Campus Planning Leader

Perkins&Will•Seattle, WA

3d•$154,400 - $207,300•Hybrid

About The Position

Perkins&Will is seeking a visionary Campus Planning Leader to build and grow its higher education campus planning practice within the Urban Design group. The role partners with institutional leaders to translate academic missions, strategic priorities, and data-driven insights into transformative campus strategies. Guided by the firm's Living Design principles, the Campus Planning Leader develops sustainable, equitable, and forward-looking planning solutions that support learning, research, community, and long-term resilience. The position leads campus planning initiatives and project delivery, serves as an advisor to institutional leadership, and builds the practice through business development, client relationships, thought leadership, industry engagement, and pursuit leadership. The leader also mentors multidisciplinary teams and oversees project scope, financial performance, quality, and risk.

Requirements

15+ years of experience leading higher education campus planning and master planning efforts on the West Coast, particularly in California.
Strong understanding of enrollment, space utilization, capital planning, research, housing, and student life.
Strong design, facilitation, and communication skills, including the ability to convey ideas across scales through sketches, diagrams, presentations, and digital tools.
Established relationships within the higher education sector, preferably with major research universities and public systems.
Demonstrated success in business development, practice building, and leading, mentoring, and developing multidisciplinary teams.
Proficiency with design and visualization tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, SketchUp, Rhino, GIS, and related platforms.
Bachelor's degree in architecture, urban planning, urban design, landscape architecture, or a related field.
Obtain LEED GA within 6 months of hire and hold professional accreditation in one Living Design area, such as LEED AP with Specialty, WELL AP, SITES AP, CPHC/CPHD, or ILFI Living Future Accreditation.
West Coast residence required.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree.
Architectural license, AICP, PLA, or equivalent credential.
Residence in the Bay Area.

Responsibilities

Lead higher education campus planning initiatives, translating institutional vision, academic priorities, and data-informed insights into campus, district, and site strategies that advance sustainability, resilience, mobility, and equity.
Advise institutional leadership, facilitate engagement processes, build stakeholder consensus, and guide strategic decision-making.
Build and grow the campus planning practice through business development, client relationship management, thought leadership, industry engagement, and pursuit leadership.
Lead high-performing teams and project delivery; mentor planners and designers; and oversee project scope, financial performance, quality, and risk management.