Technical Design Manager
About The Position
The Technical Design Manager leads a team of technical designers responsible for producing manufacturing drawings for the signage pillar. The role oversees technical design from preliminary concepts through production-ready files, ensuring structural integrity, quality, compliance with codes, manufacturability, installation best practices, internal standards, and client brand expectations. The manager also supports project teams in addressing complex design issues, including structural feasibility and material selection. The position drives standardization and continuous improvement of design processes, documentation, software, and tools to improve turnaround time, consistency, and manufacturability. It monitors team KPIs and uses them to guide performance discussions, process adjustments, and coaching. The manager collaborates with estimating, sales, art, project management, manufacturing, and, as needed, the architectural and digital pillars. The role also provides technical support for sales or project teams during client meetings when needed and ensures customer requirements are translated into manufacturable designs. The manager organizes workload and capacity, communicates expectations and quality standards, and supports team development through regular one-on-ones, evaluations, coaching, team meetings, recruitment, onboarding, and career development. The role provides recommendations to the senior manager and plant manager on tooling, process improvements, emerging technologies, team structure, software investment, and training, and contributes to the broader vision for technical design excellence and digital evolution.
Requirements
- Dedicated: devoted to a task or purpose with loyalty or integrity.
- Detail oriented: capable of carrying out a task with the details necessary to complete it well.
- Team player: works well as a member of a group.
- Leader: inspires teammates to follow them.
Responsibilities
- Lead a multidisciplinary team of designers to ensure structural integrity and quality of deliverables.
- Oversee technical design development from preliminary concepting through final production-ready files.
- Maintain alignment with codes, manufacturing capabilities, and installation best practices.
- Ensure deliverables meet internal design standards and client brand expectations.
- Help project teams resolve complex design challenges, including structural feasibility and material selection.
- Standardize design practices and documentation across signage projects.
- Lead implementation and adoption of AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Inventor, and CorelDRAW within the team.
- Identify and support process innovations that improve turnaround time, design consistency, and manufacturability.
- Monitor and report on KPIs, including on-time delivery, design turnaround time, and design-related non-conformities.
- Use KPIs to guide performance discussions, process adjustments, and team coaching, and ensure team members understand the KPIs.
- Collaborate with Estimating, Sales, Art, Project Management, and Manufacturing to align technical solutions with project requirements.
- Participate in alignment meetings to support interdepartmental workflows and preserve design intent through production.
- Support the Architectural and Digital pillars when needed by leveraging shared expertise and capacity.
- Provide technical support during client meetings for sales or project teams as needed.
- Translate customer requirements into manufacturable technical designs.
- Manage and assign daily and weekly workload, prioritizing projects and optimizing resources.
- Monitor team capacity and proactively rebalance assignments to maintain throughput and service levels.
- Communicate task ownership, deadlines, and quality standards clearly.
- Conduct regular one-on-ones, performance evaluations, and coaching conversations.
- Lead weekly team meetings to review workload, technical challenges, and training opportunities.
- Support recruitment, onboarding, and career development of technical team members.
- Promote collaboration, accountability, and innovation within the team.
- Recommend design tooling, process improvements, and emerging technologies to the senior manager and plant manager.
- Contribute to the broader vision for technical design excellence and digital evolution in the signage pillar.
- Identify long-term needs related to team structure, software investment, and training.
- Walk onto the shop floor to communicate with supervisors, leads, and key manufacturing personnel.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
No Education Listed
