Generative Design Engineer

HNTB Corporation•Santa Ana, CA

12d•$110,385 - $215,817

About The Position

At HNTB, you can create a career that is meaningful to you while building communities that matter to all of us. For more than a century, we have been delivering solutions for some of the largest, most complex infrastructure projects across the country. With our historic growth, it is an exciting time to join our team of employee-owners. This position supports HNTB’s Digital Transformation Solutions Group as part of the Virtual Design and Construction team. The Generative Design Engineer focuses on advancing automated, algorithmic, parametric, and generative design workflows across planning, design, and construction phases for transportation-related infrastructure projects. The role emphasizes the development and application of rule-based, data-driven, and optimization-based design systems that improve design quality, efficiency, and decision-making. The Sr VDC Specialist works closely with designers, engineers, VDC professionals, and project teams to develop reusable tools, scripts, and workflows that integrate seamlessly into existing design processes. This position requires strong technical expertise, domain experience, platform excellence and the ability to translate design intent and constraints into scalable computational solutions.

Requirements

Associate’s degree or certificate in computer-aided design (CAD), BIM, VDC, or a related field and 7 years of relevant experience, or Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field and 5 years of related experience, or In lieu of education, 9 years of relevant experience.
Demonstrated experience developing parametric and generative design workflows for real world projects.
Strong understanding of design logic, geometry, constraints, and performance driven design.
Ability to work across disciplines and communicate technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
Experience supporting infrastructure and/or complex building projects.
Experience reading and comprehending Design Criteria Manuals
Strong problem-solving skills and a passion for automation and innovation.

Nice To Haves

Certifications in BIM, CAD, or other VDC technologies.
Certifications in project management (PMP, Agile) or management practices.
Bachelor or Master’s degree in Construction Management, Architecture, Engineering, Geospatial Science, Data Science, or Computer Science
Demonstrated experience integrating generative design into production BIM workflows.
Familiarity with automation at scale and reusable tool development.
Exposure to AI assisted or optimization-based design methods.
Experience working in a collaborative design or VDC environment.

Responsibilities

Designs and leads digital delivery strategies for critical design and construction projects.
Develops BIM workflows and oversees model coordination and visualization.
Implements cutting-edge technologies and integrates with project systems.
Leads automation initiatives and data analytics for construction insights.
Provides technical leadership and mentorship across VDC teams.
Collaborates with stakeholders to align digital deliverables with project goals.
Ensures quality, scalability, and compliance of digital outputs.
Manages tasks and budgets.
Serves as Subject Matter Expert on pursuit teams.
Performs other duties as assigned.