Program Manager of Technical Development

DLB Associates is a premier engineering and consulting firm specializing in innovative, mission-critical solutions across hyperscale data centers, advanced infrastructure, and high-performance building systems. With over four decades of expertise, we partner with some of the world’s most influential companies to design and optimize environments that demand precision, scalability, and resilience.

The Program Manager of Technical Development is responsible for the technical quality, standards, and capability of the Field Services workforce. This role ensures that commissioning execution is technically rigorous and consistent across all projects and sites — not dependent on the expertise of specific individuals — by developing field competency, owning technical standards and SOPs, and driving continuous improvement of processes and workflows.

The Program Manager of Technical Development partners directly with the Program Manager – Projects and Program Manager – People verticals and reports to the Associate Director, providing the technical input that informs staffing readiness, delivery risk, and training investment decisions across the program.

• Develop, implement, and maintain commissioning SOPs, workflows, templates, and client programmatic requirements across all programs
• Ensure consistent application of technical standards across all active projects and sites; monitor compliance and address deviations proactively
• Own the technical onboarding process for new projects and programs: ensure workflows are integrated, client-specific requirements are documented, and field teams are trained prior to execution
• Maintain a centralized, accessible repository of technical processes, deliverables, and field insights
• Provide technical input on proposals and scope reviews to ensure execution approach, staffing qualifications, and deliverable commitments are technically sound

• Identify technical skill gaps across the workforce and develop structured plans to close them through training, mentoring, and field coaching
• Deliver or coordinate onsite technical training, hands-on instruction, and real-time coaching during commissioning execution
• Ensure the workforce develops depth in troubleshooting, system-level understanding, and abnormal condition response — not just procedural execution capability
• Partner with Program Manager – People on development planning; provide technical competency input into promotion readiness calibration
• Assess Technical Lead and SME performance; identify development needs and succession candidates within the technical track

• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex technical issues during commissioning and testing; resolve at the Program Manager of Technical Development level before escalating to the Associate Director
• Provide direct technical oversight and support during critical project phases, high-risk testing activities, or complex system integrations
• Ensure accuracy and technical rigor in testing documentation, commissioning plans, and reports
• Audit technical deliverable quality across active projects; identify recurring issues and initiate root cause analysis and standards updates as needed
• Conduct regular site visits to observe technical execution firsthand, validate standards compliance, and deliver field coaching

• Capture lessons learned across projects and systematically incorporate findings into SOPs, workflows, and training content
• Drive iterative improvement of technical processes — standards should become more efficient, scalable, and consistently adopted over time
• Identify recurring technical execution gaps and develop programmatic responses rather than one-off interventions
• Contribute to routine reporting by preparing the technical capability and standards compliance section for Associate Director review and compilation

• Partner with Program Manager – Projects to ensure technical standards are applied in the field; provide early warning on technical gaps that may affect schedule, quality, or delivery risk
• Partner with Program Manager – People to align training priorities with workforce readiness and communicate technical capability requirements that inform staffing and hiring decisions
• Provide technical input to the Associate Director on capability gaps, workforce readiness, and technical risk posture across the program portfolio
• Coordinate with the Associate Director of Technical Development on programmatic and departmental standardization and training initiatives

Performs Other Related Duties as Assigned

• Deep technical expertise in electrical and/or mechanical commissioning systems
• Demonstrated ability to develop and enforce technical standards at program scale
• Experience developing SOPs, workflows, and technical process documentation
• Advanced troubleshooting and system-level thinking capability
• Strong training, mentoring, and technical knowledge-transfer capability
• Ability to translate field observations into scalable process improvements
• Ability to leverage AI and emerging technologies to improve standards development, training delivery, and technical documentation
• Ability to operate effectively in a high-growth, distributed, remote environment
• Ability to work successfully in a remote environment thru effective communication and organizational skills, self-motivation, proactiveness and resourcefulness in a distraction free workspace
• Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written form (technical and non-technical information)
• Ability to work successfully as a member of a team and independently with moderate supervision
• Ability to analyze complex information and develop plans to address identified issues
• Proficient in MS Office Suite and commissioning documentation tools
• Organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously

• Approximately 50% domestic travel; may include any or all 50 US states
• Occasional international travel required based on program needs
• Must reside near a major airport
• Must hold a valid driver's license and ability to rent vehicles
• Must hold or be able to obtain a valid REAL ID or passport for domestic air travel
• Travel is defined as physically leaving home on behalf of business activities including but not limited to client sites, meetings with other employees, meetings for business development purposes, running errands on behalf of the business, attending industry conferences, etc.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or related field — or equivalent experience

PLUS

• Minimum 8 years' experience in commissioning or mission-critical construction
• Must hold or be able to obtain NFPA 70E and OSHA 30 certifications as required