Senior Design Specialist

Senior Design Specialist – General Arrangement Production:

At Salas O’Brien we tell our clients that we’re engineered for impact. This passion for making a difference applies just as much to our team as it does to our projects. That’s why we’re committed to living our values every day: inspiring, achieving, and connecting as shared owners of our success with a focus on a sustainable future.

Building for the long-term means that all of our team members can expect to work on amazing projects with a people-first approach to problem solving. It also means that each member of our team has truly limitless potential to build a unique, meaningful, and high-impact career—and they’ll receive great total rewards along the way.

About Us:

Founded in 1975, Salas O’Brien is an employee-owned engineering and professional services firm focused on achieving impact for our clients, our team, and the world. We know that tomorrow’s requirements are today’s opportunities, and we are here to design lasting solutions for pressing challenges.

We work across a variety of industries providing integrated engineering and consulting services. Our specialized experience includes design for data centers, healthcare, science and technology, high-rise buildings, clean energy, education, and other building types as well as structural and building sciences, infrastructure asset management, advanced robotics, and more.

Our technical expertise is paired with an exceptional team of business development, human resources, finance and accounting, information technology, and marketing professionals, all of whom play a key role in bringing our commitments to life every day.

Job Summary:

The Senior Design Specialist will lead the development of multi‑discipline General Arrangement models and drawings, ensuring seamless coordination across Process, Mechanical, Civil, Structural, and Electrical scopes on client projects in the heavy industrial markets such as food & beverage, chemical manufacturing, power generation, and building materials manufacturing. This role combines advanced engineering technology expertise with leadership in design integration, quality assurance, and client engagement. Success requires strong technical proficiency, experience with Revit and AutoCAD, and the ability to guide teams through complex design challenges while maintaining schedule, budget, and safety standards.

In this role, you will

• Lead complex design and analysis work, applying advanced engineering technology to deliver high‑quality solutions for clients.
• Create multi-discipline General Arrangement models and drawings coordinating and identifying all major scope elements in the Process, Mechanical, Civil, Structural, and Electrical disciplines.
• Work semi-independently creating General Arrangements and seek out discipline input as needed to resolve design coordination issues as they arise.
• Lead internal and external discussions throughout development of the General Arrangement deliverables package.
• Interpret and apply codes and standards; conduct independent technical reviews and elevate quality across projects.
• Lead, manage, facilitate, coordinate, and review the work of others.
• Assist with planning and tracking of scope, schedule, and budget using modern tools.
• Mentor teammates; champion new concepts and continuous improvement.
• Engage with clients to gather feedback and resolve technical issues.
• Model a strong safety culture aligned with Salas O’Brien’s Safety Policy.

Requirements:

• Degree in Engineering Technology (2–4 year) or equivalent experience, with 10+ years of related experience (15+ preferred).
• Mastery of multi-discipline system architectures and the ability to transfer knowledge across systems.
• Strength in identifying and resolving undefined issues, reviewing others’ work, and collaborating across multi-discipline teams.
• Leadership and management experience preferred.
• Experience with planning/scheduling tools and QA/QC practices.
• Valid driver’s license.

Skills/abilities:

• Design Software:
• Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks and BIM360/ACC
• Plant 3D and Bluebeam are a plus
• Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Ability to read and understand orthographic drawings
• Ability to interpret and apply technical specifications
• Ability to interpret and ensure conformance to applicable standards and codes, as well as company policies and procedures
• Ability to work with point clouds as part of the design process is a requirement for this position
• Excellent listening, written, and verbal communication skills both internally and with clients
• Good attention to detail and the ability to recognize discrepancies

Location: Columbus, Ohio but can be remote

Travel: Work will involve travel to clients' facilities; up to 10% of the time.

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement

Salas O’Brien provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/provincial, or local laws. Salas O’Brien will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants as required by law.