely with Project Engineer Leads and Professional Engineers (PEs) to coordinate design requirements, resolve technical questions, and drive each project's design package to completion.
• Coordinate design deliverables, engineering reviews, PE comments, drawing updates, and approval milestones with Project Engineer Leads and the responsible PE to maintain alignment with project schedules and submission requirements.
• Support the estimating team during the quotation and proposal phase by developing, coordinating, and populating estimate drawings with available project information, preliminary layouts, equipment footprints, and design assumptions.
• Return completed or updated estimate drawings and supporting design information to the estimating and project teams so scope, quantities, assumptions, and design intent are clearly communicated during project handoff.
• Develop and maintain Revit-based Bills of Material (BOMs), schedules, and quantity information using coordinated model data; establish consistent parameters, families, and extraction practices to improve accuracy and traceability.
• Coordinate Revit model content and BOM requirements with design disciplines, Project Engineer Leads, procurement, and estimating to confirm that modeled components, quantities, and material descriptions align with the project scope.
• Identify gaps between estimate drawings, awarded scope, engineering design, and Revit BOM quantities; communicate discrepancies early and support resolution before procurement or fabrication release.

Supervisory Responsibility: Yes

Education / Certification / Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, or a related technical field preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Typically 7+ years of experience in modular buildings, industrial facilities, prefabricated construction, data centers, or a related design / engineering environment.
• Typically 3+ years of experience leading designers, CAD / BIM personnel, or multidisciplinary design teams.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple disciplines and deliver design packages for fabrication and construction.
• Strong understanding of modular building systems, structural framing, building envelopes, equipment integration, MEP coordination, and manufacturing / installation requirements.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD and Revit; Navisworks, Bluebeam, and Autodesk Construction Cloud / BIM 360 experience preferred.
• Ability to interpret specifications, design criteria, engineering drawings, equipment submittals, and applicable codes.
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, problem-solving, and schedule-management skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with modular data centers, mission-critical facilities, control rooms, MCC / switchgear buildings, E-houses, and power houses.
• Experience with data center cooling, hot / cold aisle containment, CDUs, PDUs, UPS systems, switchgear, generators, and critical power infrastructure.
• Experience supporting PE-sealed drawing packages, state modular approvals, third-party inspections, certification programs, and AHJ reviews.
• Knowledge of structural steel fabrication, panelized / volumetric construction, skid bases, lifting and rigging interfaces, shipping constraints, and field installation.
• Experience creating design standards, Revit families, CAD libraries, BIM execution plans, and department workflows.
• Familiarity with BOM development, material takeoffs, procurement coordination, fabrication travelers, FAT, and production quality processes.

Core Competencies

• Team leadership, coaching, and resource planning
• Multidiscipline design and model coordination
• Modular building and industrial construction knowledge
• Constructability, design quality, and attention to detail
• CAD / BIM standards and model management
• Project scheduling, prioritization, and scope control
• Client, vendor, and stakeholder communication
• Technical problem-solving and risk identification
• Process improvement and design standardization

Authority and Decision-Making

The Design Manager may assign and prioritize design resources, establish department CAD / BIM standards, conduct design reviews, and recommend workflow improvements. Technical resolutions are coordinated with the responsible Engineering Manager, discipline leads, licensed professionals, project manager, and other designated approvers. Changes affecting contract scope, cost, schedule, engineering basis, code compliance, or sealed documents must follow company approval and change-management procedures.

The work environment and physical demands required would be representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job, and may include, but are not limited to the following:

Work Environment:

• Work in office and manufacturing / fabrication environments, with periodic visits to production areas and project sites.
• Comply with facility and site safety requirements and use required personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Travel to client locations, vendors, manufacturing facilities, and installation sites may be required.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Physical Demands:

• This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopier, filing cabinets and fax machines

Travel:

• May require infrequent travel (typically not overnight)

Final compensation will be determined based on applicable experience, education, licensure, skills, and other relevant factors

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

Recruitment/Staffing Agency Disclaimer: TriplePoint MEP and all entities within its group of companies do not accept unsolicited resumes from staffing or recruitment agencies. A fully executed MSA with the applicable group entity and prior written authorization and acceptance of each candidate submission by an authorized representative are required. Unsolicited submissions do not establish candidate ownership or create any obligation to pay placement fees, even if the candidate is subsequently hired.

Modular Design Manager - Modular Construction & Data Center Buildings