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