CDM Smith

Manager, Design Practice

CDM Smith$90K — $120K *
Real Estate & Construction
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree required; equivalent experience considered.
  • 10 years of relevant experience, including 2 years in leadership.
  • Expert knowledge in AEC design technologies and processes.
  • Strong leadership, organization, and prioritization skills.
  • Excellent communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the Design Practice group to enhance digital workflows.
  • Develop and maintain standards for digital design tools and processes.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams for technology integration.
  • Manage team performance, mentoring, and staff evaluation.
  • Motivate and foster a positive team environment.
  • Present technical ideas clearly to diverse audiences.
  • Assist with marketing and business development initiatives.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work with cutting-edge digital tools and technologies.
  • Collaborative environment with a multidisciplinary team.
  • Role contributes to firm-wide digital transformation efforts.
  • Guidance and mentorship from experienced Digital Practice Leader.
  • Flexible work arrangements available.
Full Job Description
Job Description

CDM Smith is seeking a Design Practice Manager to join our Digital Engineering Solutions team. This individual will lead the Design Practice group, helping to drive the firm's digital transformation through the strategic implementation of digital design tools, technologies and processes. This group plays a key role in advancing digital enablement programs and technology execution plans that enhance design workflows across our architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) disciplines. This role also involves collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of various technologies and communicating effectively with stakeholders to drive project success. This position is ideal for someone who has demonstrated excellence in digital design technologies and processes, has applied them across a variety of AEC practices, and thrives on identifying, developing, and establishing standards, workflows, and training programs. The Design Practice Manager will lead rollout efforts and champion adoption across the organization. As a member of the Digital Engineering Solutions team, the Design Practice group will also collaborate closely the business units project delivery teams and discipline experts to identify, prioritize and advance design practice initiatives. This includes translating strategic objectives and operational challenges into actionable insights that align with broader digital strategies.

The ideal candidate will have a proven record in the field of design practice, with a mindset of continuous learning and curiosity leading to tangible results.

Under the direction of the Digital Practice Leader, the duties and responsibilities for this position include:
• Working on the cutting edge of digital tools and technologies, developing standards, processes and workflows for applications by Autodesk and Bentley, and other design applications and plug-ins that can benefit the AEC practices at CDM Smith.
• Maintaining consistent and documented standards, processes, workflows, and best practices for CDM Smith's AEC digital tools and technologies in alignment with the broader digital enablement strategy Ability to communicate thoughts and technical ideas in an accessible and easy-to-understand manner.
• Eagerness to learn and work as part of a multidisciplinary team across a global practice.
• Display excellent interpersonal skills to build quality relationships with the team and across the organization.
• Assist on initiatives and efforts, as part of a collaborative team, with your digital tools and technologies expertise.
• Assist with the development of documentation, standards, best practices, and workflows for design practice hardware/software and digital tools and technologies in use across the business.
• Manage and oversee a team of design practice specialists, aligning the group to the Digital Engineering Solutions team's goals and objectives along with the Digital Practice Leader. This further includes providing guidance, instruction, training, and leadership skills to inspire the group to perform at their optimum, working efficiently together and maximizing the team's potential.
• Motivate and inspire a team of design practice specialists by creating an environment that promotes positive communication, encourages bonding of group members (both within the area of design technology and across the broader team as a whole), and demonstrates flexibility.
• Manages staff, evaluates performance, mentors, approves paid time off (PTO) and training, ensures human resources (HR) policies are followed and makes recommendations regarding staffing decisions.
• Present to both internal and external audiences as needed.
• Assist the business with marketing, communications, and business development descriptions and activities from a technology perspective as needed.
• Assist with internal and external website descriptions as needed.
• Perform other duties as required.

Skills and Abilities:
• Experience leading and managing a team of staff. Team-oriented, positive, collaborative and reliable. Proven leadership capabilities with the ability to organize, plan, prioritize, and to manage time and changing priorities.
• Expert knowledge and proven ability in the area of AEC design technologies and processes. Inquisitive, with a desire to ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of business issues. Passionate about helping AEC business lines drive their success in using design technology and processes.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to communicate well with people from both technical and non-technical backgrounds. Ability to listen, build rapport, and credibility as a strategic and diplomatic partner with our business units.
• Innovative and able to apply critical thinking skills to generate new solutions/ideas that create value and improve processes.
• Detail oriented with the ability to assist with executing highly complex or specialized projects.

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Minimum Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree.
• 10 years of related experience with at least 2 of those years in a supervisory or leadership capacity.
• Equivalent additional directly related experience will be considered in lieu of a college degree.

Domestic and/or international travel may be required. The frequency of travel is contingent on specific duties, responsibilities, and the essential functions of the position, which may vary depending on workload and project demands.

About CDM Smith

CDM Smith is an engineering and construction company that provides a wide range of services to clients in the public and private sectors. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. CDM Smith offers services in areas such as water resources, transportation, environmental engineering, and more. The company is committed to sustainability and has implemented a number of initiatives to reduce its environmental impact. CDM Smith has offices throughout the United States and around the world.
Learn more about CDM Smith
Size
5,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1986

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