Director of Digital Engineering

Aldridge Group•Green Oaks, IL

8d•$175,000 - $215,000

About The Position

Aldridge is seeking a Director of Digital Engineering to join its team in Libertyville, Illinois. This strategic leadership role drives the implementation of technical solutions that optimize project delivery, enhance safety, reduce costs, and maintain the company’s competitive edge. The Director bridges traditional construction practices and emerging technology, overseeing a team focused on Virtual Design & Construction (VDC), automation and scripting, and AI-driven tool integration. The position defines the company’s Digital Engineering and Construction Technology roadmap; leads corporate VDC and advanced BIM operations; and evaluates emerging technologies for VDC and prefabrication. The Director also partners with Preconstruction and Pursuits to support project proposals and helps establish company-wide standards for digital twins, reality capture, AR/VR, prefabrication, and data-rich Revit MEP families. The role leads development of automation tools and AI-enabled workflows, integrates data into business intelligence dashboards, and uses analytics to monitor performance and risk. It recruits, mentors, and manages a multidisciplinary team and collaborates with Operations, Preconstruction, IT, and Project Management. A strong emphasis is placed on MEP coordination, design-assist workflows, off-site manufacturing, and converting 3D electrical models into prefabrication assemblies and shop-floor execution workflows.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, Computer Science, or a related field.
At least 8 years of experience in AEC technology.
At least 3 years in a leadership or managerial role within a medium-to-large construction firm.
Deep expertise in Autodesk Construction Cloud (including Revit, Navisworks, and Assemble), Bentley, or Trimble ecosystems.
Strong understanding of computational design and automation tools such as Dynamo or Grasshopper, and programming languages such as Python, C#, or JavaScript.
Proven experience implementing AI tools or using data analytics platforms such as Power BI or Tableau in a construction context.
Familiarity with drone mapping, laser scanning, and point-cloud data processing.
Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and field crews.
Strong change-management skills and a track record of driving technology adoption across large organizations.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Technical certifications.

Responsibilities

Define and execute the company’s Digital Engineering and Construction Technology roadmap.
Evaluate emerging technologies for VDC and prefabrication, including generative AI, machine learning, robotics, and IoT, and assess their viability for project delivery.
Champion innovation and foster a technology-forward culture across corporate and field operations.
Partner with Preconstruction and Pursuits early in the project lifecycle to develop visual digital twins, 4D schedule sequencing, and logistics plans for complex project pursuits.
Oversee corporate VDC strategy and the integration of 3D, 4D, and 5D modeling across project phases.
Establish enterprise-wide standards, workflows, and protocols for digital twins, reality capture, and AR/VR applications.
Collaborate on Target Value Design to align design intent with buildability and optimize costs before construction begins.
Define the corporate off-site strategy, including prefabrication criteria and a data-rich Revit MEP family library; collaborate with the Shop Manager on a catalog of standardized electrical assemblies.
Lead development of custom scripts, plugins, and APIs to automate design and preconstruction workflows.
Deploy AI and machine learning tools to analyze project data, optimize scheduling, improve estimating accuracy, and predict safety risks.
Integrate disparate data streams into unified dashboards that provide actionable business intelligence to executive leadership.
Recruit, mentor, and manage VDC managers, computational designers, software developers, and data analysts.
Collaborate with Operations, Preconstruction, IT, and Project Management to ensure digital tools address jobsite challenges.
Use predictive analytics and operational dashboards to monitor KPIs, assess risk, and prevent cost overruns.
Oversee MEP coordination and design-assist workflows to ensure complex building systems are modeled and clashes are resolved digitally.
Drive off-site manufacturing and field profitability by transforming 3D electrical models into automated prefabrication assemblies and integrated shop-floor execution workflows.
Host regular performance conversations to set goals, provide feedback, and support the development of direct reports.