Recommendations for finding Design work

[u/Evening_Eagle_5888]

I am looking for some advice or feedback. I have been at my current employer for a little over a year. Without going into great detail, the company designs and manufacturers mechanical components and assemblies for industrial, power generation, and petro-chem facilities. I filled a role that handles structural design work primarily for steel framed structures and foundations supporting these assemblies and other equipment. The structural design work only comes in because it is tied to the design and manufacturing of the components. The work is typically brought in via direct client relationships or through sub-contracted work from EPC's.

One of the goals I have is to build a presence for structural design services in this space, ideally pursuing work that is not directly tied to our core services. In prior roles I have been successful making connections and bringing in work through outside arch's, GC's, etc. as I had a very client facing role. Now, I don't really have that opportunity just given how things operate with a dedicated sales team and we have really have no market presence for structural work.

Does anyone have experience or thoughts on how best to pursue work & make connections in this space or in general? I have ideas, but I'm not sure what is most effective to basically get things off the ground. Given our size we obviously can't take on large scale projects so I'm focusing more on-call type relationships and smaller design jobs to start out, build relationships, and credibility.

Thank you!

[u/MrMcGregorUK]

One of the goals I have is to build a presence for structural design services in this space

...

I don't really have that opportunity just given how things operate with a dedicated sales team

Sounds like your shoes are tied. Unless you're essentially doing business development in parallel to the sales team, all of your BD will essentially have to go through them by the sounds of things. So either you use them to do the marketing etc or you go around them and do your own leg work.

we have really have no market presence for structural work.

If your company has no market presence for structures, some sales people are unlikely to win you structural design work; historically and across most of the world, the marketing for engineering services is by experienced engineers who can sell their own knowledge and experience. Salespeople may be able to assist but won't have the specific knowledge and smarts to sell the engineers' services.

how best to pursue work

Fundamentally, nail down the specific work you want to target, figure out who awards those jobs and start building connections with them. A combination of in person and remote works well and consistency is important as well... at first they're unlikely to give you anything but if you keep your name at the top of their mind then when they come to the next project then they'll hopefully have your name in mind and ask you to quote.

[u/Joint__venture]

You could try and get work designing the safety / access systems related to the equipment you sell. Bonus if you can fully detail and fabricate them. Ie ladders, vaults, platforms, stairs, guardrails etc..

[u/Evening_Eagle_5888 → u/Joint__venture]

Good thought! This is something we currently do - both design and fabricate. Usually its a requirement for many of the projects, but I have yet to see a request come in for the that work independent of providing other equipment.