Principal Automation Specialist (Digital Engineering Developer)

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Parsons is seeking a Principal Automation Specialist to lead and support the regional automation function within the Engineering Digital Transformation (EDT) team. In this role, you will define automation strategy, develop high-impact engineering tools, and oversee a scalable automation portfolio supporting platforms such as Autodesk Revit, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, and ArcGIS.

The role requires strong technical leadership in engineering automation, deep understanding of infrastructure design workflows, and the ability to translate complex requirements into scalable digital solutions. The ideal candidate combines hands-on development expertise, leadership capability, and applied AI knowledge to enhance productivity, quality, and delivery efficiency across large-scale infrastructure projects.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Lead the regional automation strategy, including governance, standards, and portfolio management.

• Provide hands-on technical leadership and contribute directly to the development of high-value automation tools.

• Lead, mentor, and support a distributed team of automation specialists across multiple engineering centers.

• Act as the primary interface between EDT, engineering teams, and business stakeholders.

• Identify, prioritize, and deliver automation opportunities aligned with measurable business value.

• Oversee the full lifecycle of automation solutions, including design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance.

• Develop and maintain automation tools for Revit, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, and related platforms.

• Establish and enforce coding, documentation, and UI/UX standards, ensuring maintainable and scalable solutions.

• Implement and manage version control, structured release workflows, and a centralized Git-based repository.

• Support development of an automation hub/marketplace to improve reuse and standardization of tools.

• Integrate AI-driven capabilities into engineering workflows, such as data extraction, design validation, and predictive analytics.

• Identify and prototype AI/ML use cases to improve engineering productivity and decision-making.

• Ensure AI solutions are secure, explainable, and suitable for production engineering environments.

• Evaluate and govern AI coding assistants to improve development speed, quality, and consistency.

• Produce technical reports, dashboards, and KPI metrics to track automation performance and impact.

• Present technical updates and strategic roadmaps to senior leadership.

• Stay current with advancements in Autodesk platforms, automation technologies, and applied AI in AEC.

What Required Skills You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline.

• 10+ years of experience in automation, software development, or systems engineering.

• 5+ years of experience in technical leadership or team mentoring roles.

• Strong experience developing .NET/C# solutions using Autodesk APIs (Revit, Civil 3D, AutoCAD).

• Proficiency in C#, Python, AutoLISP, and other scripting languages.

• Extensive hands-on experience with Autodesk Revit and Civil 3D.

• Strong understanding of infrastructure and multidisciplinary engineering workflows.

• Knowledge of BIM principles, data standards, and digital delivery practices.

• Experience with databases (SQL/MSSQL), Git-based workflows, and software release management.

• Proven ability to design scalable automation architectures and digital solutions.

• Experience applying AI/ML or intelligent automation in engineering environments.

• Familiarity with AI coding assistants and governance of AI-assisted development.

• Strong documentation, system design, and solution architecture skills.

What Desired Skills You’ll Bring:

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

• Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Experience in large AEC organizations or enterprise engineering environments is preferred.

• PMP or equivalent certification is preferred