Sr. Director - Technical Building Design

DPR Construction; South Carolina; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

DPR Construction is seeking an experienced senior leader to direct MEP design across projects and regions. You will align MEP with architectural, structural and construction goals while guiding teams and senior leadership through complex strategies and risk considerations.

The role emphasizes collaboration, design governance, and leveraging digital tools to deliver constructible, efficient designs that meet client requirements and industry standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, or a related field, or equivalent experience required.
• 15+ years of experience in mechanical, electrical, plumbing engineering or a related field required.
• 8+ years of experience in leadership, management or organizational oversight required.
• Experience in integrated project delivery methods, including design-build or design-assist required.
• Experience working across multiple market sectors, such as advanced technology, healthcare, commercial or infrastructure, preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred; LEED Accredited Professional certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Defines and implements MEP design strategy, standards, and operating frameworks to ensure consistency, quality, and alignment with organizational objectives.
• Integrates MEP design with architectural, structural, and construction disciplines to achieve coordinated and constructible project outcomes.
• Directs design governance, including quality assurance and quality control processes, across projects and regions.
• Advices on complex technical challenges, including system selection, performance optimization and alignment with project goals.
• Leads cross-functional collaboration to incorporate advanced delivery methods, digital tools and emerging technologies into design practices.
• Oversees portfolio-level performance, including risk identification, resource alignment, financial performance and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manages and develops teams, including setting direction, supporting performance and building organizational capability within MEP design.

Skills

Strategic leadership

MEP design

Cross-functional collaboration

Risk management

Team development

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Job description

Job Description At DPR, roles and responsibilities are more than describing a job title—they are a commitment to building great things together. The job description(s) below defines core responsibilities and the scope of the role and is a starting point. Every employee is expected to lead from where they are, take ownership of outcomes, and always act in the best interest of the team, customer, project and organization. As a purpose-driven organization on a journey to be most admired, we rely on trust, shared leadership, open communication, disciplined action and a deep respect for the individual to drive exceptional performance. Success is not just about what we build, but who we build and how we build it: with integrity, enjoyment, uniqueness and an ever-forward mindset.

Job Summary

Provides strategic leadership and direction for Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing (MEP), and related building systems design across projects and regions. Establishes integrated design approaches that align MEP systems with architectural, structural, and construction objectives. Guides organizational priorities for MEP design in alignment with firm-wide goals, client requirements and industry standards. Leads cross-disciplinary collaboration to deliver coordinated, constructible and efficient design solutions. Advises senior leadership and project teams on complex design strategies, risk considerations and innovation opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Defines and implements MEP design strategy, standards, and operating frameworks to ensure consistency, quality, and alignment with organizational objectives.
• Integrates MEP design with architectural, structural, and construction disciplines to achieve coordinated and constructible project outcomes.
• Directs design governance, including quality assurance and quality control processes, across projects and regions.
• Advices on complex technical challenges, including system selection, performance optimization and alignment with project goals.
• Leads cross-functional collaboration to incorporate advanced delivery methods, digital tools and emerging technologies into design practices.
• Oversees portfolio-level performance, including risk identification, resource alignment, financial performance and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manages and develops teams, including setting direction, supporting performance and building organizational capability within MEP design.

Education Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, or a related field, or equivalent experience required.

Work Experience

• 15+ years of experience in mechanical, electrical, plumbing engineering or a related field required.
• 8+ years of experience in leadership, management or organizational oversight required.
• Experience in integrated project delivery methods, including design-build or design-assist required.
• Experience working across multiple market sectors, such as advanced technology, healthcare, commercial or infrastructure, preferred.

Certifications and Licenses

• Professional Engineer (PE) license in mechanical or electrical engineering preferred.
• LEED Accredited Professional certification preferred.

Company Overview

DPR Construction is a forward-thinking, self-performing general contractor specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects for the advanced technology, life sciences, healthcare, higher education and commercial markets. Founded in 1990, DPR is a great story of entrepreneurial success as a private, employee-owned company that has grown into a multi-billion-dollar family of companies with offices around the world. Working at DPR, you'll have the chance to try new things, explore paths and shape your future. Here, we build opportunity together - by harnessing our talents, enabling curiosity and pursuing our collective ambition to make the best ideas happen. We are proud to be recognized as a great place to work by our talented teammates and leading news organizations like U.S. News and World Report, Forbes, Fast Company and Newsweek. The DPR family of companies is closing the gap between design and construction with an integrated collection of products and services to build smarter, move faster and achieve strong results. Our approximately 11,000 employees share a commitment to growth, innovation and building great things - great teams, great careers and great projects that change the world.

Equal Opportunity Employer

DPR is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions at DPR are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical or mental disability, HIV status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, medical history or genetic information, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. DPR will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. Read more in our EEOE Policy.