Director of Design Services

About Zephyr RailZephyr Rail is a nationally recognized rail and infrastructure consulting firm, delivering innovative engineering and design solutions for freight, commuter, and high-speed rail. We are committed to technical excellence, client success, and the professional growth of our staff. The OpportunityWe are seeing a Director of Design Services to lead the daily operations of our design group. This role is pivotal to ensuring our engineering teams are well-managed, properly resourced, and consistently delivering high-quality plans and designs for rail and infrastructure projects. This position is on-site, located in Orange, CA - presence at our headquarters is essential to manage staff effectively, oversee plan production, and maintain collaboration across teams. Key ResponsibilitiesLead and Manager Staff - Supervise and mentor engineers, designers, and support staff. Oversee assignments, workloads, and performance reviews. Project Delivery - Manage plan production, schedules, and deliverables. Ensure design projects meet quality, budget, and client requirements. Business Management - Monitor group financials, utilization, and manpower. Provide staffing and level-of-effort estimates for proposals and ongoing projects. Collaboration - Partner with the VP of Design Services for technical guidance and client engagement while focusing on daily operations, staffing, and business oversight. Quality and Innovation - Enforce QA/QC standards across design deliverables. Stay current with tools, technology, and best practices to drive efficiency. Client and Proposal Support - Provide input for proposals, staffing plans, and resource needs. Support interviews and client pursuits as needed. Strategic Contribution - Contribute to strategic planning for design group growth, resource development, and market competitiveness. Required QualificationsBachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or related field. 12+ years of experience in engineering design, including at least 4 years in management/supervisory roles. Direct experience in engineering plan production.Strong understanding of workload forecasting, resource planning, and project budgets.Excellent leadership, organizational, and communication skills.Must be able to work on-site, daily at our Headquarter located in Orange, CA. Preferred QualificationsPE License in California (or ability to obtain).Rail, transit, or infrastructure design project experience.Experience managing medium to large design teams (20+ staff) Compensation and BenefitsBase Salary - $140, 000 - $200,000 DOE. Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance - 100% employer-paid for employees; 50% for dependents.Retirement - 401K with employer matchPaid Vacation Paid HolidaysPaid Sick Time *No outside Agencies or Recruiters, please!Explore more about us at

Created: 2025-10-04