Field Engineer

Field Engineer, Installation

Location: Los Angeles, CA or San Francisco Bay Area

Employment Type: Full-Time

Work Model: Hybrid / Field-Based

Compensation: Competitive base salary with rapid growth potential based on demonstrated performance

About Foster Reeve & Associates

Foster Reeve & Associates, Inc. is a recognized leader in architectural and ornamental plaster, specializing in highly customized, design-driven interiors for luxury residences and architecturally significant properties.

Our work goes far beyond traditional plaster. We design, engineer, manufacture, and install architectural elements ranging from wall and ceiling systems to trim, moldings, domes, ornamentation, and custom sculptural features. Because we manage the process from design and engineering through manufacturing and field installation, our teams have direct ownership over delivering exceptional work from concept through completion.

We operate in a sophisticated construction environment where technical accuracy, craftsmanship, communication, and field execution matter. We are looking for an experienced construction professional with an engineering foundation who wants to be close to the work, solve problems, and take meaningful ownership of project outcomes.

The Opportunity

The Field Engineer, Installation is responsible for managing the successful field execution of multiple complex construction projects across California.

This is not a traditional desk-based engineering or construction administration role. This position sits at the intersection of engineering, manufacturing, installation, project management, and customer coordination.

You will work closely with general contractors, internal engineers, operations teams, field foremen, and installation crews to ensure projects are properly planned, sequenced, mobilized, documented, and completed.

The successful candidate combines the structured thinking of an engineer with the practical judgment of an experienced construction professional.

This role is ideal for someone who can walk onto a job site, quickly understand what is happening, identify what needs to happen next, and take ownership of moving the work forward.

What You'll Do

Lead Field Execution

• Manage the scheduling, coordination, and execution of multiple installation projects simultaneously.
• Coordinate field teams and work closely with foremen to keep installations safe, efficient, and aligned with project schedules.
• Evaluate site readiness before mobilization and installation.
• Coordinate field measurements, mobilizations, deliveries, installation sequencing, and other site logistics.
• Inspect work in progress and ensure installation meets Foster Reeve quality standards.
• Identify potential problems early and drive them toward resolution before they impact schedule, quality, or profitability.
• Manage several projects at different stages simultaneously, prioritizing the projects requiring the greatest attention at any given time.

Own Technical Coordination

• Understand contract scope and associated technical requirements.
• Read and interpret architectural, engineering, construction, shop, and installation drawings.
• Review shop drawings, scope documents, and customer CAD files for alignment with contract requirements.
• Coordinate field measurements and site-specific information required by the Engineering team to develop accurate shop and installation drawings.
• Understand interior construction conditions including framing, drywall assemblies, wall layouts, and architectural details.
• Coordinate installation requirements with MEP/HVAC systems and other trades.
• Recognize design conflicts, sequencing problems, and field constraints before they become costly installation issues.

Manage Contractors & Customers

• Develop productive working relationships with general contractors, architects, designers, field teams, and other project stakeholders.
• Attend preconstruction, coordination, scheduling, and project meetings.
• Maintain regular communication with customers regarding project status, schedule, and upcoming requirements.
• Manage expectations clearly and professionally.
• Identify when site conditions do not support the requested schedule and confidently communicate realistic alternatives.
• Hold project partners accountable while maintaining strong working relationships.
• Navigate difficult field conversations with confidence, professionalism, and sound judgment.

Manage Scope & Commercial Issues

• Understand contractual scope and identify work that falls outside of the original agreement.
• Generate and submit change orders and time-and-material tickets accurately and consistently.
• Document field conditions and additional work in a manner that supports contractual and commercial decisions.
• Understand when an issue should be challenged, negotiated, escalated, or resolved practically.
• Protect project profitability without allowing minor disputes to interfere with successful execution or customer relationships.
• Participate in regular Operations meetings to review schedules, billing, project issues, and upcoming priorities.

Lead Installation Teams

• Coordinate installation-team scheduling and movement across projects.
• Work closely with field foremen to ensure crews have the information, materials, access, and conditions necessary to perform successfully.
• Support training, performance, and discipline of installation personnel as needed.
• Maintain visibility across the customer experience, project documentation, financial considerations, schedule, and physical installation.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Completed bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering.
• Professional construction experience with meaningful hands-on responsibility for field execution.
• Strong knowledge of interior construction, including framing, drywall assemblies, wall layouts, and architectural details.
• Ability to confidently read and interpret architectural, engineering, shop, and construction drawings.
• Experience coordinating field crews, installation teams, contractors, subcontractors, or similar construction personnel.
• Understanding of construction scheduling, sequencing, site readiness, field measurements, and logistics.
• Experience preparing, reviewing, negotiating, or defending change orders and change-of-scope documentation.
• Ability to coordinate architectural conditions with MEP/HVAC and other trades.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities.
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills suitable for customer-facing and contractor-facing situations.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership without requiring constant direction.
• Willingness and ability to travel between California project locations as required.
• Valid driver's license and ability to safely work on active construction sites.
• Ability to maintain a professional home-office environment when working remotely.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in high-end residential construction.
• Experience working for a specialty contractor, subcontractor, manufacturer, or vendor responsible for both fabrication and field installation.
• Experience with architectural millwork, custom windows and doors, specialty interiors, decorative finishes, architectural products, or similar highly customized construction.
• Experience working on architecturally complex interiors, luxury commercial spaces, or high-rise interior construction.
• AutoCAD proficiency and experience working with customer CAD files, shop drawings, and installation drawings.
• Familiarity with 3D modeling tools.
• Spanish language skills are helpful but not required.
• Previous exposure to plaster or specialty architectural finishes is helpful, but direct plaster experience is not required.

Who Will Thrive Here

This role is built for someone who takes ownership .

You are comfortable moving between drawings, field conditions, schedules, customers, contractors, crews, and commercial issues without losing sight of the overall project.

You are proactive but not chaotic. You anticipate problems and create structure rather than waiting for problems to become emergencies.

You know that being busy is not the same as being effective.

You have enough construction experience to recognize when a site is not truly ready, enough confidence to communicate that clearly, and enough judgment to know when to push versus when to find a practical solution.

You are comfortable holding people accountable, but you are not looking for an argument at every turn.

Most importantly, you want responsibility. You want to understand how the entire project works and have a direct impact on whether it succeeds.

This position is unlikely to be a fit for someone seeking a primarily administrative construction role focused on processing paperwork, tracking accountability, or spending the majority of the day behind a desk.

Location & Travel

This is a hybrid, field-oriented position supporting projects throughout California.

Candidates may be based in the Los Angeles area or San Francisco Bay Area , with their initial project concentration generally aligned to their home market. The role may ultimately support projects across both Northern and Southern California.

Field and project activity may account for approximately three to four days per week , depending on current projects. Remaining responsibilities may be handled from a professional home office or company location.

Foster Reeve maintains a manufacturing facility and office in Santa Fe Springs, California. Travel between project locations and occasional overnight travel should be expected.

Compensation & Growth

Foster Reeve is looking for someone capable of growing substantially with the role.

Compensation will be structured around experience and demonstrated performance, with significant upside for a successful hire. The company places a premium on employees who can independently manage complex work, protect customer relationships, and consistently deliver successful project outcomes.

For an ambitious construction professional who wants more than another project-specific assignment, this role offers the opportunity to establish a long-term home within a growing specialty organization and take on increasing responsibility as the company evolves.

Why Foster Reeve?

Many construction professionals spend their careers moving from one project to the next without ever seeing the complete process or developing a long-term home.

Foster Reeve offers something different.

You will work across design, engineering, manufacturing, and installation , giving you visibility into the entire lifecycle of highly customized architectural work. You'll solve unusual construction challenges, work alongside engineers, craftspeople, contractors, designers, and field teams, and see the finished result of decisions you helped make.

If you are a civil engineer who enjoys construction more than sitting behind a desk and wants autonomy, technical challenge, field ownership, and the opportunity to make a visible impact, this could be an exceptional next step.