Director of Digital Engineering

Aldridge is seeking an Director of Digital Engineering to join our dynamic and energetic team in Libertyville, IL.

As a strategic leader, you will drive the implementation of advanced technical solutions that optimize project delivery, enhance safety, reduce costs, and maintain our competitive edge in a rapidly evolving industry. In this role, you will bridge the gap between traditional construction practices and cutting‑edge technology. You will oversee a high‑performing team dedicated to Virtual Design & Construction (VDC), automation/scripting, and AI‑driven tool integration.

• Define and execute the company’s Digital Engineering and Construction Technology roadmap.
• Evaluate emerging technologies for the VDC and Prefab groups (e.g., Generative AI, machine learning, robotics, IoT) and assess their viability for project delivery.
• Act as the primary champion for innovation, fostering a tech‑forward culture across both corporate and field operations.
• Securing New Projects:
  Partner with the Preconstruction and Pursuits teams early in the project lifecycle. Help develop highly visual digital twins, 4D schedule sequencing, and logistics plans to pitch and win highly complex projects

• Oversee the corporate VDC strategy, ensuring seamless integration of 3D/4D/5D modeling across all phases of the project lifecycle.
• Establish enterprise-wide standards, workflows, and protocols for digital twins, reality capture (Laser Scanning, Photogrammetry), and AR/VR applications.
• Target Value Design: collaborate to bridge gaps between design intent and physical buildability, optimizing costs long before a shovel touches the dirt
• Define the corporate off‑site strategy by establishing company‑wide prefabrication criteria, designing a data‑rich library of Revit MEP families, and collaborating with the Shop Manager to build an internal product catalog of standardized, repeatable electrical assemblies for direct integration into projects.

• Lead the development of custom scripts, plugins, and APIs (using Python, C#, Dynamo, Grasshopper, etc.) to automate repetitive design and preconstruction workflows.
• Deploy AI and machine learning tools to analyze historical project data, optimize scheduling, improve estimating accuracy, and predict safety risks.
• Manage the integration of disparate data streams into unified dashboards to deliver actionable business intelligence to executive leadership.

• Recruit, mentor, and manage a multidisciplinary team of VDC managers, computational designers, software developers, and data analysts.
• Collaborate closely with Operations, Preconstruction, IT, and Project Management teams to ensure digital tools solve real‑world jobsite challenges.
• Data‑Driven Decisions:
  Leverage a robust data ecosystem, using predictive analytics and operational dashboards to monitor KPIs, assess risk, and prevent cost overruns across the company
• Heavy Trade Coordination:
  Heavily emphasize MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) coordination and design‑assist workflow oversight, ensuring that complex building systems are thoroughly modeled and fully resolved to catch clashes digitally.
• VDC strategy to drive off‑site manufacturing and field profitability, transforming complex 3D electrical models into highly automated, high‑precision prefabrication (DfMA) assemblies and integrated shop‑floor (Pre Fab) execution workflows.

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, Computer Science, or a related field. (Master’s degree or technical certifications preferred).
• 8+ years of experience in AEC…