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Job Description – Drawing Office Manager

Objective:
The Drawing Office Manager is responsible for leading and managing the Mechanical Drawing Office responsible for the design, detailing, modelling and production of engineering documentation for all projects undertaken by the organization. The incumbent will ensure that engineering drawings and three-dimensional models are technically accurate, fully coordinated across all engineering disciplines and issued in accordance with project schedules to support procurement, manufacturing, construction and commissioning activities.
The position is responsible for establishing and maintaining engineering drafting standards, ensuring the integrity of the company's 3D design environment, and driving continuous improvement within the drawing office. The Drawing Office Manager serves as the primary coordination point between Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, Structural Engineering, Project Management, Procurement, Manufacturing and Site Construction teams to ensure that all engineering deliverables are fully integrated and constructible.
Responsibilities:
The Drawing Office Manager is responsible for planning, organizing and directing all activities within the Drawing Office to ensure that engineering deliverables are completed to the highest quality standards while meeting project deadlines.
The incumbent is expected to manage departmental resources effectively, allocate work across multiple projects and ensure that the Drawing Office supports the overall objectives of the Engineering Department and the business.
The role requires the management of complete three-dimensional plant models developed in Solid Edge, ensuring that all mechanical equipment, piping systems, structural steelwork, platework, access platforms, walkways, chutes, conveyors, tanks, pressure vessels, ducting and supporting structures are fully integrated into a coordinated plant model. The Drawing Office Manager is responsible for maintaining the integrity of these models throughout the engineering and project execution phases.
A key responsibility of the position is to manage the interface between the various engineering disciplines involved in project delivery. This includes coordinating the integration of mechanical, structural, civil, process and electrical engineering information while ensuring that vendor equipment, client requirements and existing plant conditions are accurately incorporated into the design. The Drawing Office Manager must facilitate multidisciplinary design reviews and ensure that engineering clashes and interface issues are identified and resolved before drawings are issued for manufacture or construction.
The incumbent is responsible for overseeing the production and verification of all engineering drawings required throughout the project lifecycle. This includes general arrangement drawings, fabrication drawings, manufacturing drawings, assembly drawings, structural steel drawings, piping drawings, installation drawings, foundation loading information, vendor interface drawings and as-built documentation. All engineering documentation must comply with company drafting standards, project specifications and applicable industry standards before issue.
The Drawing Office Manager will lead regular model review sessions with engineering teams, project managers, clients and other stakeholders to ensure that designs remain coordinated and constructible. The role requires the identification and resolution of design clashes, constructability concerns and engineering interface issues before drawings are released for procurement or site installation.
The position also assumes responsibility for managing the use of Navisworks models for project visualization, client presentations, construction planning, installation sequencing and commissioning support. The Drawing Office Manager must ensure that Navisworks models accurately represent the latest engineering revisions and remain current throughout project execution to support both internal and external stakeholders.
The incumbent is responsible for developing, maintaining and enforcing company CAD standards, drawing templates, title blocks, revision control procedures, naming conventions, component libraries and standard assemblies. Continuous standardization of engineering practices is expected to improve efficiency, maintain consistency and reduce engineering risk across all projects.
The Drawing Office Manager should implement robust quality assurance procedures to ensure that all engineering drawings are dimensionally accurate, manufacturing-ready and suitable for site construction. The role includes managing drawing verification processes, maintaining revision integrity and ensuring that Bills of Materials accurately reflect the approved design.
Engineering change management forms an important part of the position. The incumbent will manage all drawing revisions arising from engineering changes, client instructions, vendor modifications and site conditions while maintaining complete document traceability throughout the project lifecycle.
The Drawing Office Manager is expected to provide ongoing technical support to the manufacturing department by resolving drawing queries, assisting with fabrication challenges and issuing revised documentation where required. Similarly, the role provides engineering support to construction and commissioning teams by responding to site queries, assisting with design modifications and ensuring that as-built documentation accurately reflects the completed installation.
Continuous improvement is an essential component of the position. The incumbent is expected to evaluate existing drafting processes, identify opportunities for automation and standardization, maintain a comprehensive library of standard equipment models and investigate new technologies that improve engineering efficiency and project delivery.
People Management: The Drawing Office Manager is responsible for the leadership, development and performance management of all personnel within the Drawing Office, including Senior Draughtsmen, Mechanical Draughtsmen, Junior Draughtsmen and any Drawing Office support staff. The role requires the effective allocation of resources across multiple projects, mentoring and coaching of team members, conducting performance reviews, identifying training requirements, supporting recruitment activities and developing succession plans to ensure long-term departmental capability.
Required Qualifications & Experience:
The ideal candidate should possess a National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering together with a recognized Mechanical Draughting qualification. A Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering, an advanced CAD qualification or a Project Management qualification would be considered advantageous.
The position requires a minimum of ten years' experience in mechanical drafting within heavy industrial projects, together with at least five years of experience managing a multidisciplinary drawing office. Demonstrated experience in bulk materials handling, mining, mineral processing or water treatment projects is essential. The successful candidate should possess extensive knowledge of plant layout design, pipework, structural steelwork, platework, equipment integration and multidisciplinary model coordination.
Key Skills & Competencies:
Software Competencies:

• The ideal candidate should demonstrate advanced proficiency in Solid Edge and possess practical experience in developing large integrated three-dimensional plant models.
• Experience using Navisworks for model review, client presentations, construction planning and commissioning support is essential.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications is required, while experience with AutoCAD, Autodesk Plant 3D, Inventor, Microsoft Project, SharePoint and engineering document management systems would be advantageous.

Technical Competencies:
The successful candidate should ideally possess a thorough understanding of mechanical engineering principles applicable to bulk materials handling systems together with practical knowledge of plant layout optimization, piping systems, structural integration, fabrication methods, welding detailing, pressure vessel design, manufacturing processes, constructability reviews and multidisciplinary engineering coordination. The ability to lead complete model integration and resolve engineering interface issues is considered fundamental to the role.
Key Performance Indicators:
Performance will be measured by the Drawing Office's ability to consistently deliver engineering documentation on schedule while maintaining high technical quality and supporting successful project execution.
The Drawing Office Manager will be expected to achieve a first-pass drawing approval rate exceeding ninety-eight percent, maintain drawing issue dates in accordance with project schedules and ensure that no significant engineering clashes remain unresolved prior to construction.
Success will also be measured by the effective utilization of departmental resources, adherence to company CAD standards, timely response to manufacturing and site support requests, continuous improvement initiatives and positive feedback from engineering teams, project managers, clients and construction personnel.
Strategic Importance Of The Position:
The Drawing Office Manager occupies one of the most technically significant leadership positions within the organization. The quality of engineering documentation produced by the Drawing Office directly influences procurement efficiency, manufacturing quality, installation productivity, commissioning performance, project profitability and client satisfaction. Through effective leadership, multidisciplinary coordination and the implementation of world-class engineering standards, the Drawing Office Manager plays a critical role in maintaining the organization's reputation for delivering technically superior bulk materials handling solutions