As well as offering BIM services, The CAD Room also offers a 2D CAD service– and Sophia is our 2D CAD Manager. As part of our Women in BIM series of blog posts, we spoke to Sophia about her role and how she found herself working in the industry.

What is a 2D CAD Manager?

CAD stands for Computer Aided Design, so a 2D CAD Manager is responsible for supervising and training other CAD operators and drafters to prepare drawings for everything to do with buildings.

When we spoke to Sophia about what her job at The CAD Room entailed, she mentioned that it was a very varied role, with lots of liaising with clients involved, as well as looking after her team and also processing for the bigger 2D jobs.

The Role of a 2D CAD Manager

  • Excellent communication skills needed in order to liaise with own team, other departments and clients
  • Making sure that relevant information is available to those that need it
  • Maintenance of thorough documentation of all processes
  • Oversee the 2D CAD team
  • Take the lead in project meetings
  • Work with clients to manage their expectations and ensure all of their requirements are met

2D CAD Manager Qualifications

There are many job sites out there who will tell you that to get a job as a 2D CAD manager you will need one of the following qualifications:

  • BTEC in Building Engineering, Building Management, or Building Studies
  • HND/HNC in Architecture, Construction Management or Spatial Design
  • BSc in Design and Construction Management

However, this is not always the case, and you can work your way up to this level. Sophia, for example, has an HND in 3D Spatial Design and has spent a lot of her career working in 2D CAD on the residential side before she came to The CAD Room. The role of 2D CAD Manager was perfect for her as it used a lot of the skills she naturally has – such as organisational skills, attention to detail and being efficient. Many skills that you learn in other jobs can easily be transferred; for example, Sophia said in her previous role as a Senior Technical Designer she was training other technical designers, and so this was a natural skill to bring across to this role.

Opportunities for Progression

Being a 2D CAD Manager is quite a key role within a CAD or BIM services agency, but there are other opportunities for progression – such as becoming a BIM Manager or a Project Director. Sophia herself is thoroughly enjoying her role in 2D and feels there is a lot more she can do in the position. In a later blog post in this series, we will take a closer look at the role of 2D CAD in BIM.

As you can see 2D CAD Management is a varied role, which would be suitable for a variety of people. If the idea of working in CAD appeals to you, then please take a look at our careers page to the current positions we have available.