Director of Architectural Engineering & Design
Frontline Wildfire Defense
IT, Design
USD 130k-170k / year + Equity
Posted on Feb 25, 2026
*Please note that we do not accept unsolicited candidate introductions, referrals, or resumes from external recruiters or staffing agencies.
Director of Architectural Engineering/Design
Location: While this is a remote role, you will need to permanently be located in PST or MST time zones with required occasional travel to the West Coast.
Background Check Requirement
As part of our hiring process, Frontline Wildfire Defense conducts comprehensive background checks for all new hires. These checks typically cover the past 7–10 years and may include employment and education verification. For roles that require work in the field, driving record verification is also required. Employment offers are contingent upon the successful completion of these background checks.
About Frontline Wildfire Defense
Founded in 2017, Frontline developed the first fully integrated wildfire defense system to stop the leading cause of home loss in wildfires: ember-driven ignition. The system combines exterior sprinklers, full-coverage design, and connected software for remote monitoring and response, allowing homes to protect themselves long after families evacuate or infrastructure fails.
Proven effective during the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, 96% of homes with Frontline systems survived. That success has earned top industry recognition, including Frontline being recognized as one of TIME’s Best Inventions 2025 in the Green Tech category and receiving the PCBC Gold Nugget Award for “Most Innovative Housing Concept” and the Best of IBS Award for “Best Home Technology.”
As wildfires grow hotter and more frequent, our vision is to give people the tools and strategies to live safely with fire. We’re building a mission-driven team creating real-world solutions in wildfire safety and climate tech.
About This Opportunity
The Director of Architectural Engineering + Design is an essential leadership position tasked with overseeing every element of the design process, ensuring that projects are executed with creativity, practicality, and compliance with industry standards. This role is crucial in establishing the vision and direction for design initiatives, encouraging innovation, and ensuring alignment with the organization's strategic objectives.
This role requires a highly experienced and strategic individual with a thorough understanding of construction practices, design principles, and project management. The Director of Architectural Engineering + Design will lead a team of design professionals, ensuring that all projects meet client expectations, budgetary constraints, and regulatory standards, while optimizing value and constructability. Additionally, the Director of Architectural Engineering + Design will work closely with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality design solutions that align with client needs and regulatory requirements.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Management
- Lead and manage the design team, providing guidance and mentorship to foster professional growth and innovation.
- Set clear performance expectations, provide regular feedback, and foster a high-performance, collaborative team environment.
- Develop and implement departmental policies, procedures, and standards to ensure consistent quality and efficiency.
- Oversee the recruitment, onboarding, review processes, revisions, as-builts and training of design staff
Design Strategy & Planning
- Develop and implement the overall design strategy for the company, aligning with business goals and objectives with an eye on AI and automation.
- Oversee the design process from conceptualization to execution, ensuring adherence to schedules.
- Provide guidance and recommendations to the system designers on how to most effectively locate equipment to yield optimal structure protection from ember ignition during a wildfire event.
- Review and approve design proposals and scope estimates, ensuring compliance with project specifications and regulatory standards.
- Proactively identify and mitigate potential design risks and challenges.
- Stay up-to-date with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in construction design.
Project Oversight & Coordination
- Review and approve design proposals, drawings, and specifications.
- Ensure that designs comply with all applicable building codes, regulations, and environmental standards.
- Collaborate with engineering functions, project managers, subcontractors, architects, general contractors, client representatives, and clients to ensure seamless integration of design and construction activities.
- Participate in project meetings and provide technical expertise on design and product-related issues.
- Monitor project performance and implement corrective actions as needed to ensure successful outcomes.
- Present design concepts and solutions to clients and stakeholders, articulating the vision and benefits effectively.
Collaboration and Communication
- Work collaboratively with project managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to integrate design with construction processes.
- Facilitate effective communication between design teams and clients, presenting design concepts and revisions clearly and professionally.
- Present design concepts and solutions to clients and stakeholders, articulating the vision and benefits effectively.
Client Management & Business Development
- Participate in business development activities, including preparing design proposals and presentations.
- Act as a technical expert during client presentations and meetings.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, project managers, engineering functions, and other stakeholders.
- Participate in business development activities, including preparing design proposals and presentations.
- Establish and maintain a robust quality control process to ensure the accuracy and completeness of design documents.
Qualifications
- Minimum of 10-15 years of experience in construction engineering/architecture/design, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Structural Architecture, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred
- In-depth knowledge of building codes, regulations, and feasible construction methodologies.
- Adequate understanding of Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing systems in residential/commercial buildings
- Strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in design principles, project oversight, and successful project outcomes.
- Proficient in design software and tools relevant to the construction industry.
- Expertise in drafting on Revu Bluebeam, pdf drafting platform.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate design concepts and functionality to a diverse audience.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a keen attention to detail.
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- Exceptional organizational and time management skills.
- Strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in design principles, project management, and successful project outcomes.
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary Range: $130,000 - $170,000 + Equity Options
- Company-provided cell phone and computer
- Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
- 401(k) plan
- Flexible time off + 14 paid holidays (yes, your birthday is one of them!)
- Work from home stipend
- Join a passionate, mission-driven team making a real difference
- And much more!
Join Our Mission!
If you're excited about leading our design efforts to protect homes and families from wildfire disasters, we want to hear from you! Apply today and become part of a fast-growing team with purpose and innovation at its core.
Diversity and inclusion are essential values at Frontline. We know we'll do our best and most impactful work when we feel we're represented, and we belong. We encourage talented people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences to apply. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.