Associate Director, Engineering – West Coast
Image Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Description
Image Engineering
was founded as a company that pushes boundaries, develops new ideas through design and fabrication, and is a leader in the visual display and special effects industry. We are a team of artists, engineers, event producers, fabricators and creative thinkers who deliver experiences that move audiences.
We’ve executed thousands of projects across live entertainment, sports and large-scale events, creating permanent and temporary interactive installations for world-class venues and partners. Building on our heritage in lasers, projection, lighting, automation and practical effects, we continue to scale our engineering and fabrication capabilities to deliver complex, reliable, and safe solutions from concept through build.
The
Associate Director, Engineering – West Coast
oversees the West Coast engineering team at our
Valencia, CA office , ensuring technical excellence, operational efficiency, and client satisfaction across all phases—from early design and quoting through fabrication, testing, and delivery. This leader will partner closely with the Director of Engineering and the Associate Director, Engineering – East Coast to align standards, processes, and strategy across regions.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES Team & Technical Leadership
Lead, mentor, and develop the West Coast–based engineering team; set priorities, remove roadblocks, and model best‑in‑class technical direction.
Participate in and lead internal/external design reviews.
Collaborate with East Coast engineering leadership to standardize methods, tools, and expectations.
Design Quality & Reviews
Review engineering designs in progress and prior to client submission to ensure accuracy, feasibility, and compliance with necessary standards.
Review complete deliverable packages (models, drawings, calculations, BoMs) before submission for quality and alignment.
Project Delivery & Oversight
Contribute to project deliverables when needed.
Maintain project budgets, schedules, and oversee resource planning, forecasting, and prioritization.
Coordinate with the West Coast Project Management team and ensure strong cross‑departmental coordination.
Estimation, Quoting & Commercial Support
Assist Director, Engineering Operations with preparation of accurate and competitive project quotes and engineering estimates.
Support financial performance through value‑engineering approaches and efficient resource allocation.
Fabrication & Manufacturability
Collaborate with Fabrication early in the process to ensure designs meet requirements for manufacturability, structural integrity, and efficient production.
Validate build strategies and QA checkpoints to reduce rework and meet production timelines.
Process, Documentation & Tools
Champion CAD standards, documentation quality, and engineering change control.
Support implementation and optimization of PDM/PLM systems for data integrity and version control.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives that streamline engineering, PM, and fabrication workflows.
Client Representation & Stakeholder Management
Represent the company in client meetings and technical reviews as necessary.
Communicate scope, risks, schedules, and engineering implications clearly to internal stakeholders and clients.
Proactively manage change, identify risks, and maintain alignment with client expectations.
Cross‑Coast & Strategic Alignment
Work closely with engineering leadership across regions to align on strategy and efficiency creation.
Establish processes that ensure consistency, predictability, and clarity for partner teams.
Develop, track, and report departmental KPIs to drive continuous improvement for direct reports.
Compliance & Safety Expectations
Ensure engineering work meets the highest safety and regulatory standards.
Promote safety‑by‑design across all engineering phases.
Partner with PM, Fabrication, Field, and Compliance teams to conduct risk assessments and verify design compliance.
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Structural, Electrical, Systems, or related engineering discipline.
8+ years of engineering experience with increasing responsibility.
3+ years leading engineers or cross‑functional teams.
Proven ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining quality.
Excellent communication and leadership skills.
Proficiency with modern CAD and documentation workflows; familiarity with PDM/PLM preferred.
Preferred Experience
Experience collaborating with fabrication/manufacturing teams.
Background in specialty fabrication, live events/experiential, or themed entertainment engineering.
Experience defining and monitoring engineering team or departmental KPIs.
Experience with Lean or other continuous‑improvement methodologies.
Benefits
Aetna Health, Dental, & Vision Insurance
Flexible Time Off Program
Paid Holidays
John Hancock 401(k) Retirement Plan
Company‑Paid Life Insurance
Aflac Supplemental Insurance
Robust Employee Assistance Program
Dependent Care FSA Program
CE Allowance
...and more!
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Image Engineering
was founded as a company that pushes boundaries, develops new ideas through design and fabrication, and is a leader in the visual display and special effects industry. We are a team of artists, engineers, event producers, fabricators and creative thinkers who deliver experiences that move audiences.
We’ve executed thousands of projects across live entertainment, sports and large-scale events, creating permanent and temporary interactive installations for world-class venues and partners. Building on our heritage in lasers, projection, lighting, automation and practical effects, we continue to scale our engineering and fabrication capabilities to deliver complex, reliable, and safe solutions from concept through build.
The
Associate Director, Engineering – West Coast
oversees the West Coast engineering team at our
Valencia, CA office , ensuring technical excellence, operational efficiency, and client satisfaction across all phases—from early design and quoting through fabrication, testing, and delivery. This leader will partner closely with the Director of Engineering and the Associate Director, Engineering – East Coast to align standards, processes, and strategy across regions.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES Team & Technical Leadership
Lead, mentor, and develop the West Coast–based engineering team; set priorities, remove roadblocks, and model best‑in‑class technical direction.
Participate in and lead internal/external design reviews.
Collaborate with East Coast engineering leadership to standardize methods, tools, and expectations.
Design Quality & Reviews
Review engineering designs in progress and prior to client submission to ensure accuracy, feasibility, and compliance with necessary standards.
Review complete deliverable packages (models, drawings, calculations, BoMs) before submission for quality and alignment.
Project Delivery & Oversight
Contribute to project deliverables when needed.
Maintain project budgets, schedules, and oversee resource planning, forecasting, and prioritization.
Coordinate with the West Coast Project Management team and ensure strong cross‑departmental coordination.
Estimation, Quoting & Commercial Support
Assist Director, Engineering Operations with preparation of accurate and competitive project quotes and engineering estimates.
Support financial performance through value‑engineering approaches and efficient resource allocation.
Fabrication & Manufacturability
Collaborate with Fabrication early in the process to ensure designs meet requirements for manufacturability, structural integrity, and efficient production.
Validate build strategies and QA checkpoints to reduce rework and meet production timelines.
Process, Documentation & Tools
Champion CAD standards, documentation quality, and engineering change control.
Support implementation and optimization of PDM/PLM systems for data integrity and version control.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives that streamline engineering, PM, and fabrication workflows.
Client Representation & Stakeholder Management
Represent the company in client meetings and technical reviews as necessary.
Communicate scope, risks, schedules, and engineering implications clearly to internal stakeholders and clients.
Proactively manage change, identify risks, and maintain alignment with client expectations.
Cross‑Coast & Strategic Alignment
Work closely with engineering leadership across regions to align on strategy and efficiency creation.
Establish processes that ensure consistency, predictability, and clarity for partner teams.
Develop, track, and report departmental KPIs to drive continuous improvement for direct reports.
Compliance & Safety Expectations
Ensure engineering work meets the highest safety and regulatory standards.
Promote safety‑by‑design across all engineering phases.
Partner with PM, Fabrication, Field, and Compliance teams to conduct risk assessments and verify design compliance.
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Structural, Electrical, Systems, or related engineering discipline.
8+ years of engineering experience with increasing responsibility.
3+ years leading engineers or cross‑functional teams.
Proven ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining quality.
Excellent communication and leadership skills.
Proficiency with modern CAD and documentation workflows; familiarity with PDM/PLM preferred.
Preferred Experience
Experience collaborating with fabrication/manufacturing teams.
Background in specialty fabrication, live events/experiential, or themed entertainment engineering.
Experience defining and monitoring engineering team or departmental KPIs.
Experience with Lean or other continuous‑improvement methodologies.
Benefits
Aetna Health, Dental, & Vision Insurance
Flexible Time Off Program
Paid Holidays
John Hancock 401(k) Retirement Plan
Company‑Paid Life Insurance
Aflac Supplemental Insurance
Robust Employee Assistance Program
Dependent Care FSA Program
CE Allowance
...and more!
#J-18808-Ljbffr