Design Director, US Northeast & North Central
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Stantec’s Buildings team is on a mission to become the world’s leading integrated design practice. Our architects, engineers, interior designers, consultants, sustainability specialists, and technologists are passionate about the power of design. Our collaborative culture and innovative, sustainable approach to projects help us create buildings that matter to our world.
Together, we are enhancing the quality of life globally through design. Join us and design your place with Stantec.
Your Opportunity
We are looking for an inspiring Design Leader; a well‑rounded practitioner with a commitment to design excellence, sustainability, and collaboration, to take on the role of Design Director. In this role you will work directly with our Global and North American Design Directors to shape and support design excellence throughout the practice, partnering with your Regional Design Director counterparts to implement initiatives while working closely with BC Design, Practice, and Operations Leads within your region to become the world’s leading integrated design practice.
This position is a region‑wide role and can be located in any US city within the region where there is a Stantec office.
Key Areas Of Focus
- Culture – Advance design thinking through collaboration, dialogue, mentorship, and demonstration.
- Quality – Advance design delivery to be consistent holistic integrated design that achieves clarity, purpose, performance, and craft.
- Brand – Advance design recognition to become synonymous with outstanding design, innovation, and sustainability.
Apply by December 1. Include your resume, portfolio, and your responses to the following questions (1–2 pages total):
- How have you inspired a culture of design excellence?
- How would you approach collaborating with design talent across our integrated practice to achieve our design excellence objectives?
- Tell us about your design awards, academic engagement, and thought leadership (conferences, presentations, and publications).
Key Responsibilities
- Actively engage with each practice and design leadership across the country, driving design culture, quality and brand.
- Establish, support, and mentor Design Leads in each practice.
- Assist in the attraction and retention of design talent, building high‑performance teams and practice models.
- Establish a culture of learning, professional development, and growth.
- Advance Design Thinking actively participating in the practice‑wide Design Forum and Design Excellence calls, and regional town halls.
- Advance digital design practice and delivery in collaboration with the Design Computing Lead.
- Advance design practices, processes and knowledge encouraging, supporting, and participating in the Innovation Program.
- Partner with local Design Leadership to ensure every project has an empowered Design Lead.
- Conduct and participate in Design Reviews to ensure work aligns with our Five Principles of Design Excellence—clarity, purpose, discovery, performance, and craft—and encourage holistic sustainable design through multi‑disciplinary reviews.
- Advance sustainable design focused on lower energy demand, lower waste use demand, and lower embodied and operational carbon in collaboration with the Carbon and Climate Lead and team.
- Advance design delivery through integrated design, modeling, coordination, and documentation.
- Advance a ‘Green’ portfolio, positioning and winning work with high sustainability objectives, designing, delivering, documenting, photographing, publishing, presenting and submitting for design awards obtaining recognition for design excellence.
- Participate and support thought leadership through research, presentation and publication of projects, processes, approaches and ideas.
- Advance a design portfolio of outstanding projects, positioning and winning work with high design potential, designing, delivering, documenting, photographing, publishing, presenting and submitting for design awards obtaining recognition for design excellence.
- Participate and support local practice engagement in their communities at the local, national and international level volunteering, mentoring, design panels, design forums, practice committees, etc.
- Participate and support local practice engagement in the academies with future practitioners teaching, lecturing, speaking and critiquing.
- Advance design practices that are recognized for driving value, balancing innovation with profitability.
- Participate in the annual allocation and organization of Design Excellence budget.
Your Capabilities and Credentials
- Strong experience, drive and leadership to effectively lead, challenge and inspire.
- Experience mentoring and motivating designers and design teams.
- Demonstrated experience advancing design excellence across a practice or region.
- Inspiring designer, mentor and leader attracting and retaining top design talent.
- Exemplary communication skills and advocacy of our design point of view internally and externally.
- Proven speaking and presenting (academia, conferences, podcasts, forums, panels).
- Evidence of design excellence with a portfolio of outstanding work including photography, documentation, publication, presentations, citations and awards.
- Evidence of innovative design and delivery.
- Evidence of collaborative, sustainable, holistic design with a green portfolio achieving high sustainability standards (Passive House, ZCB, WELL, Living Building Challenge, Net Zero, LEED, etc).
- Dedication to Stantec’s sustainability principles and commitments.
- Active leadership in professional organizations and community (committees, councils, design review panels).
- Experience conducting practice‑based design reviews and critiques.
- Active leadership in university design school programs teaching, lecturing, speaking and critiquing.
- Commitment to building and evolving a strong, resilient, value‑based design culture.
- Effective working relationships with RBL and Buildings Leadership Team.
- Active participation and leadership in design‑oriented peer groups.
- Demonstrated interest and ability to lead and collaborate with all allied disciplines.
- Maintain professional licensure and specialty certifications/status.
This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee; other duties and activities may be assigned or may be changed at any time with or without notice.
About Stantec
Stantec is a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation and future‑proofing our cities and infrastructure. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what’s possible.
Pay Range
- Locations in CO, HI, IL, MD & Various CA, NJ Areas – Min Salary $166,300.00 – Max Salary $257,800.00
- Locations in WA, DC & Various CA, MA areas – Min Salary $178,400.00 – Max Salary $276,600.00
- Locations in NYC & CA (Bay Area) & NJ (RP) – Min Salary $190,500.00 – Max Salary $295,300.00
Pay Transparency: In compliance with pay transparency laws, pay ranges are provided for positions in locations where required. Final compensation is based on individual education, qualifications, experience and work location. Certain roles are bonus eligible. Actual compensation for part‑time roles will be pro‑rated based on the agreed number of working hours per week.
Benefits Summary
Regular full‑time and part‑time employees have access to medical, dental and vision plans, a wellness program, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase program, life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, short‑term/long‑term disability plans, emergency travel benefits, tuition reimbursement, professional membership fee coverage and paid family leave. Employees receive ten paid holidays in each calendar year and accrue vacation between 10 and 20 days per year. Eligible for paid sick leave in accordance with state and local law. Temporary/casual employees have access to 401(k) plans, employee stock purchase program and paid leave in accordance with state and local law. The benefits information listed above may not apply to union positions because benefits for such positions are governed by applicable collective bargaining agreements.
Legal and Equal Opportunity Statement
Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, terminations or any other condition of employment. Stantec is in compliance with laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment. At Stantec we are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to all. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process please inform a member of our Talent Acquisition team.
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