Lead Wiring Designer

Job Description

Job Description

IEM is the largest independent full-line manufacturer of electrical distribution and control systems in North America. The Company has developed one of the most sophisticated electrical product manufacturing systems in the world and has cultivated partnerships with leading component suppliers resulting in optimal solutions to customer problems. IEM has offices in California, Florida, Canada and Belgium.

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

The Lead Wiring Designer oversees a team of Wiring Designers, ensuring that all point-to-point wiring diagrams and control panel layouts are accurate, complete, and delivered on time. This position provides technical leadership, training, and mentorship to the Wiring Designers, drives process improvements within the wiring design group, and serves as the primary liaison between the Electrical Design Engineering management and the wiring design team to maintain consistent quality and efficiency.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Directly supervises and mentors a group of Wiring Designers (No more than 4 individuals)

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

· Assign drawing tasks to Wiring Designers based on project priority and individual capacity.

· Monitor progress of each team member’s deliverables, ensuring on-time completion.

· Conduct thorough reviews of Wiring Designers’ outputs (point-to-point diagrams and panel layouts) to verify accuracy, completeness, and compliance with company standards.

· Identify recurring errors or knowledge gaps; develop and deliver targeted training sessions or documentation to address them.

· Ensure all drawings incorporate the latest revision of the drawings and adhere to company conventions (layer naming, block usage, annotation).

· Lead periodic process-review workshops to identify inefficiencies or error sources within the wiring drafting workflow.

· Develop checklists, best-practice guides, or quick-reference documents to standardize common tasks (wire tagging, terminal mapping, panel spacing).

· Onboard new Wiring Designers, providing hands-on demonstrations of in-house AutoCAD tool palettes and custom blocks.

· Create and maintain a training curriculum (checklist of skills and competencies) to ensure consistent ramp-up for junior designers.

· Act as the primary point of contact between Lead Wiring Designer and Electrical Engineering Managers—communicating capacity constraints, skill gaps, or urgent deadlines.

· Collaborate with Manufacturing Engineering and Production Leads to gather feedback on as-built equipment, translating production-driven insights into drafting improvements.

· Conduct periodic visits (up to 2–3 times per year) to multiple plant locations alongside senior production staff to review in-process panels and gather frontline feedback.

COMPETENCIES:

· Proven ability to coach, mentor, and motivate a team of technical contributors.

· Strong conflict-resolution skills and a track record of maintaining high team morale under tight deadlines.

· Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD, including mastery of company tool palettes, custom blocks, and template maintenance.

· Deep understanding of industrial control wiring (contactors, relays, PLCs, terminal blocks, DIN-rails, wireways, etc.) and UL/NFPA best practices for panel layouts.

· Keen eye for catching both common and subtle wiring mistakes—ensuring minimal redraws and high drawing accuracy.

· Ability to enforce consistent drafting standards across the team.

· Experience identifying workflow bottlenecks and implementing solutions (checklists, macros, updated templates) that reduce errors and increase throughput.

· Comfortable driving change and gaining buy-in from both junior staff and senior management.

· Excellent verbal and written communication—adept at translating technical engineering concepts into clear drafting requirements.

· Strong interpersonal skills: able to build trust with Electrical Engineers, Production Leads, and cross-functional partners.

· Skilled at juggling multiple projects, assigning resources appropriately, and adjusting priorities as new information emerges.

· Proactive in identifying potential delays and escalating before deadlines slip.

· Willingness to stay current with new CAD features, drafting best practices, and switchgear industry trends.

· Openness to feedback, with a demonstrated history of iterating on team processes for better outcomes.

· Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Sharepoint)

· Basic knowledge of scripting/macro creation (e.g., AutoLISP, VBA) to automate repetitive drafting tasks is a plus.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

· 4–6 years of hands-on experience creating point-to-point wiring diagrams and control panel layouts—ideally within panel-shop, industrial control, or switchgear manufacturing environments.

· Minimum of 2 years in a lead or supervisory capacity, managing a small team of technical drafters or designers.