Associate Director, Workplace Design

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP•New York, NY

7d•$230,000 - $260,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, Workplace Design will partner closely with senior leaders and functional teams across the firm, including: Global Real Estate & Workplace Strategy leadership Office Managing Partners and Administrative Directors Technology, Security, Risk, and Compliance teams Brand, Communications, and Client Experience stakeholders External design, engineering, and construction partners The role will act as a trusted advisor to leadership and a clear point of design accountability across all major office initiatives.

Requirements

15+ years of experience in related role/field
Extensive experience in workplace design and/or project management for high-profile, complex corporate or professional services environments.
Demonstrated experience working across a global real estate portfolio, with sensitivity to regional and cultural differences.
Proven people-management experience, including coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
Experience delivering workplaces aligned with sustainability and wellness standards (e.g., LEED, WELL, BREEAM).
Exceptional communication and stakeholder-management skills, including experience presenting to senior executives and facilitating design reviews.
Strong strategic and analytical thinking, with the ability to balance vision, practicality, and risk.
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment requiring discretion and sound judgment.
Advanced understanding of workplace planning and design tools (e.g., Revit, BIM, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite) and strong presentation skills using PowerPoint and Excel.
Willingness to travel globally as required (approximately 30 days per year).
This role is designated as hybrid, with regular in-office presence expected to support collaboration, leadership visibility, and stakeholder engagement.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with leading global architecture or design firms on complex corporate or professional services workplaces.
Degree in interior design, architecture, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
Professional certifications such as NCIDQ, LEED AP, or WELL AP preferred.

Responsibilities

Global Workplace Design Strategy Establish and lead the global workplace design vision, principles, and standards that reflect Simpson Thacher’s values: excellence, discretion, collaboration, and enduring quality.
Serve as the firm’s design authority for major office projects, ensuring external architects and consultants clearly understand and deliver against the firm’s design expectations.
Review and provide strategic direction on workplace design concepts, layouts, and materiality to ensure alignment with firm standards and long-term portfolio objectives.
Balance innovation with stewardship—identifying opportunities to modernize the workplace while respecting the firm’s culture, brand, and professional traditions.
Identify cost optimization and value-engineering opportunities without compromising design integrity, client experience, or attorney performance.
Continuously refine design standards based on project learnings, attorney and staff feedback, and evolving best practices in professional services workplaces.
Workspace Design Program & Standards Management Develop and maintain global master planning, programming, and design guideline tools to support consistent execution across regions.
Create an iterative design governance model that incorporates lessons learned from completed projects into future standards.
Partner with procurement and real estate leadership on global sourcing strategies for furniture, fixtures, finishes, and specialty workplace components.
Serve as a central escalation point for complex or high-visibility design and programming issues, driving resolution with clarity, discretion, and decisiveness.
Oversee complementary workplace programs that support the broader employee experience, including artwork strategy, design enablement tools, and evolving workplace capabilities.
Develop and oversee the firm’s global art program Portfolio Modernization & Future Vision Play a leading role in shaping the 10-year modernization roadmap for the firm’s global office portfolio.
Anticipate future workplace needs related to technology, flexibility, sustainability, and evolving work patterns within a top-tier law firm environment.
Ensure design decisions made today are durable, adaptable, and aligned with long-term portfolio strategy.
Actively contribute thought leadership to the firm’s real estate and workplace strategy, positioning Simpson Thacher at the forefront of professional services workplace design.
Team Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement Lead and develop a small, high-performing team of workplace programming and design professionals.
Set clear priorities, performance expectations, and development paths, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability.
Define an operating model that appropriately leverages internal expertise and external partners to support current and future demand.
Communicate design decisions and standards effectively across regions, ensuring alignment while respecting local nuances.
Build strong, trust-based relationships with partners, office leadership, and senior stakeholders.