Design Leader II

Job Description

Apply now If you think your skills and experience make you a good match for this position, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking a creative leader who has the skills, experience, and reputation that reflect the importance of this role in our design practice. You will be responsible for the successful implementation of our goal to be one of the most innovative, creative, and highly regarded design firms in the world. You will be an integral part of the office leadership team. You will nurture and develop the people and culture of the office and be a voice for design excellence firm-wide and to the outside world.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Perform in a lead design role communicating and representing design goals to the client and the team for the life of the project, with particular emphasis on early phase development.
• Partner with our most strategic thinkers, co-leading visioning, and setting conceptual direction.
• Collaborate with teams throughout all phases of development to ensure design quality.
• Support Senior Design Leaders on significant strategic pursuits.
• Create innovative design concepts that synthesize our clients’ culture, goals, and aspirations with the needs of people, community, society, and the environment.
• Deliver solutions uniquely responsive to this expanded view of design impact.
• Prepare and direct the preparation of client presentation materials to convey the design in a compelling and sophisticated manner.
• Lead design presentations, with an emphasis on storytelling and aiding client understanding of the design.
• Capture and communicate key client goals and metrics and how our design solutions add value to our clients’ success.
• Collaborate with marketing and communications team to build strong narratives of our work.
• Work within our culture of being an integrated practice by collaborating with technical leaders, subject matter experts, and others, creating holistic design solutions that fulfill the complex array of demands our projects require.
• Integrate performance-based and sustainable design strategies into design solutions.
• Further our goals to decarbonize the built environment and meet the AIA 2030 Commitment.
• Contribute to the firm’s portfolio with externally recognized design work.
• Submit projects for publication and to awards programs.
• Engage in activities that strengthen, differentiate, and promote our brand locally, regionally, and nationally. This includes cultivating your personal reputation as a creative leader in the profession.
• Presentation at and contribution to conferences is encouraged.
• Mentoring and growing emerging professionals toward future creative leadership.
• You will assist in nurturing an environment that exemplifies collaboration, experimentation, innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship.
• Recruiting and retaining design talent.
• Creating a stimulating and rewarding environment that sets the tone for design excellence and demonstrates it across the firm.
• Empowering staff and delegating effectively; building high-performance teams by encouraging innovation and continuous improvement.
• Provoking critical thinking and critique of our work.
• Leading by example, pursuing and winning design work that represents our future selves and advancing our Living-Centered Design philosophy.

ABOUT YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor or Master degree in Architecture required.
• Bachelor or Master degree in Architecture from an accredited program preferred.
• 15 years minimum experience in a design leadership role, of which a minimum of 3 years are leading others in a design studio or design practice segment required.
• Current US Architectural Registration preferred.
• Additional accreditation and/or training relevant to this role is preferred, including LEED.
• Design portfolio of significant built and unbuilt work.
• Third party recognition of your work as a lead or supporting design role by local, regional, or national design awards programs and recognized design publications or digital platforms is preferred.
• Strong oral presentation and storytelling skills required.
• Must be able to understand and execute business strategy.
• Must have professional acumen and maturity demonstrated by the ability to communicate authentically and respectfully.
• Travel required.

ABOUT OUR FIRM

We’re a design practice at the nexus of strategy, experience, architecture, engineering, and social impact. We dream up, create, and bring to life solutions that enhance human vitality, further equity, strengthen communities, and safeguard our planet all at once. We’ve been recognized multiple times by Fast Company as one of the most innovative design firms in the world. With nearly 1,300 teammates across 18 offices, we forge deep partnerships with clients across all industries, empowering them to reach greater heights. At the heart of our work lies our ethos, Living-Centered Design — a bold commitment to using our skills to not only enhance the world but to fundamentally reshape it for the better.

ABOUT WORKING HERE

We are relentless in our pursuit of client adoration (not simply satisfaction). Consistent delivery of the best service is what we are about. We are committed to ensuring our practice is equitable for all employees, representative of the communities around us – and focused on the future of design. We advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts through the leadership of our DEI Council, Employee Resource Groups, and other community advocacy initiatives.

We’re about communication and transparency here. If you want to talk to someone about an idea you have, or a challenge