Willdan,

Director of Design Engineering

Willdan,$150K — $180K *
Energy & Utilities
15+ years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering
  • New York State Professional Engineer (PE) license required
  • 20+ years of MEP engineering experience
  • 10+ years in leadership roles managing engineering teams
  • Experience with healthcare, university, and institutional projects

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the senior technical authority for mechanical and central plant design projects
  • Lead conceptual design, feasibility studies, and detailed engineering
  • Manage multiple projects simultaneously, from system studies to major capital programs
  • Oversee budgets, schedules, staffing, and deliverable quality
  • Lead and mentor mechanical engineers, designers, and project managers
  • Support business development activities, proposals, and interviews
  • Guide decarbonization, electrification and sustainability strategies

Benefits

  • Unlimited time off for vacation, personal matters, volunteer work, etc.
  • Employee discounted stock purchase plan
  • 401k match
  • Health, dental, vision, life and wellness coverage
Full Job Description
Willdan Performance Engineering, a division of Willdan Group is seeking a highly accomplished Director of Design Engineering to lead the planning, design, and technical execution of complex mechanical infrastructure projects across commercial, institutional, healthcare, higher education, and mission-critical facilities.

This role is ideal for a senior engineering leader with 20+ years of experience in mechanical and energy systems design, including deep expertise in:
  • Central utility plants
  • District energy systems
  • Steam generation and distribution
  • Chilled water plants
  • Hot water and hydronic systems
  • Combined heat and power (CHP)
  • Heat recovery systems
  • Building decarbonization and electrification
  • Energy master planning

The Director of Design Engineering will oversee multidisciplinary engineering teams, ensure technical excellence, mentor staff, and support strategic business growth. The successful candidate will be a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) with a proven history of delivering high-profile projects in the New York City market and beyond.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
  • Technical Leadership
    • Serve as the senior technical authority for mechanical and central plant design projects.
    • Lead conceptual design, feasibility studies, and detailed engineering for:
      • Steam boiler plants
      • Chilled water systems
      • Condensed water systems
      • Hearing hot water plants
      • Thermal energy storage
      • CHP and microgrid integration
    • Direct HVAC system design for large and complex facilities.
    • Establish engineering standards, design guidelines, and QA/QC procedures.
    • Conduct peer reviews and approve design deliverables.
  • Project Leadership
    • Manage multiple projects simultaneously, ranging from system studies to major capital programs.
    • Coordinate with architects, owners, utilities, and contractors.
    • Oversee budgets, schedules, staffing, and deliverable quality.
    • Provide technical support during construction, commissioning, and startup.
  • Team Management
    • Lead and mentor mechanical engineers, designers, and project managers.
    • Conduct performance reviews and create development plans.
    • Recruit and retain top engineering talent.
  • Client Development
    • Serve as a trusted advisor to clients and stakeholders.
    • Support business development activities, proposals, and interviews.
    • Identify opportunities for repeat business and strategic partnerships.
  • Strategic Initiatives
    • Guide decarbonization, electrification and sustainability strategies.
    • Evaluate emerging technologies and develop engineering innovation initiatives.

Job Requirements / Qualifications
  • Bachelor's Degree in in Mechanical Engineering.
  • New York State Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
  • 20+ years of MEP engineering experience.
  • 10+ years in leadership roles managing engineering teams.
  • Experience in healthcare, university and institutional projects.
  • Moderate travel required; overnight travel about 20%

Benefits
  • Unlimited time off for vacation, personal matters, volunteer work, etc.
  • Employee discounted stock purchase plan.
  • 401k match
  • Health, dental, vision, life and wellness coverage

About Willdan,

Willdan Group, Inc. is an American publicly traded company selling professional technical and consulting services to public and private utilities, public agencies at all levels of government, and commercial and industrial firms. The company operates offices in more than a dozen states, with its key operations in California and New York. In 1964, the company was built by William Stookey and Dan Heil in southern California on a then-unique model of providing outsourced engineering services exclusively to municipalities, especially newly urbanizing cities. Over the next 50 years, the company's expansion has reflected the increasingly complex challenges facing communities, with a forward-looking focus on energy efficiency, energy engineering, cogeneration, Energy Savings Performance Contract, Community Choice Aggregation, smart city, microgrid consulting, and Transactive energy software. In 2006, Willdan Group, Inc. completed its initial public offerings in NASDAQ, becoming a publicly traded company under the symbol WLDN. In 2008, Willdan acquired Intergy Corporation, then renamed Willdan Energy Solutions, offering energy efficiency utility program management. In 2015, Willdan acquired 360 Energy Engineers and Abacus Resource Management, expanding its capabilities into Energy Service Company and Energy Savings Performance Contract services. Willdan acquired NYC-based Genesys Engineering, P.C., in 2016, bringing Power Engineering services into its portfolio, with an eye to evolution of U.S. power systems toward Distributed generation and microgrids.
Learn more about Willdan,
Size
1,560 employees
Market Cap
$248.5 million
Industry
Net Income
-$14.5 million
Founded
1964
5 Year Trend
+11.1%
Revenue
$390.9 million
NASDAQ

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