WHAT DOES A DRAFTING MANAGER DO?

Updated: Mai 28, 2025 - The Drafting Manager reviews completed work for accuracy and compliance with codes and site standards, and coordinates the efforts of the drafting group with other site functions and external contractors. Develops and oversees the conversion of 2D drawings to updated CAD standards, creates multidimensional drawings, and mentors junior drafters, enhancing departmental training programs. Manages subcontract negotiations and project change processes, ensuring all design changes align with contractual obligations and business goals.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Drafting Manager

1. Drafting Manager Duties

  • AutoCAD Proficiency: Complete 2D and 3D drawings using AutoCAD and other software in conformance with requirements, applicable codes, and design criteria
  • Quality Assurance: Review completed work to ensure accuracy and compliance with codes, design data, and site standards
  • Project Coordination: Coordinate the efforts of the group with other site functional areas as well as outside contractors, and where necessary, establish a control program for all outgoing drawings
  • Document Management: Receive, review, format, and electronically file drawings supplied by outside engineers, vendors, clients, and other groups
  • CAD Conversion: Convert existing 2D drawings to current site CAD and drafting standards
  • BIM Design: Create 2D/3D/BIM drawings using external references and survey data while coordinating various disciplines
  • Mentoring and Training: Mentor junior drafters and develop a training program for the Drafting Department
  • Business Analysis: Understand various analytical requirements, business concepts and principles, business financial terminology and measures, and exhibits sound business judgment in line with operating budgets
  • Contract Negotiation: Basic knowledge to negotiate subcontracts and ensure that contract obligations and/or milestones are tracked and met
  • Change Management: Intermediate knowledge of the project change control process and ability to train others regarding the rationale, requirements, and importance of identifying potential changes, especially as related to designs and drawings
  • Performance Management: Oversee and evaluate the performance of assigned personnel
  • Team Collaboration: Work closely with other designers/engineers

2. Drafting Manager Details

  • Priority Setting: Collaborate with Engineering, Project Management, and Production Leadership to determine priorities as they relate to drafting expectations.
  • Scheduling Management: Attend scheduling meetings and create a schedule of tasks for drafters 1-2 weeks ahead of drafting production.
  • Task Delegation: Delegate tasks to Team Members and Out-Of-House Drafting Consultants based on knowledge, skill, and availability.
  • Project Monitoring: Follow up daily on project progress and make necessary changes to team assignments to ensure completion on or before intended release date.
  • Performance Tracking: Develop and maintain Consultant Scorecard to measure and track performance.
  • Skill Development Oversight: Responsible for the skill development of individual drafters and the Drafting Team as a whole.
  • Development Planning: Identify gaps in knowledge and skill for each drafter and create a unique plan for Team Member development with established goals and milestones.
  • Training Facilitation: Facilitate training sessions whether in-house or outsourced to remain current with advancing software capabilities.
  • Quality Control: Track NCRs and other drawing corrections/issues, conduct corrective action/performance discussions to decrease occurrences.
  • Deadline Enforcement: Hold Drafters accountable for meeting established deadlines/timelines, Gage Standards, and accuracy.
  • Production Oversight: Ensure production prints are released as scheduled.
  • Tool Utilization Verification: Verify Concrete Vision utilization is consistent throughout Team Members and projects.
  • Metrics Creation and Tracking: Create and track metrics as they relate to the timely and accurate completion of production drawings and use within Production.
  • Lean Practice Implementation: Employ Lean practices to improve efficiency and agility throughout the organization.
  • Conflict Mediation: Mediate disagreements between Team Members.

3. Drafting Manager Responsibilities

  • Team Supervision: Supervision and oversight of drafting team and personnel in the completion of multiple projects simultaneously.
  • Project Involvement: Active member of project teams from initial stages of pre-design, code, schematics and shop drawings.
  • Detailed Drawing Preparation: Prepare detailed drawings of modular designs/units, plans for Architectural, MEP and structures according to specifications provided by architect/engineer of record.
  • CAD Operation: Operate computer drafting equipment such as AutoCAD and REVIT to produce modular designs, working drawings, shop drawings, charts, forms, and cost estimate take-offs.
  • Presentation Skills: Determine method of presentation to graphically represent modular building plans.
  • Data Coordination: Obtain and assemble data to complete modular designs and coordinate with plant staff to find efficiency in fabrication.
  • Scale Drawing: Draw rough and detailed scale plans for modular components and structures based on preliminary concepts, sketches, engineering calculations, specification sheets and other data.
  • Material Research: Research products, materials and building assemblies to incorporate in project design to maximize efficiency.
  • Layout Planning: Lay out and plan modular room arrangements working with A/E of record.
  • Team Training: Train the drafting team while working on projects.
  • Performance Reviews: Participate in the performance review process for the drafting team.
  • Quality Checking: Act as a “checker” of others, carefully examining details in certain types of modular components and structures.
  • Cost Estimation: Prepare cost estimates, contract, bidding document and technical reports working with cost estimating and project management staff.
  • Meeting Participation: Attend project team meetings and presentations as deemed necessary.

4. Drafting Manager Accountabilities

  • Team Management: Oversee the Drafting team, manage the workload and deadlines, and assign work to the team accordingly.
  • Quality Assurance: Ensure all drawings are prepared in accordance with the company standards and meet the project scope and budget.
  • Productivity Enhancement: Provide suggestions to increase productivity by setting up internal templates and procedures.
  • Supervisory Review: Review and approve all work produced by the Drafting team during all phases of submission.
  • System Development: Design and develop custom systems.
  • Design Review: Review architectural and shop drawings, contract specifications, and samples for design inconsistencies and conflicts.
  • Site Involvement: Attend mock-up installations, site testing, and lab testing.
  • Technical Leadership: Provide technical guidance to the Drafting Technicians.
  • Collaborative Coordination: Collaborate professionally with the Project Management team, architects, consultants, engineers, subcontractors, and suppliers regarding design revisions and finalization.
  • CAD Expertise: Create high-quality drawings using ArchiCAD for projects ranging up to $2,500,000.
  • Custom Design: Design single and multi-story custom homes.
  • Policy Implementation: Implement and review policies and programs pertaining to drafting functions.
  • Staff Motivation: Motivate staff under supervision to work effectively and efficiently.

5. Construction Design Drafting Manager Functions

  • Workflow Management: Manage the workflow of the drafting department to ensure critical deliverables are on time and accurate
  • Employee Development: Meet with employees regularly to manage tasks as well as assist in continued professional development
  • Standard Implementation: Implement, improve, and maintain existing drafting standards as established
  • Quality Assurance: Provide quality control and assurance reviews of department deliverables
  • Drafting Completion: Complete sales level prints including preliminary site layouts, basic sections/plan views of agricultural buildings, 3D renderings in SketchUp
  • Construction Drawing Review: Complete review level construction drawings (structural, architectural, some MEP)
  • Feedback Incorporation: Incorporate redline review comments from engineering and project managers
  • Final Drawing Issuance: Complete bid level & final issuance of construction drawings
  • Project Understanding: Know and understand the design criteria and special instructions for specific assigned projects
  • Record Keeping: Keep accurate records of important communications and developments for assigned project and prepare summaries of completed designs and project status information
  • Project Coordination: Work closely with the project teams and project manager to keep track of project design and timeline
  • Communication Management: Keep project team members and project manager informed of all pertinent issues
  • Quality Corrections: Promptly make all quality control corrections required upon return of previously performed work
  • File Organization: Keep all assigned project files and drawings organized and up to date

6. Drafting Manager Job Description

  • CAD Supervision: Supervise all CAD output for drawings and design, including laminate and thin film circuit drawings, IC drawings, machined part drawings, test fixture/housing drawings, outline, assembly, etc.
  • Change Management: Supervise and execute the proper maintenance and upkeep of drawing changes via the ECN process.
  • Standardization: Develop or implement new CAD standard requirements as needed to align with vendors' processes.
  • Engineering Collaboration: Work with engineers to ensure that design features, dimensions, tolerances, and allowances conform to functional and manufacturing requirements.
  • Design Recommendation: Recommend design enhancements to the engineers.
  • Interdepartmental Collaboration: Collaborate with QA, Supply Chain, and other departments to maintain a robust supply of high-quality incoming materials. Update CAD collateral in accordance with necessary quality standards and supplier needs/requests.
  • Team Management: Manage CAD technicians in proper process controls and techniques.
  • Problem Solving: Identify and resolve possible construction issues.
  • Supervisory Oversight: Overall supervision of the production of detailed drawings of a design project to show craftsmen exactly what is to be done.
  • Guidance and Drafting: Guide Drafters to draft outline and detailed drawings to the appropriate scale for planning submissions and construction purposes, and draft plans for the additions and alterations of buildings.
  • Client Presentations: Conduct presentation of drawings and models to clients.

7. Drafting Manager Overview

  • Plan Management: Manage architectural plans and the development of drafting personnel
  • Redline Coordination: Coordinate the collection of redlines and incorporate information into drawings
  • Team Collaboration: Collaborate with the project management team, architects, consultants, engineers, and subcontractors regarding design revisions and finalization
  • Project Multitasking: Juggle multiple projects and deadlines for various project sizes and clients
  • Entitlement Preparation: Prepare documents for entitlements by regulatory authorities, i.e., building permit applications, energy compliance forms, green buildings, etc.
  • Design Research: Design research for clients and developing construction detailing
  • Schematic Design Review: Prepare and review schematic designs for code and program compliance along with the project team
  • Document Production: Producing high-quality project design deliverables and construction documents
  • Site Information Gathering: Visiting the city's building departments to acquire information pertaining to the job site
  • Approval Assembly: Assemble design drawings and documents for city approval
  • CAD/BIM Support: Perform CAD/BIM support-drafting, plotting, record documents
Relevant Information
What Does A CAD Drafter Do?
What Does A Draftsman Do?