Building Science Lead

About QEA Tech

QEA Tech is the global standard in building envelope intelligence, providing the world's most precise building envelope audits. The company combines infrared thermography, proprietary sensors, and AI-powered building science to deliver quantified insights that drive smarter retrofits and measurable energy savings.

Since pioneering AI-powered building envelope analytics in 2019, following research and development that began in 2010, QEA Tech has completed over 1,000 large-scale projects across three continents, analyzed more than 41 million square feet of building envelope, and identified over $18M in energy savings for its clients. Its patented methodology for quantifying energy loss through infrared imaging replaces generic assumptions with precise, measured data: actual R-values, quantified energy loss, and data-driven retrofit plans with exact payback periods.

QEA Tech operates across commercial, multi-unit residential, healthcare, academic, industrial, and data center portfolios, with offices in the Toronto area, Boston, and Tokyo. Drone-based data collection is a core input to this work, and the Drone Operations team is responsible for planning, coordinating, and delivering that data accurately and on schedule.

About the Role

QEA Tech is seeking a Building Science Lead to play a dual role as a strong technical contributor and team leader within the Building Science team. This is a hands-on position for an experienced building science professional who will continue to lead complex technical work and client engagements while providing day-to-day leadership, mentorship, and technical oversight to a small team of building science specialists.

The Building Science Lead will be responsible for maintaining the quality and consistency of technical deliverables, supporting the development of team members, helping coordinate priorities and workloads, and serving as a trusted technical resource for both colleagues and clients. At the same time, they will remain actively involved in project delivery, including complex building envelope investigations, energy modelling, retrofit planning, technical analysis, and client advisory work.

This role is well suited to someone who enjoys being close to the technical work while also taking responsibility for supporting and developing a high-performing team. The successful candidate will bring strong technical judgement, an approachable leadership style, and the ability to balance project delivery, client needs, quality assurance, and team priorities in a growing environment.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Delivery

• Lead complex building envelope investigations, enclosure rehabilitation studies, and failure analysis.

• Perform moisture and thermal analysis, design development, and contract administration.

• Act as subject-matter expert on specialized diagnostics; provide expert technical review of team deliverables.

• Apply advanced heat-transfer and building-physics knowledge to inform envelope and energy-performance recommendations.

• Run or critically review energy models (code-compliance and whole-building analysis) and translate outputs into practical envelope and mechanical recommendations — energy modeling is a core, ongoing part of this role, not a peripheral skill.

• Develop retrofit plans that sequence recommended upgrades against building condition, energy performance, and client budget.

Project & Client Management

• Act as project manager across projects ranging from small assignments to large, complex programs.

• Serve as technical lead on defined and complex scopes.

• Act as primary or senior client advisor on assigned projects.

• Advise clients on energy-efficiency upgrades and retrofit payback.

Team Development and Leadership

• Review work and approve significant technical deliverables internally.

• Mentor and Lead junior staff; provide regular technical feedback.

• Execute on capacity planning, training support, onboarding assistance

Professional Responsibility

• Where licensed and competent, may assume professional engineering responsibility in accordance with PEO requirements; engineering work requiring professional responsibility remains controlled by a licensed P.Eng.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Building Science, Civil Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Architecture, or a related field.

• ~6 years of relevant building science, building envelope, energy assessment, or engineering consulting experience.

• Experience with whole-building energy modelling software (EnergyPlus, DesignBuilder, OpenStudio) or ASHRAE audit methodologies.

• Experience with BIM, digital twins, photogrammetry, or point-cloud/3D building models.

• Exposure to Python, data analytics, or AI/ML-enabled workflows.

• Prior experience mentoring or informally leading a small team.

• Experience in a startup or fast-scaling technology/consulting environment.

• Strong understanding of building envelope systems: walls, roofs, windows, curtain wall systems, insulation, air barriers, thermal bridging, and moisture behaviour.

• Strong understanding of heat-transfer principles and moisture/thermal behaviour in assemblies, with solid working knowledge of energy modeling (assembly U-values, code-compliance modeling, whole-building analysis) — this is an important, hands-on part of the role, not just an asset.

• Demonstrated experience running or supporting complex technical investigations, retrofit planning, and contract administration.

• Experience reviewing junior staff work and providing technical mentorship.

• Demonstrated experience as a primary or senior client contact.

• Strong technical judgement, attention to detail, and report-writing ability.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Proficiency with technology and digital workflows, including working knowledge of digital twins and their application in building assessment, or demonstrated ability to acquire such knowledge quickly.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a related field.

• LEED AP or IIBEC credentials.

• P.Eng. and/or BSS strongly encouraged; Thermography Level 1/2 depending on role focus.