Director of Design

Position Overview

The Director of Design provides creative leadership across the firm’s projects, guiding design direction and ensuring a high level of quality and consistency. This role collaborates with leadership, project teams, and clients to shape design solutions while balancing creativity, technical requirements, and project goals.

The Director of Design also mentors staff, supports project pursuits, and helps establish design standards across the organization.

Responsibilities

Design Leadership

• Provide design direction across multiple projects and studios
• Promote design quality, consistency, and innovation
• Establish and maintain firm-wide design standards and guidelines
• Participate in design reviews and provide creative feedback
• Support conceptual design and early project visioning

Project Involvement

• Collaborate with project teams from concept through delivery
• Participate in key design presentations and milestone reviews
• Ensure alignment between design intent, client goals, and project constraints
• Guide teams in resolving design challenges

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Mentor architects and designers across experience levels
• Foster collaborative and creative studio culture
• Support professional growth and skill development
• Assist with recruiting and development of design staff

Client & External Engagement

• Participate in client meetings and presentations
• Communicate design concepts clearly to stakeholders
• Support marketing and business development pursuits
• Contribute to proposal and interview efforts

Operational Collaboration

• Work with project leadership to balance design goals with schedule and budget
• Support development of design workflows and best practices
• Coordinate with technical leadership to maintain design integrity through documentation

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Architecture
• 10+ years of professional architectural experience
• Licensed Architect preferred
• Experience leading design direction on multiple projects
• Strong portfolio demonstrating design leadership
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Experience mentoring design teams

Technical Skills

Experience with:

• BIM-based design platforms
• Visualization and presentation tools
• Concept development workflows
• Adobe or similar graphic software

Ideal Candidate

• Strong design sensibility and leadership ability
• Collaborative and team-oriented
• Comfortable presenting to clients and leadership
• Ability to guide multiple projects simultaneously
• Strategic thinker with creative problem-solving skills
• Professional and organized

Reporting Structure

This role reports to architectural or executive leadership and collaborates closely with project teams and studio leadership.

Performance Metrics

• Design quality across projects
• Team mentorship and development
• Client feedback and presentation effectiveness
• Contribution to pursuits and proposals
• Consistency of design standards
• Collaboration with project teams