Construction Design Manager (R5486)

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. Job Description: This role will serve as the owner's representative responsible for leading facility planning, programming, design development, and project delivery for manufacturing, engineering, laboratory, office, and secure facility projects. This position is heavily focused on design management and will be responsible for directing external architecture and engineering (A&E) firms throughout the entire project lifecycle. The successful candidate will lead stakeholder engagement, requirements development, programming, consultant management, design reviews, constructability reviews, and technical decision-making while ensuring designs align with operational objectives, budget constraints, schedule requirements, security requirements, and long-term facility strategies. The ideal candidate thrives in environments where requirements are evolving and can effectively guide design teams through ambiguity to produce practical, constructible, and scalable solutions. Construction oversight is expected, but the primary focus of this role is ensuring design quality, design coordination, and successful project definition before construction begins. The initial assignment will be the planning, design, and delivery of a prototype laboratory facility supporting advanced engineering and development activities.

What you'll do:: Serve as the owner's lead representative for facility planning, programming, and design execution. Manage and direct architecture, engineering, specialty consultant, and design-build teams. Develop project requirements in partnership with engineering, manufacturing, operations, security, and executive stakeholders. Convert high-level business and operational objectives into actionable facility and infrastructure requirements. Lead programming efforts, space planning exercises, feasibility studies, and conceptual design development. Oversee design development from concept through construction documents. Establish and manage design schedules, consultant deliverables, review cycles, and design budgets. Lead design review meetings and drive resolution of technical issues, scope gaps, and coordination conflicts. Review architectural, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and specialty system designs. Evaluate designs for constructability, maintainability, operational efficiency, scalability, safety, and lifecycle performance. Ensure designs support manufacturing operations, engineering workflows, laboratory functions, airfield activities, and secure facility requirements. Coordinate internal stakeholder reviews and ensure project requirements are properly incorporated into design documents. Support permitting, entitlement, and regulatory approval efforts. Provide technical leadership during procurement, contractor selection, and project execution activities. Manage design-related RFIs, submittals, field modifications, and consultant support during construction. Utilize AutoCAD to review, coordinate, and comment on design documentation. Serve as the primary interface between internal stakeholders and external design consultants. Required qualifications:: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, or related technical field. Minimum 10 years of experience in design management, owner's representa