Day in the Life of a Design Manager

wall of switchgears in an electric room

December 3, 2025

We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Jesse DeBoom, a Design Manager at Interstates, to discuss his role within the company. Here's an inside look with one of our many experts! 

A blue outlined icon of an industrial factory. The image features a building with three angular rooftops, two tall chimneys or smokestacks in the background, and a large entrance or loading bay in the front. The icon represents manufacturing or industrial production.

What is your area of expertise? 

I am a Power Electrical Engineer by degree, a Design Manager, and the Lane Leader of Interstates' Manufacturing lane. My specialty is power engineering and design engineering for modular electric rooms and power skids. 

What advice would you give to someone new to your field? 

I would tell them that at times, projects or tasks can seem overwhelming. But break them down into as small of pieces as you can. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions and tell your supervisor when you need help. It's better to ask for help rather than flounder and make no progress. 

What is some advice you typically provide to our clients? 

Remember to consider future projects, needs, and wants when developing the early design of a project. Without doing this, you may end up reworking parts of a project. By looking ahead, we can design your infrastructure for future needs to make those projects as cost-effective as possible. 

Simple blue line icon of an HVAC unit with a circular fan on the left and vent lines on the right.

What is the most interesting challenge or project that you have solved? 

Digging in and learning about Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and pressurization units. With our traditional projects, we would perform heat load calculations and send them to others to size and design the HVAC needs for the projects. But with modular electric rooms, Interstates is responsible for the design of HVAC units and pressurization units. 

What technology or innovation are you excited about in your field? 

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are a new class of nuclear power plants designed to be factory-built, smaller, and more flexible than traditional reactors. These units typically generate 300 megawatts (MWe) or less, utilize standardized modules for faster and cheaper construction, and often feature enhanced safety through passive cooling systems. 

A man is shown in a head‑and‑shoulders portrait, smiling at the camera. He is wearing a dark collared shirt. The background is a smooth blue backdrop.
Jesse DeBoom, Design Manager and Manufacturing Lane Leader at Interstates.

What gets you excited about your job? 

Leading and training our up-and-coming engineers and APMs/PMs. Obviously, as an engineer, I enjoy solving complex problems and figuring things out. I enjoy working on projects for our clients to provide them with what they need, rather than what they think they need. I thoroughly like client conversations and business development work. Overall, I'm passionate about helping others, whether it's our internal team or our clients. 

 

Thank you for all your work, Jesse!