Technical Director

Job Description

Job Description

Bednark is seeking an experienced Technical Director to lead the flow of technical design from project planning through fabrication, logistics, and installation.

This is a cross-functional operations leadership role for someone who can manage technical resources across a fast-moving portfolio, bring install thinking into the design process, and build standards and systems that make every downstream team more effective.

A major focus of the role is maintaining momentum. The Technical Director makes sure drafting resources are aligned to the highest priorities, teams have clear deadlines and complete information, blocked work is moved quickly, and revision cycles do not quietly consume capacity needed elsewhere.

The right person combines deep technical and fabrication knowledge with strong resource management, field judgment, and the ability to influence Project Management, Production, Logistics, and Install.

This is not a role for someone who wants to personally draw or solve every detail; it is for a leader who can create clarity, set priorities, and make the entire technical process work better.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical Design Resource Management:

• Own the portfolio-wide resource plan for the Technical Design Office across all active projects, balancing deadlines, complexity, revision load, fabrication dates, install dates, and available drafting capacity.
• Assign drafting resources and establish clear deliverables, priorities, and time expectations so each designer knows what is due, when it is due, and when they are expected to move to the next priority.
• Maintain active visibility into what each drafter is working on, what is blocking them, and where capacity can be reallocated when information is missing or priorities change.
• Partner with Project Managers to establish deadlines for technical information, decisions, redlines, and approvals before late inputs create downstream schedule problems.
• Manage revision cycles deliberately. Push for consolidated feedback and complete decision-making rather than allowing repeated small changes to consume drafting capacity.
• Identify projects that are absorbing disproportionate technical resources or creating risk to the broader portfolio, and reset priorities or sequencing with Operations and PMO as needed.
• Protect technical quality while maintaining pace, throughput, focus, and momentum across the department.

Design for Install & Field Readiness:

• Ensure installation is considered during technical design, including site access, indoor versus outdoor use, breakdown and modularity, weight and size, field connections, tolerances, rigging, finish durability, crew size, equipment, and available install time.
• Challenge details that may work on paper but are unnecessarily slow, fragile, difficult, or expensive to install.
• Balance finish quality, fabrication efficiency, transportability, and field speed based on the project.
• Bring Site Superintendents into planning early enough to influence how work is detailed, broken down, packed, sequenced, and assembled.
• Lead and develop Site Superintendents as field leaders and ensure they arrive onsite with clear authority, complete information, and a realistic execution plan.
• Ensure installation packages communicate element identification, assembly sequence, hardware and fasteners, tools and equipment, critical dimensions, and project-specific field requirements.
• Ensure Technical Design provides Logistics with the element lists, quantities, dimensions, breakdown information, and other data required for trucking, packout, and site handling.
• Close the loop after installs so recurring field issues, difficult details, missing information, or inefficient assembly methods become improvements to future technical standards.

Technical Standards, Systems & Process:

• Own and continuously improve company standards for technical drawings, documentation, tolerances, material and finish callouts, hardware, connection details, element identification, revision control, and drawing releases.
• Define what "ready for production" and "ready for install" mean and establish practical release gates that prevent incomplete work from moving downstream.
• Standardize the flow of technical information into Production, Procurement, Logistics, and Installation so teams receive the information they need in a consistent and usable format.
• Maximize CAD, modeling, and automation tools to reduce duplicate work. Use technical models and drawing data to generate takeoffs, hardware schedules, element lists, cut information, and pack-list inputs wherever practical.
• Develop templates, checklists, detail libraries, standard assemblies, naming conventions, and other tools that improve speed and consistency.
• Use feedback from the shop and field to continuously improve technical standards and workflows.

Cross-Functional Leadership:

• Act as the technical bridge between Project Management, Technical Design, Production, Procurement, Logistics, fabrication departments, and Installation.
• Communicate how technical decisions affect schedule, cost, production sequence, logistics, and field execution so teams can make informed tradeoffs early.
• Create clear ownership and accountability across departments while keeping technical work moving when conditions or priorities change.
• Provide senior technical judgment on complex or high-risk projects and coordinate with engineers, specialty consultants, vendors, and other external partners when required.

What Success Looks Like:

• The company has a visible, credible technical-design resource plan, and one project cannot quietly consume capacity at the expense of the rest of the portfolio.
• Drafters have clear priorities and deadlines, blocked time is minimized, and resources move quickly when information is missing or work stalls.
• Project Managers understand when technical inputs and consolidated feedback are required, and revision cycles become fewer, more deliberate, and more efficient.
• Projects are designed with field realities in mind, and Site Superintendents are involved early enough to influence breakdown, sequencing, logistics, and assembly strategy.
• Drawing and install packages are consistent, complete, and usable by Production, Procurement, Logistics, and field teams without unnecessary interpretation or rework.
• Technical models and automation increasingly produce the takeoffs, schedules, element data, and other information needed by downstream teams.
• Field issues caused by preventable detailing decisions, incomplete information, poor install planning, or incomplete packout decline over time.
• When priorities change or projects become difficult, the department remains controlled and productive and momentum is maintained.

Required Experience & Capabilities:

• Significant experience in technical direction, experiential fabrication, scenic fabrication, custom millwork, architectural fabrication, construction, installation, or a closely related environment.
• Demonstrated leadership experience overseeing technical design, drafting, fabrication, construction, or installation teams and coordinating resources across multiple simultaneous projects.
• Strong understanding of wood, metal, plastics, composites, finishes, hardware, mechanical connections, structural systems, rigging, and field-installation methods.
• Strong ability to read, review, and provide direction on architectural, shop, fabrication, and installation drawings.
• Experience translating creative or architectural intent into practical, buildable, transportable, and installable solutions.
• Strong understanding of project sequencing, site logistics, installation planning, and production workflows.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, identify bottlenecks early, make timely decisions, and communicate clear expectations across functions.
• Proficiency with relevant CAD, 3D modeling, project-management, and documentation platforms.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to influence experienced technical and operational teams.

Preferred Background:

Experience in one or more of the following environments is especially relevant:

• Experiential marketing and brand activations.
• Live events, exhibitions, and temporary installations.
• Retail environments.
• Scenic fabrication.
• Custom architectural or specialty fabrication.
• CAD and 3D modeling platforms such as AutoCAD, Rhino, Vectorworks, SolidWorks, or similar.
• CNC production, digital fabrication, AV integration, lighting, automation, or specialty fabrication methods.
• Developing technical standards, drawing-review procedures, and quality-control systems.

Travel & Schedule Expectations:

This is primarily a Brooklyn-based leadership role, but the Technical Director must be able to visit active project sites and travel as required. Critical project phases may occasionally require evening, overnight, early-morning, or weekend availability to support installation planning, field escalation, or high-risk execution.