Director of Engineering - IKE in Columbus, Ohio at Orange Barrel Media, LLC

Orange Barrel Media (OBM) and IKE Smart City pioneer landmark media and smart city technology to improve lives in cities. OBM has been committed to a community-oriented model of media development since its founding in 2004 and is nationally recognized by cities and real estate owners seeking to implement unique media programs that add to the character of urban places.

The company’s ongoing innovations and public benefit contributions have differentiated OBM as a leader in the Out of Home industry. OBM leveraged that expertise in 2015 to develop a sister company, IKE Smart City, which is blazing the way in smart city initiatives with its interactive digital kiosk, IKE. OBM+ IKE Smart City is currently operating iconic displays in 30 of the top markets nationwide. For more information, visit www.obm.com and www.ikesmartcity.com

We are seeking a highly skilled Engineering Director to lead the design and execution of deployment strategies for street furniture kiosks within the public Right-of-Way (ROW) across multiple U.S. markets. This role requires a forward-thinking professional with deep expertise in design engineering, permitting, utility coordination, and program structuring who can scale operations from concept through energization. The Engineering Director will establish repeatable, actionable processes to accelerate multi-site rollouts and ensure seamless integration into complex municipal and utility environments.

The Director of Engineering will partner closely with Development, Deployment, and Construction teams to streamline timelines, anticipate and resolve obstacles, and strengthen OBM’s reputation with local jurisdictions.

Core Responsibilities

• Manage and oversee site plan development process, including but not limited to technical due diligence and preliminary site planning.
• Develop and issue construction documentation for issuance to construction partners for bidding.
• Have or obtain licensure in applicable markets of deployment and be capable of signing and sealing construction documents on behalf of IKE Smart City.
• Manage and oversee a team of technical design staff to create drawings packages and manage technical exhibit requests from external project stakeholders.
• Develop and implement standardized, scalable processes for deploying kiosks in the ROW across diverse regulatory environments and markets.
• Create permitting strategies that allow simultaneous submittals and approvals for multiple sites within and across jurisdictions.
• Provide expert guidance on utility coordination, including commercial power design, meter installations, and optimized paths to energization.
• Partner with cross-functional teams (engineering, legal, construction, operations, and external vendors) to align deployment strategies with organizational goals.
• Anticipate and mitigate risks associated with permitting delays, ROW constraints, or utility interconnection challenges.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for permitting pathways, ROW compliance, and utility engagement to guide market expansion planning.
• Establish performance metrics to evaluate deployment efficiency, permitting cycle times, and energization success rates.
• Build and maintain relationships with permitting authorities, utility providers, and municipal stakeholders to streamline approvals.
• Provide market intelligence on regulatory trends, best practices, and lessons learned to continuously refine processes.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in program strategy, permitting, or utility coordination, preferably in ROW or infrastructure deployment (telecom, EV charging, OOH, or similar industries).
• Proven success designing and scaling permitting strategies across multiple U.S. jurisdictions.
• Demonstrated expertise in utility coordination, energization planning, and power delivery for distributed assets.
• Strong track record of managing complex, multi-market deployment programs with aggressive timelines.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to navigate complex regulatory frameworks with creativity and precision.
• Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Engineering, Public Policy, or related field; Master’s degree preferred.