Engineering Design Manager Jobs in District of Columbia
Engineering Design Manager jobs in District of Columbia concentrate in federal defense contracting, infrastructure development, and government consulting, with demand at every level from senior lead to director. Most hiring is in Washington, D.C. proper and nearby clusters in the broader metro, where established firms like Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, and SAIC maintain significant engineering operations. The most in-demand specialties are systems engineering management, civil and structural design leadership, and sustainable infrastructure design tied to federal agency work. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 32+ Engineering Design Manager jobs
About Rockwood:
Welcome to Rockwood Company, LLC - where innovation meets impact in the heart of the DC Metropolitan Area. As a rapidly growing, woman-owned change management consulting firm, we pride ourselves on delivering unparalleled value to our clients.
At Rockwood, we foster a team-oriented learning environment that encourages our consultants to push boundaries and reach new heights. The work we do is impactful and our clients are trusted partners. Our consultants take ownership of their success and partner with leadership to achieve their professional development goals and our clients' mission outcomes.
About the Position:
Our Design Thinking Consultants use human-centered design methodologies to help clients solve complex business, organizational, and operational challenges. They partner with clients to advise, and train leaders and teams on design thinking frameworks, enabling them to develop innovative, practical, and human-centered solutions. Design Thinking consultants lead the design and delivery of client engagements by managing project teams, applying design thinking methodologies, and ensuring project outcomes meet client goals.
Responsibilities may include:
- Apply design thinking and human-centered design methodologies to solve complex organizational, operational, workforce, and mission challenges.
- Advise clients and project teams on applying design thinking frameworks and methodologies within their organizations.
- Lead project teams through effective planning and execution, including defining project approaches, assigning roles and responsibilities, managing team performance, monitoring progress, mitigating risks, and coordinating client needs and decisions.
- Efficiently design, develop, and produce high-quality deliverables using proven change management methodologies and frameworks.
- Lead data collection and analysis efforts (e.g., interviews, surveys, empathy mapping, persona creation, or other quantitative and qualitative data collection/analysis) and stakeholder engagement activities.
- Plan and facilitate design thinking workshops, innovation sessions, strategic planning events, customer journey mapping, and collaborative working groups.
- Conduct outstanding analyses and write concise reports to synthesize the outputs of offsites and assessments.
- Support proposal development, thought leadership, innovation initiatives, and business development efforts.
- Develop relationships with clients and stakeholders to support project outcomes and inform follow-on work or new work opportunities.
- Identify future needs of existing clients (beyond current project outcomes) and work with Rockwood leadership to develop approaches for securing work.
- Provide coaching, mentorship, and professional development guidance to junior consultants, fostering their growth and consulting capabilities.
Required Qualifications:
- Must currently hold an active DoW Secret clearance or higher.
- Six (6) plus years as an external management consultant.
- Bachelor's degree in Organizational Development, Human-Centered Design, Psychology, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Organizational Leadership or a related field.
- Design Thinking training from a recognized organization (e.g., LUMA Institute, IDEO U, Design Thinkers Academy, or equivalent).
- Experience applying design thinking methodologies to solve organizational, strategic, operational, or business challenges.
- Experience coaching, mentoring, and training individuals and teams on design thinking frameworks and facilitation techniques.
- Proven experience developing project approaches, designing critical paths, and defining and measuring success criteria.
- Experience leading complex projects; prior experience leading strategy development, organizational design, and workforce readiness alignment sessions.
- Strong project management skills and ability to coordinate multiple engagements simultaneously and prioritize demands.
- Strong analytical and critical thinking with an innate ability to solve complex problems creatively.
- Experience with federal government agencies or DoW organizations.
- Willingness to commute regularly to client locations in and around the Washington Metropolitan area; occasional travel outside of the Washington, D.C. area may be required.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Holds an active Top Secret Clearance with SCI.
- Master's degree.
- Certification in change management or Lean-Six Sigma.
- Business development experience in a consulting environment, including supporting capture efforts, contributing to proposals, and cultivating client relationships to expand engagement opportunities.
Our Unique Benefits:
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
- Employee Funded Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Unlimited Sick Leave
- Generous Paid Vacation Time and Eight (8) Federal Holidays, and one (1) floating holiday
- 401(k) Retirement Program, Rockwood provides a 100% match on employees contributions, up to 4% of their salary deferrals
- Employer-Paid Parental Leave
- Employer-Paid Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, Life Insurance and AD&D
- Continuous Learning and Tuition Reimbursement
- Bonuses and incentives for high-impact work
- Monthly Cell Phone Reimbursement
- Monthly Internet Reimbursement
- Monthly Wellness Reimbursement
- Company Teambuilding Events (i.e.: Nationals Games, Bowling, and more)
Salary Range:
The annual salary range for this position is $100,000 - $150,000.00. Your salary may vary within this range depending on a wide range of factors, including (but not limited to) your qualifications, skills, experience, security clearances, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.
EOE/Vets/Disabled
About Rockwood:
Welcome to Rockwood Company, LLC - where innovation meets impact in the heart of the DC Metropolitan Area. As a rapidly growing, woman-owned change management consulting firm, we pride ourselves on delivering unparalleled value to our clients.
At Rockwood, we foster a team-oriented learning environment that encourages our consultants to push boundaries and reach new heights. The work we do is impactful and our clients are trusted partners. Our consultants take ownership of their success and partner with leadership to achieve their professional development goals and our clients' mission outcomes.
About the Position:
Our Design Thinking Consultants use human-centered design methodologies to help clients solve complex business, organizational, and operational challenges. They partner with clients to advise, and train leaders and teams on design thinking frameworks, enabling them to develop innovative, practical, and human-centered solutions. Design Thinking consultants lead the design and delivery of client engagements by managing project teams, applying design thinking methodologies, and ensuring project outcomes meet client goals.
Responsibilities may include:
- Apply design thinking and human-centered design methodologies to solve complex organizational, operational, workforce, and mission challenges.
- Advise clients and project teams on applying design thinking frameworks and methodologies within their organizations.
- Lead project teams through effective planning and execution, including defining project approaches, assigning roles and responsibilities, managing team performance, monitoring progress, mitigating risks, and coordinating client needs and decisions.
- Efficiently design, develop, and produce high-quality deliverables using proven change management methodologies and frameworks.
- Lead data collection and analysis efforts (e.g., interviews, surveys, empathy mapping, persona creation, or other quantitative and qualitative data collection/analysis) and stakeholder engagement activities.
- Plan and facilitate design thinking workshops, innovation sessions, strategic planning events, customer journey mapping, and collaborative working groups.
- Conduct outstanding analyses and write concise reports to synthesize the outputs of offsites and assessments.
- Support proposal development, thought leadership, innovation initiatives, and business development efforts.
- Develop relationships with clients and stakeholders to support project outcomes and inform follow-on work or new work opportunities.
- Identify future needs of existing clients (beyond current project outcomes) and work with Rockwood leadership to develop approaches for securing work.
- Provide coaching, mentorship, and professional development guidance to junior consultants, fostering their growth and consulting capabilities.
Required Qualifications:
- Must currently hold an active DoW Secret clearance or higher.
- Six (6) plus years as an external management consultant.
- Bachelor's degree in Organizational Development, Human-Centered Design, Psychology, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Organizational Leadership or a related field.
- Design Thinking training from a recognized organization (e.g., LUMA Institute, IDEO U, Design Thinkers Academy, or equivalent).
- Experience applying design thinking methodologies to solve organizational, strategic, operational, or business challenges.
- Experience coaching, mentoring, and training individuals and teams on design thinking frameworks and facilitation techniques.
- Proven experience developing project approaches, designing critical paths, and defining and measuring success criteria.
- Experience leading complex projects; prior experience leading strategy development, organizational design, and workforce readiness alignment sessions.
- Strong project management skills and ability to coordinate multiple engagements simultaneously and prioritize demands.
- Strong analytical and critical thinking with an innate ability to solve complex problems creatively.
- Experience with federal government agencies or DoW organizations.
- Willingness to commute regularly to client locations in and around the Washington Metropolitan area; occasional travel outside of the Washington, D.C. area may be required.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Holds an active Top Secret Clearance with SCI.
- Master's degree.
- Certification in change management or Lean-Six Sigma.
- Business development experience in a consulting environment, including supporting capture efforts, contributing to proposals, and cultivating client relationships to expand engagement opportunities.
Our Unique Benefits:
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
- Employee Funded Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Unlimited Sick Leave
- Generous Paid Vacation Time and Eight (8) Federal Holidays, and one (1) floating holiday
- 401(k) Retirement Program, Rockwood provides a 100% match on employees contributions, up to 4% of their salary deferrals
- Employer-Paid Parental Leave
- Employer-Paid Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, Life Insurance and AD&D
- Continuous Learning and Tuition Reimbursement
- Bonuses and incentives for high-impact work
- Monthly Cell Phone Reimbursement
- Monthly Internet Reimbursement
- Monthly Wellness Reimbursement
- Company Teambuilding Events (i.e.: Nationals Games, Bowling, and more)
Salary Range:
The annual salary range for this position is $100,000 - $150,000.00. Your salary may vary within this range depending on a wide range of factors, including (but not limited to) your qualifications, skills, experience, security clearances, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.
EOE/Vets/Disabled
See All 32 Engineering Design Manager Jobs in District of Columbia
Find roles in District of Columbia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsEngineering Design Manager Jobs by City in District of Columbia
Where District of Columbia roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Engineering Design Manager Job Market in District of Columbia
A snapshot from current District of Columbia openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- KBR2
- NPR1
- GuROO1
- Bohler1
- DC Water1
Top Industries Hiring
- Consulting & Professional Services6
- Aerospace & Defense2
- Education1
- Technology & Software1
- Marketing & Advertising1
What District of Columbia Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in engineering design manager jobs across District of Columbia.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering with professional engineer licensure recognized in District of Columbia
- Eight or more years of engineering experience including at least three in a leadership or management role
- Demonstrated experience managing engineering teams on federal or government-contracted design projects
- Proficiency in engineering design software such as AutoCAD, Revit, or equivalent project-specific platforms
- Strong project management skills including scheduling, budgeting, and cross-functional team coordination
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills for client presentations and technical reporting
Engineering Design Manager Jobs in District of Columbia: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a engineering design manager in District of Columbia?
The most direct path is earning an accredited engineering degree, gaining several years of design and project experience, and obtaining a Professional Engineer license through the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, which administers PE licensure in the District. Most employers in D.C. also expect experience on federally regulated or government-contracted projects, and many require a security clearance for positions tied to defense or infrastructure agencies.
Which companies hire engineering design managers in District of Columbia?
Employers hiring engineering design managers in District of Columbia right now include KBR, NPR, and GuROO, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. The District's concentration of federal agencies and defense contractors means many openings sit within large systems integrators and consulting firms holding long-term government contracts.
Which District of Columbia cities have the most engineering design manager jobs?
The cities with the most engineering design manager openings in District of Columbia are Washington, Washington Navy Yard, and Naval Research Laboratory. Washington, D.C. itself drives the largest share of openings because of its density of federal agencies, defense contractors, and infrastructure-focused consulting firms, while adjacent areas in the broader metro benefit from the spillover of government-adjacent engineering work and major employer campuses.
Are there remote engineering design manager jobs in District of Columbia?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely analytical roles because engineering design management often requires on-site coordination, client walkthroughs, and hands-on team oversight. About 53% of engineering design manager openings tied to District of Columbia are remote or hybrid as of July 2026, reflecting a market where flexibility exists primarily in the planning and review phases of projects rather than active construction or government facility work.
How can I get hired as a engineering design manager in District of Columbia with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is securing a junior or associate engineer role at one of the large federal contracting firms based in D.C., such as a systems or civil engineering associate position, and building toward team lead responsibilities from there. Firms like Booz Allen Hamilton and Leidos regularly hire new engineering graduates into rotational or project-support roles. Earning your Engineer-in-Training designation through the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and working toward your PE license signals progression to hiring managers looking for future design managers.
Where can I find and apply to engineering design manager jobs in District of Columbia?
You can find and apply to engineering design manager jobs in District of Columbia on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings in the District. Search the available roles, identify the ones that fit your background and experience level, and apply directly to the positions that match.
See All 32 Engineering Design Manager Jobs in District of Columbia
Find roles in District of Columbia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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