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What does a project and design lead do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
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Project and design lead responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real project and design lead resumes:

  • Deliver high-level n-tier architecture design, managing project expectations and timetables throughout all phases of development process.
  • Identify key areas for FPGA design improvement while isolating testing gaps in VHDL.
  • Request enhancements to the PLM product.
  • Work with composite materials, molds and SolidWorks.
  • Work with a 3rd party to utilize Solidworks EPDM software.
  • Develop requirements for customization of PLM product to suit Chrysler business processes.
  • Prepare PowerPoint presentations and presented/defend research findings to various faculty members, committees and other audience members.
  • Programme and test Arduino microprocessor to optimize manufacturing quality assurance testing by automating the process to make the system more efficient.
  • Test prototypes and prepare formal reports with results; conduct FMEA; assist with product start up in the field.
  • Perform various timing ECO iterations by closely interacting with RTL teams for closure at sub-chip level.
  • Spearhead subsystem FMEA component reviews for potential failure impacts to surrounding subsystems and applying applicable control methodologies.
  • Organize and coordinate functional validation plan from DFMEA through problem resolution.
  • Conduct geotechnical and environmental subsurface investigations.

Project and design lead skills and personality traits

We calculated that 12% of Project And Design Leads are proficient in CAD, Construction Drawings, and Solidworks. They’re also known for soft skills such as Listening skills, Mechanical skills, and Creativity.

We break down the percentage of Project And Design Leads that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • CAD, 12%

    Created and maintained input for Electrical PDMS and CAD Specifications & Procedures and Smart Plant Electrical (SPEL) templates.

  • Construction Drawings, 8%

    Recreated construction drawings for two desalination unit buildings in Equatorial Guinea converting dimensions from SI units to imperial units.

  • Solidworks, 6%

    Created sheet metal flat patterns and assemblies of refrigerators and plant growth chambers utilizing SolidWorks 2005

  • Design Concepts, 5%

    Developed technical documentation addressing pilot-vehicle interface design concepts in advanced helicopter cockpit design.

  • R, 5%

    Translated interpolation and validation rainfall models from R to Java for application development.

  • QA, 5%

    Developed Quality QA verification and validation integration plans for new IT software customer acceptance tests and satisfying requirements ahead of schedule.

"cad," "construction drawings," and "solidworks" are among the most common skills that project and design leads use at work. You can find even more project and design lead responsibilities below, including:

Listening skills. One of the key soft skills for a project and design lead to have is listening skills. You can see how this relates to what project and design leads do because "mechanical engineers often work on projects with others, such as architects and computer scientists." Additionally, a project and design lead resume shows how project and design leads use listening skills: "communicated with clients, vendors, and manufacturers to prepare project scope plans and drawing packages. "

Mechanical skills. Many project and design lead duties rely on mechanical skills. "mechanical skills allow engineers to apply basic engineering concepts and mechanical processes to the design of new devices and systems.," so a project and design lead will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways project and design lead responsibilities rely on mechanical skills: "project coordination of mechanical fea, design reviews, mechanical deliverables, etc. "

Creativity. project and design leads are also known for creativity, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to project and design lead responsibilities, because "mechanical engineers design and build complex pieces of equipment and machinery." A project and design lead resume example shows how creativity is used in the workplace: "lead designer: take the lead on a collaborative, creative process from first client meeting through design development phase. "

Problem-solving skills. A big part of what project and design leads do relies on "problem-solving skills." You can see how essential it is to project and design lead responsibilities because "mechanical engineers need good problem-solving skills to take scientific principles and discoveries and use them to design and build useful products." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical project and design lead tasks: "lead designer creating complete design solutions for residential and commercial projects. "

Math skills. A commonly-found skill in project and design lead job descriptions, "math skills" is essential to what project and design leads do. Project and design lead responsibilities rely on this skill because "mechanical engineers use the principles of calculus, statistics, and other advanced subjects in math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work." You can also see how project and design lead duties rely on math skills in this resume example: "developed the design on autocad, sketchup, microsoft office and mathcad. "

Most common project and design lead skills

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Compare different project and design leads

Project and design lead vs. Consulting engineer

A consulting engineer is an individual who aids in the planning, designing, and construction of a project from the public and private clients. Consulting engineers are required to advise on the best component suitable according to the needs of their clients. They can manage the project by coordinating with designers, architects, and relevant persons who have commissioned the project. They may incorporate green sustainable energy solutions based on the demands of their clients. Consulting engineers must also conduct a feasibility study and prepare the estimated cost for the project.

We looked at the average project and design lead salary and compared it with the wages of a consulting engineer. Generally speaking, consulting engineers are paid $8,441 higher than project and design leads per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both project and design lead and consulting engineer positions are skilled in cad, solidworks, and r.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, project and design lead responsibilities require skills like "construction drawings," "design concepts," "design development," and "photoshop." Meanwhile a typical consulting engineer has skills in areas such as "java," "working independently," "linux," and "project management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Consulting engineers really shine in the technology industry with an average salary of $99,126. Comparatively, project and design leads tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $101,323.The education levels that consulting engineers earn slightly differ from project and design leads. In particular, consulting engineers are 5.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a project and design lead. Additionally, they're 2.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Project and design lead vs. Chief engineer

A chief engineer is responsible for monitoring the engineering department's overall operations, ensuring performance efficiency, and everyone's strict compliance with the safety standards and regulatory procedures. Chief engineers manage the distribution of the tasks to the team, communicate with the clients and management for instructions and specifications, monitor expenses and forecast sales reports, analyze and approve designs, negotiate contracts, and process disputes. A chief engineer must have excellent knowledge of the engineering disciplines and exemplary leadership skills to handle the team's performance towards the company's objectives.

On average, chief engineers earn a $18,745 higher salary than project and design leads a year.A few skills overlap for project and design leads and chief engineers. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "cad," "r," and "qa. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that project and design lead responsibilities requires skills like "construction drawings," "solidworks," "design concepts," and "design development." But a chief engineer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "plumbing," "customer service," "life safety systems," and "boilers."

Chief engineers may earn a higher salary than project and design leads, but chief engineers earn the most pay in the transportation industry with an average salary of $114,862. On the other hand, project and design leads receive higher pay in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $101,323.chief engineers earn similar levels of education than project and design leads in general. They're 1.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Project and design lead vs. Engineer

Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.

On average scale, engineers bring in higher salaries than project and design leads. In fact, they earn a $2,772 higher salary per year.project and design leads and engineers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "cad," "solidworks," and "r," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from project and design lead resumes include skills like "construction drawings," "design concepts," "design development," and "photoshop," whereas an engineer is more likely to list skills in "python," "cloud," "aws," and "java. "

Engineers make a very good living in the automotive industry with an average annual salary of $97,672. On the other hand, project and design leads are paid the highest salary in the finance industry, with average annual pay of $101,323.When it comes to education, engineers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to project and design leads. In fact, they're 1.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Project and design lead vs. Senior engineer

A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.

Senior engineers average a higher salary than the annual salary of project and design leads. The difference is about $19,438 per year.While both project and design leads and senior engineers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like cad, r, and qa, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between project and design leads and senior engineers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a project and design lead might have more use for skills like "construction drawings," "solidworks," "design concepts," and "design development." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of senior engineers require skills like "java," "python," "architecture," and "git. "

Senior engineers enjoy the best pay in the start-up industry, with an average salary of $125,167. For comparison, project and design leads earn the highest salary in the finance industry.senior engineers reach higher levels of education compared to project and design leads, in general. The difference is that they're 8.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 2.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of project and design lead

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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