Drafter / Process Improvement Technician

Drafter / Process Improvement

At Salas O’Brien we tell our clients that we’re engineered for impact. This passion for making a difference applies just as much to our team as it does to our projects. That’s why we’re committed to living our values every day: inspiring, achieving, and connecting as shared owners of our success with a focus on a sustainable future.

Building for the long-term means that all our team members can expect to work on amazing projects with a people-first approach to problem solving. It also means that each member of our team has truly limitless potential to build a unique, meaningful, and high-impact career—and they’ll receive great total rewards along the way.

About Us:

Founded in 1975, Salas O’Brien is an employee-owned engineering and professional services firm focused on achieving impact for our clients, our team, and the world. We know that tomorrow’s requirements are today’s opportunities, and we are here to design lasting solutions for pressing challenges.

We work across a variety of industries providing integrated engineering and consulting services. Our specialized experience includes design for data centers, healthcare, science and technology, high-rise buildings, clean energy, education, and other building types as well as structural and building sciences, infrastructure asset management, advanced robotics, and more.

Our technical expertise is paired with an exceptional team of business development, human resources, finance and accounting, information technology, and marketing professionals, all of whom play a key role in bringing our commitments to life every day.

This position will be hired under the Federal-FL business unit of Salas O’Brien. The Federal-FL business unit serves a variety of markets and employs engineers in the civil, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, industrial, environmental, and fire protection disciplines. We have performed work in most states in the continental US and multiple international locations.

Our office is located in Merritt Island, Florida, immediately south of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Our office (formerly Nelson Engineering, a Salas O’Brien Company) has a significant aerospace heritage working with NASA, US Space Force, and numerous private space companies while providing an ever-expanding mix of engineering services to federal and local government agencies as well as commercial customers in a variety of industries.

Job Summary:

The Engineering Technician supports engineering teams through entry-level drafting and design production. This role focuses on production model and drawing development of construction drawing packages based on various datasets and engineer input, completing engineer markups during the design process, preparing design concepts, completing as-built drawings, and the creation or modification of details. This role will also provide drafting support to the engineering disciplines to develop and maintain drawing standards.

In addition to drafting responsibilities, this role will support multi-discipline efforts to improve workflow, engineering, and drafting processes through incremental process improvements to enhance efficiency across engineering and drafting operations.

Work will be conducted mostly in the Space Coast Area of Florida (Brevard County). Travel to other locations for projects may be required but will be limited.

Responsibilities:

Work tasks will be varied and require flexibility and versatility. Primary areas of responsibility include Drafting, Process Improvement and Efficiency, and IT Asset Management and General Support.

Drafting Support (80%)

• Assist engineers, designers, and drafters with preparation of drawings using AutoCAD, Revit, or similar platforms. Revise drawings based on redlines, markups, and engineering input.
• Produce clear, accurate, and complete construction documents in accordance with company and industry standards.
• Coordinate with engineers and designers to ensure accuracy and consistency across deliverables.
• Maintain and apply drawing standards, templates, and file organization practices.
• Assist with cost estimate quantity takeoffs, preliminary concept / layout drawings, and develop project specific details.

Process Improvement & Efficiency (20%)

• Support identification of inefficiencies in drafting and engineering workflows through coordination with department personnel.
• Collaborate with engineering and drafting personnel to identify future enhancements to document production and data handling processes.
• Document and communicate possible process improvements and efficiency opportunities using improved local tools (spreadsheets, templates, etc), AI based tools, or other identified solutions.
• Support evaluation, testing, and implementation of Salas O’Brien AI drafting tools.
• Help maintain and improve templates, standards, and digital workflows.

Qualifications and Experience:

The listed qualifications and experience are provided as general minimums, except as otherwise noted. Alternative qualifications and experience may be considered.

• Educational Background: BS in a science or technical related field.
• Experience:
  • 0–2 years of experience in drafting, engineering support, or a related technical field including internship or academic experience in drafting.
• Technical Skills:
  • Familiarity with drafting software (AutoCAD, Revit, or similar).
  • Basic understanding and experience using automation, scripting (Python, PowerShell, or similar), and AI tools.
  • Familiarity with engineering drawing standards and workflows.
  • Experience with document control or file management systems.
  • Strong attention to detail and willingness to learn drafting standards and engineering processes.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with engineers and project teams.
  • Strong organizational and communication skills.
  • Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and e-mail applications.
  • Effective interpersonal skills and strong communication (written and verbal).
  • Confident and ambitious problem solver.
  • Creative and innovative – Self-directed initiative.
  • Collaborative – work independently but readily seek guidance.
  • Adaptable – flexible and willing to work on various projects and tasks.
  • Detail-oriented.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

Valid / Unrestricted driver’s license

Work Authorization / Security Clearance:

• Must be a US Citizen for Security Clearance requirements.
• Ability to obtain a clearance from the Defense Security Service and other Federal Government Agencies.

Work Environment:

• Most work is performed in an office environment.
• Field investigations and construction support require regular trips to operating facilities and active construction sites.

Location:

This position will be filled through our Merritt Island, FL office. A hybrid work environment is anticipated with a balance of working from the office (in person) and from home (remote).

Travel:

Up to 25%. Willingness to travel to project locations.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regularly spend long hours sitting and using office equipment and computers.
• Regularly move from sitting to standing positions effortlessly.
• Performing inspections and providing construction support may require climbing ladders and stairs and accessing spaces such as roofs, basements, crawl spaces, or utility tunnels.
• Industrial site investigations and field construction support may require extensive walking.

Compensation & Benefits:

The expected base salary range for this role is $60,000 USD per year. Actual compensation will be determined based on a number of factors including skills, experience, qualifications, and location.

This role is also eligible for performance-based bonuses and a comprehensive U.S. based benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and company holidays
• Wellness programs and employee assistance resources
• Professional development support

For more information, visit our full benefits overview here.

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement

Salas O’Brien provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/provincial, or local laws. Salas O’Brien will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants as required by law.