Senior Building Performance Analyst

dbHMS; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Insurance – Health, Dental, Vision, and Life

Paid Time Off

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in Chicago is seeking a Senior Building Performance Analyst to support high-performance simulations. The role involves mentoring junior staff and requires expertise in energy modeling and building systems. Candidates should possess strong qualifications, including a bachelor's degree in engineering and extensive experience in building projects in North America. This is a hybrid position with both office and remote aspects, fostering a collaborative environment along with numerous benefits.

Qualifications

• Seven to ten years of experience with building projects in North America.
• Proficiency in energy modeling software.
• Strong background in heat transfer and thermodynamics.

Responsibilities

• Analyze energy use of systems from a building level to regional grid.
• Conduct energy code compliance modeling.
• Mentor junior staff in technical and professional matters.

Skills

Energy efficiency

Building systems knowledge

Communication skills

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Graduate degree

Tools

IES

EnergyPlus/OpenStudio

TRNSYS

Python

Job description

Firm Overview

Do more than just model! At dbHMS we are a collection of doers and thinkers. We combine our passion for engineering and modeling with our client’s vision to realize successful construction projects in our community and worldwide. Together with our clients, we are dedicated to leaving a legacy of stewardship and innovation through our impact on the built environment. Our staff of talented individuals and unique characters is united in their dedication to deliver high-performance, efficient, and sustainable buildings worldwide.

Job Location & Role

Our DataBased+ Studio, in our Chicago office, is seeking a Senior Building Performance Analyst. This role will support high performance simulation for a variety of projects while working closely with our internal team in delivering efficient and long-lasting buildings.

Our dynamic work environment provides the perfect opportunity to advance your career while developing and fine‑tuning your skills along with offering a supportive office culture, diverse workforce, flexible work schedules, and regular social events. At dbHMS, you will find everything you need for an exciting, challenging, and rewarding career.

dbHMS is committed to a diverse workforce and to providing a safe, accessible workplace. Most duties will be performed in an office environment. While dbHMS currently operates with both hybrid and remote‑only work policies, this position is a hybrid position with in‑office responsibilities. The typical work week consists of five eight‑hour shifts.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Insurance – Health, Dental, Vision, and Life
• Paid Time Off
• Professional Organization dues reimbursement
• Waiting period may apply

We offer a dynamic work environment where innovation and collaboration are encouraged. If you are passionate about energy efficiency and have the skills we are looking for, we would love to hear from you.

Position Overview

The DataBased+ studio within dbHMS delivers data‑based, human‑centered design support services to clients with a vision for industry‑leading performance across sustainability, resilience, human health and wellness, and operating cost. At DataBased+, Senior Building Performance Analysts ask and answer questions that lead to design decisions which improve the indoor air quality and thermal comfort, minimize cost, and maximize resource efficiency of buildings, campuses, neighborhoods, or regions. In addition, they facilitate the discussions that lead project teams toward higher performance.

Every new building, major renovation, or community planning project at DataBased+ and dbHMS has a Senior Building Performance Analyst as part of the design team. It forms the backbone of our approach to delivering the best built environment for our clients. Additionally, Senior Building Performance Analysts play a strong part in the training and mentorship of junior team members. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in energy code compliance, HVAC system modeling in tools such as IES or OpenStudio, and energy performance analysis.

Primary Responsibilities

• Articulate building systems and science principles to clients in a meaningful way.
• Analyze the resource use of engineered building systems and their components at all scales from the system level up through and including the regional grid level and accurately predict their impact on energy efficiency, human health, and environmental sustainability.
• Conduct detailed energy code compliance modeling and predictive energy modeling, with a strong emphasis on building HVAC systems including DOAS VRF, ground‑source heat pumps, radiant systems, and chilled beams.
• Apply knowledge of passive and active engineered systems to make recommendations about building components and design elements.
• Learn concepts rapidly, then apply them and articulate them appropriately. This includes but is not limited to technologies/strategies associated with high performance building design, ever evolving building codes and standards, and benchmarking tools associated with high performance building design (e.g. Living Building Challenge, Passivhaus).
• Collaborate with internal and external project design teams to provide guidance on building enclosure and system design based on the results of building performance modeling.
• Survey existing buildings and identify systems and components.
• Manage client relationships.
• Schedule work responsibilities and perform quality reviews on work products within the studio.
• Mentor junior staff in both technical and professional matters.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering; graduate degree is preferred.
• Proficiency in IES or EnergyPlus/OpenStudio.
• Seven to ten years of experience with building projects in North America and a comprehensive understanding of energy use in buildings.
• Strong background in heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid flow.
• Ability to read and understand construction documents, floor plans, specifications, and details.
• Ability to breakdown complex building science problems into models that accurately predict building performance.
• Strong presentation skills.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and team‑building skills.
• Strong software and computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Bluebeam, etc.).

Additional Preferred Qualifications

• Active membership in IBPSA and/or ASHRAE.
• ASHRAE Building Energy Modeling Professional (BEMP) certification or similar.
• Professional engineering license.
• Experience with TRNSYS, Grasshopper and other 'bug suite' tools, Python, or similar scripting/coding.
• Experience with design of Building Systems.
• Experience with public speaking.
• Experience with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software.
• Experience in sustainability certification programs (LEED, Enterprise Green Communities, PHIUS, Living Building Challenge, etc.).
• Experience managing and mentoring junior team members.

Personal Qualities, Other Skills/Abilities

• Strong critical thinking skills.
• Ability to communicate novel or complex concepts and related facts in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner in any format (e.g. written, oral, presentation).
• Well‑developed interpersonal skills, maturity, credibility, confidence and integrity.
• Strong time‑management skills and experience managing multiple priorities at once.
• Collaborative with strong focus on teamwork.
• Excellent work ethic.
• Self‑motivated and able to work independently both in a group environment and remotely.
• Passionate about optimizing buildings and building systems and improving the built environment.
• Ability to provide a quality professional product in an aggressive timeline.