Position Title Forward Deployed Engineer- MEP Design
Position Location Remote - work virtually from anywhere in the United States
Salary AI2IO recognizes salary ranges from job boards do not necessarily reflect our pay ranges. In many instances we out-compete those ranges for well-qualified candidates.
Job Summary The Forward Deployed Engineer - MEP Design is a hands-on, execution-focused role within AI2IO, embedded with the MEP Design department of DLB Associates and its family of affiliate companies. Working on a forward-deployed model, this individual is employed by AI2IO but works with and for the design teams day to day, turning the department's priorities into working AI tools, workflows, and processes that engineers and designers use on real projects.
This is a builder's role, not a strategy role. Design leadership identifies where improvement is needed and owns the roadmap; the Forward Deployed Engineer takes that roadmap and makes it real, using the AI platforms available across the
organization-including Claude, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and AI2IO's CORE AI platform-to design, build, test, deploy, and
support solutions. The role favors configuring and extending proven, off-the-shelf platforms and commercially available tools over custom development; solutions that require custom software are handed off to AI2IO's DevOps team. Success is
measured by tools in use on live projects and hours returned to the design teams, not by plans or presentations.
The ideal candidate comes from the MEP consulting world. They have produced construction documents, worked through
deadline weeks and QA/QC reviews, and understand that a sealed drawing carries the Engineer of Record's professional
responsibility. They know the difference between a tool that is technically impressive and one an engineer will trust on a
deliverable. Somewhere along the way, they became the person in their office who automates things, and they want to do
that full time.
Because this role bridges two organizations, the Forward Deployed Engineer serves as the Design department's advocate
and translator within AI2IO-representing the department's priorities of engineering accuracy, defensibility, practicality, and
speed to usable results, while working within AI2IO's security, governance, and development standards. The position reports to AI2IO's AI Strategy & Enablement leadership and takes day-to-day priorities from Design department leadership.
The Engineer works closely with the AI Enablement Program Manager to convert successful engagements into reusable
patterns, training material, and adoption signals. They also serve as a key feedback channel back to AI platform owners -
surfacing capability gaps, training needs, and governance issues observed in the field.
Essential FunctionsBuild & Deploy AI Solutions - Translate Design department roadmap priorities into working AI solutions-agents, automations, scripts, prompt libraries, and Claude and Microsoft 365 Copilot workflows-moving quickly from requirement to usable tool and iterating from there.
- Evaluate commercially available AI tools, industry software, and native platform features first, selecting and configuring off-the-shelf solutions wherever they meet the need, and pursuing custom development only when no suitable option exists.
- Build tools that fit the way MEP teams already work, integrating with the department's existing design, documentation, and project delivery tools (e.g., Revit, AutoCAD, Bluebeam Revu, Excel-based calculation tools, SharePoint, and Teams) rather than asking engineers to change platforms.
- Develop scripts and automations using Python, Dynamo, the Revit API, Power Automate, approved AI platforms, and other AI2IO-approved tools where off-the-shelf features cannot meet the need, keeping custom code lightweight and maintainable.
- Build knowledge and retrieval solutions that allow engineers to search and reuse the department's standards, design guides, specifications, and past project documentation.
- Deploy and maintain department-level tools within AI2IO's security, data handling, and governance standards, and hand off solutions requiring custom or enterprise-scale development to AI2IO's DevOps team through the established Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) with sufficient documentation and requirements to support an effective handoff.
- Maintain, troubleshoot, and improve deployed tools as platforms, models, and department needs evolve.
Representative Projects - Drafting and editing specification sections, and checking specifications against drawings and the project basis of design.
- Automated QA/QC checks on drawing sets and markups, including consistency checks across disciplines.
- Verification support for engineering calculations and equipment schedules.
- Generating basis-of-design narratives, design reports, and meeting summaries from project inputs.
- Supporting RFI and submittal review workflows during construction administration.
- Supporting proposal, scope, and fee development.
Design Department Partnership - Work alongside Design department leaders to understand priorities and the roadmap, then break those priorities into scoped, buildable deliverables with clear success criteria.
- Work directly with engineers and designers to understand current workflows, pain points, and where AI can remove effort without compromising quality.
- Provide Design leadership with honest, practical input on feasibility, effort, and tradeoffs, and recommend roadmap adjustments based on what is learned in the field.
- Represent the Design department's perspective within AI2IO, helping AI2IO teams understand the realities of MEP consulting, including professional liability, QA/QC expectations, project deadlines, and fee constraints.
Quality & Responsible Use - Design every solution with human review built in, so that engineers remain in control of and accountable for all engineering judgment and deliverables.
- Test tools against real project data and known-correct results before release, and clearly document limitations so users know when not to rely on them.
- Protect client and project confidentiality in how data is used, stored, and shared across AI platforms.
Adoption, Training & Measurement - Train engineers and designers on the tools built for them through working sessions, short guides, and office hours, meeting teams where they are.
- Capture user feedback and platform issues, and use them to prioritize improvements.
- Track adoption, usage, and time saved to demonstrate measurable value, and report progress to Design leadership and AI2IO.
- Surface platform gaps, governance concerns, and feature requests to AI Enablement Program Manager based on field observations.
- Document solutions, prompts, and workflows so they can be supported, reused, and scaled across teams.
- Partner with the AI Enablement Program Manager to convert successful solutions into reusable patterns, case studies, and training materials.
- Stay current on the latest AI advancements, industry tools, and best practices-including new platform features, commercially available AEC and MEP AI products, and emerging methods-through ongoing learning, vendor evaluations, and industry engagement, and bring forward practical opportunities to Design leadership.
Completion of Assigned Tasks and Deliverables on Time and on Budget - Performs Other Related Duties as Assigned
Position Requirements - Strong working knowledge of MEP consulting engineering, including design phases, construction document production, specifications, calculations, coordination, and QA/QC processes.
- Understanding of the professional responsibility carried by the Engineer of Record and how it shapes the ways AI can and cannot be used in engineering deliverables.
- Demonstrated, hands-on experience building AI-enabled tools or workflows using LLM platforms such as Claude, Microsoft 365 Copilot, or similar, including prompt and workflow design, agents, and evaluating output quality.
- Experience evaluating, selecting, and configuring commercially available software and AI tools, with sound judgment about when to adopt an off-the-shelf solution and when to escalate for custom development.
- Scripting proficiency in Python or a comparable language, with the ability to automate tasks, work with APIs, and process project data.
- Working knowledge of Revit and Bluebeam Revu; experience with the Revit API, Dynamo, or pyRevit is strongly preferred.
- Familiarity with the Microsoft ecosystem, including SharePoint, Teams, Power Automate, Copilot Studio, and Azure AI Foundry, is preferred.
- Experience building retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) solutions over document libraries is a plus.
- Bias toward action, with the ability to take a defined priority from idea to working tool quickly and then iterate based on real use.
- Clear communicator with engineers, designers, and IT professionals alike, able to translate between design and technical perspectives.
- Comfort working independently within a dual-reporting structure, balancing Design department priorities with AI2IO standards.
- Data center or mission critical design experience is preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to leverage AI tools to enhance personal productivity and quality of work output.
- Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning, with a track record of staying current on AI advancements, AEC industry tools, and emerging best practices.
Travel / Relocation Requirements - Up to 10%, this may include travel to any or all 50 US states, primarily for on-site working sessions with design teams
- Travel is defined as physically leaving home on behalf of business activities including but not limited to client sites, meetings with other employees, meeting for business development purposes, running errands on behalf of the business, attending industry conferences, etc.
Education / Experience Requirements - Minimum of 5 years of experience in MEP consulting engineering or design, including at least 2 years of hands-on experience building automation, scripting, or AI-enabled tools, whether in a formal role or self-driven.
PLUS - Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Architectural Engineering, or a related discipline. EIT or PE licensure is a plus but not required.
BenefitsAI2IO offers a very competitive benefits package; highlights include
- Choice of comprehensive medical plans (including two PPO-style plans and a HDHP w/ HSA option)
- Flex spending accounts (FSA)
- Dental and vision plans
- Comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits extended to spouse / domestic partner and dependent children up to age 26
- 401k with company match and self-directed brokerage account option
- PTO including additional paid time off during the last week of the year
- Company paid life insurance coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
- Short and long-term disability, AD&D coverage
- Professional development opportunities, tuition reimbursement and professional licensing assistance
- Paid parental leave after one year of employment
CO, CA, IL, NY, WA, and Washington DC residents only: In accordance with CO, CA, IL, NY, WA, and Washington DC law, the range provided is AI2IO's reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount may differ based on non-discriminatory factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and location.
The pay range for this role is:
99,750 - 123,375 USD per year (Remote (United States))
