Design Automation Specialist

Stantec • Austin, TX

18h

About The Position

The Design Automation Specialist helps project teams turn real design and delivery challenges into automation solutions that are practical, usable, and worth maintaining. A core part of the role is judgment, namely understanding when automation adds value, when a lightweight prototype is sufficient, and when the right decision is not to automate at all. The role applies computational and software‑based approaches within BIM‑ and CAD‑driven environments, often working through ambiguity to determine the appropriate level of effort, complexity, and generalization. Success comes from balancing technical capability with an understanding of delivery constraints, team workflows, and long‑term support considerations. This position sits within the Digital Center of Excellence’s Design Automation team, which partners with project teams, discipline leads, and software groups to develop solutions that move beyond one‑off scripts. The focus is on maintainable, production‑ready approaches aligned with how tools are built, supported, and used across the firm. Because the DCoE supports multiple business lines, the problems encountered are varied and often transferable, creating opportunities to both apply and refine design automation practices over time. The ideal candidate brings a practical mindset to technical work, is comfortable navigating ambiguity, and is motivated by building solutions that create durable value for project teams.

Requirements

• Experienced developing automation solutions using visual programming, scripting, and software development, and comfortable applying those skills across different platforms and tools as needed.
• Familiar with architecture or engineering project environments, with an understanding of project lifecycles, constraints, and tradeoffs that comes from working closely with delivery teams.
• Confident working primarily in Autodesk-based environments, with working knowledge of Python and C#, and experience with Autodesk add-in development or related APIs considered an asset.
• Comfortable using AI-assisted development as a normal part of your workflow, while maintaining accountability for solution quality, reliability, and maintainability.
• Able to break down complex workflows, identify where automation creates meaningful value, and make sound judgments about where to focus effort.
• Communicates technical concepts clearly and adapts level of detail to suit both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Works well as part of a collaborative team, shares knowledge openly, and builds trust across disciplines.
• Curious and proactive about emerging tools and practices, and willing to constructively challenge assumptions when there's a better way to approach something.
• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience working in architecture or engineering project environments.
• A minimum of 4 years of related experience in design automation, computational design, or software‑enabled workflows, or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the role.

Nice To Haves

• A Master’s degree in a related field is considered an asset but is not required.
• Confident working primarily in Autodesk-based environments, with working knowledge of Python and C#, and experience with Autodesk add-in development or related APIs considered an asset.

Responsibilities

• Work through ambiguity to determine the right level of automation for a given context, including when to prototype, when to harden, and when not to automate.
• Design, build, and support automation solutions that improve design and delivery outcomes, using a mix of visual programming (Dynamo/Grasshopper), parametric workflows, and traditional software development.
• Work primarily in Autodesk-based environments (Revit, Civil 3D, Dynamo), while staying flexible and ready to shift to other platforms and tools when business needs and opportunities arise.
• Use AI-assisted development as a normal part of the workflow to accelerate exploration and implementation, while remaining accountable for the quality, reliability, and maintainability of the final solution.
• Partner with internal project teams, discipline leads, and software teams to gather requirements, translate pain points into clear problem statements, and deliver solutions that can be supported over time.
• Evaluate emerging tools and approaches, and help the team make grounded decisions about where new technology can deliver real value.
• Build relationships with communities of practice and cross-disciplinary groups to identify recurring needs, share lessons learned, and surface high-value opportunities.
• Contribute to scalable adoption by creating practical guidance, documentation, and examples that help others apply automation effectively in their own work.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees