AI Design Engineer

Frontier Door & Cabinet • Tacoma, WA

2d • $105,000 - $165,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Frontier Door & Cabinet is hiring an AI Design Engineer to transform how its custom millwork, cabinetry, casework, and commercial fixtures move from architectural design intent to manufactured parts. The role will work alongside engineering and drafting teams to understand existing processes, develop and test AI-assisted workflows on live projects, and translate proven improvements into greater capacity for growth. This is a hands-on, builder-oriented position—not a CAD management role—and its results will be tested in Frontier’s own manufacturing operation and installed projects.

The engineer will develop workflows for drawing intake, specification and bid-set analysis, submittal and shop-drawing generation, redline response, and quality checks against AWI standards and project specifications. The role will also capture experienced staff’s knowledge in usable rules, parametric libraries, and data; improve the flow from engineering to manufacturing through automated bills of materials, cut lists, nesting, and CNC handoffs; and accelerate concept development, renderings, and early engineering. The engineer will evaluate vendor tools, build where Frontier’s data provides an advantage, and coordinate with AI, automation, and estimating leaders so design data can flow between bids and production.

In the first 90 days, the engineer will work directly with drafters and engineers to learn standards, libraries, and the bid-set-to-CNC process; map one product family end to end; deliver and measure an AI-assisted workflow on a live project; and present a 12-month plan for the engineering department. The role is based on-site in Tacoma, Washington, with some travel to El Paso, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona. It reports to the Director of AI & Automation and the Director of Operations and works day to day with cabinet engineering and drafting leadership.

Frontier describes the role as an opportunity to amplify craftspeople, not replace them. Efficiency gains are intended to support more work, more complex projects, training, expansion, and new opportunities for employees. The company is an American manufacturer and specialty contractor focused on commercial construction, including Division 08 doors, frames, and hardware and Division 12 cabinets and countertops, with operations in Tacoma, El Paso, and Phoenix.

Requirements

• Experience in custom millwork, architectural woodwork, commercial casework, or store fixtures in a role such as drafter, design engineer, engineering manager, CNC programmer, or project engineer, with practical experience drawing, building, or resolving field issues.
• Demonstrated ability to build AI tools or automations independently, such as scripts, agents, or other working tools.
• Fluency in at least one core design-to-manufacturing platform.
• Ability to read architectural drawings and specifications, including AWI standards and casework and countertop sections of project manuals.
• A practical, prototype-oriented approach to problem solving.
• Ability to teach and work as an ally to experienced drafting and engineering staff.
• Willingness to work on-site in Tacoma, Washington, and travel to El Paso, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona as needed.

Nice To Haves

• Library development or administration in Microvellum or Cabinet Vision.
• Scripting experience with Python, AutoLISP, C#/.NET, the SolidWorks API, or Grasshopper.
• Hands-on experience with LLM APIs, agents, document AI, or computer vision.
• Revit and BIM coordination experience on large commercial projects.
• Countertop templating and fabrication experience, or CNC router and stone programming experience.
• Lean or process-improvement experience.
• Public writing, speaking, or posting about the future of the industry.

Responsibilities

• Work with engineering and drafting teams to learn current standards, libraries, and the full process from bid set to CNC.
• Map a product family end to end and identify where time is spent and errors originate.
• Develop, deploy, and measure AI-assisted workflows on live projects.
• Create workflows for drawing intake, specification and bid-set reading, submittal and shop-drawing generation, redline response, and quality checks against AWI standards and project specifications.
• Capture tribal knowledge in rules, parametric libraries, and data usable by both employees and models.
• Automate or improve bills of materials, cut lists, nesting, and CNC handoffs to reduce manual steps and re-keying.
• Speed up concept development, renderings, and early engineering for custom fixtures.
• Evaluate vendor tools, building solutions where Frontier’s data offers an advantage and declining tools that are only demonstrations.
• Coordinate with the Director of AI & Automation and the estimating team to connect design data with production and bids.
• Support and teach drafters and engineers so they can adopt new workflows and use newly created capacity to take on more work and support company growth.
• Present a 12-month plan for the future of Frontier’s engineering department after the first 90 days.

Benefits

• Competitive salary of $105,000–$165,000 depending on experience, plus bonus.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k).
• Budget for AI tools, hardware, training, and industry events, including IWF, AWFS, and AWI.
• Direct access to ownership and the leadership team.
• Opportunity to build solutions for the industry while contributing to growth of a manufacturing operation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed