Design Assist Lead - Island Facades : Job Details

Company Description

For more than a decade, Island Exterior Fabricators (IEF) has operated as a privately owned practice specializing in the delivery of bespoke, high-performing prefabricated facade systems. Our 50-acre manufacturing campus is headquartered in Calverton, New York, and supported by design and engineering offices in Manhattan, Boston, and Hartford.

Our organization is fully self-sustained, supported by state-of-the-art equipment and facilities that enable us to deliver a high-quality product. Our production capabilities, installation network, and bonding capacity allow Island to complete large-scale, complex projects in a timely, efficient manner.

Job Summary: As a Design Assist Lead at IEF, you will be accountable for acting as the technical bridge between preconstruction, design, and fabrication. This role is responsible for leading early-stage design coordination with architects, engineers, and clients, ensuring constructability, feasibility, and alignment with project goals. You will provide strategic input to drive efficient system designs, while also translating architectural intent into solutions that can be engineered and built.

Accountabilities:

• Lead the design assist process during preconstruction and early project phases, collaborating with internal teams, architects, and consultants to align facade/system design with project constraints and capabilities.
• Evaluate architectural concepts and design packages to identify risks, technical challenges, and opportunities for value engineering or simplification.
• Provide input on system options, detailing strategies, and fabrication/installation considerations to support bid strategies and design direction.
• Guide the development of design models and 2D documentation to ensure consistency, clarity, and coordination with other disciplines.
• Represent the company in design meetings, communicate technical feedback, and document critical decisions and revisions.
• Maintain and manage deliverable timelines during the design assist phase to ensure alignment with overall project schedule.
• Support internal teams with design standards, best practices, and lessons learned. Mentor junior designers/engineers during the design assist phase.
• Identify scope gaps or changes during design development and escalate for pricing, timeline, or risk review.

Authorities:

• Lead internal coordination efforts to align with the external design intent, including task assignments and technical reviews within the team.
• Act as the primary point of contact for design-related communication with architects, consultants, and clients during the design assist phase.
• Make technical recommendations regarding system selection, detailing methods, or proposed design modifications, subject to final review by Engineering leadership.
• Provide input on technical scope, risks, and opportunities that shape the proposal package and design deliverables.

Skills:

• Articulate and clear communicator
• Pragmatic problem solver and adept strategist
• Strong aptitude for design implementation
• Proficient in reading architectural and structural documents, including project specifications.
• Expert in 2D/3D design tools (e.g., AutoCAD, Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper)

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, or related discipline
• 5+ years of experience designing and documenting facades, particularly unitized curtain wall systems.
• Directly managing clients and design teams in a Design Assist role, or similar.
• Strong knowledge of building envelope systems, applicable codes, and methods of construction.

Salary Range: $110,000-$140,000

Location: Manhattan, NY

Schedule: (Hybrid)

Benefits: 401(k) matching, AD&D insurance, Dental insurance, Family leave, Flexible schedule, Flexible spending account Gym membership, Health insurance, Health savings account, Life insurance, Paid time off, Parental leave, Professional development assistance, Vision insurance.

ADA Requirements: The position requires the ability to sit or stand for extended periods while using a computer, along with sufficient manual dexterity to operate computers, mobile devices, and related IT equipment. The role may occasionally involve lifting or moving equipment weighing up to 25 pounds, as well as bending, crawling, or climbing—such as accessing under desks or server racks. Candidates must possess the ability to concentrate, troubleshoot, and solve problems in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating strong verbal and written communication skills. The role also demands effective task prioritization, management of multiple simultaneous support requests, and a capacity to quickly learn and adapt to evolving technologies and tools.

Island Exterior Fabricators is an equal-opportunity employer. We offer a welcoming and inclusive environment. All applicants are considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

Notice to Staffing Agencies

Island Exterior Fabricators and its subsidiaries will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. Any unsolicited resumes sent to Island, including unsolicited resumes sent to an Island mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to Island employees, or to Island's resume database will be considered Island property. Island will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume.