Design Director

Perkins&Will•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Design Director’s overall responsibility is to champion excellence within a designated Perkins&Will studio, assuring all projects adhere to the firm’s commitment to creating a better, beautiful, more equitable world through Living Design. As a key Houston office leader and central part of the studio’s Management, Operations and Design (MOD) leadership team, the Design Director works collaboratively with firmwide and studio leaders to uphold our commitment to high-quality design across all practices and disciplines. A Design Director should foster a culture of creativity within their studio, and are responsible for the recruitment, mentorship, and professional development of a diverse bench of next-generation talent. In addition to promoting the firm’s core values internally, the Design Director represents our commitment to design externally through public, cultural, and academic engagement. Common and Baseline Responsibilities include: Partnering with the Managing Director and Operations Director to lead the studio by setting strategic goals and ensuring adherence to the goals. Provide visionary design leadership by setting a clear direction for the studio, guiding teams in the creation of design concepts, and ensuring alignment with project goals and client expectations. Oversee the quality of the design process, product, and delivery for the studio. Champion creative excellence and ensures all projects in each practice area of the studio fulfill the firm’s Living Design Framework. Participate in project scope delineation, work plan creation and implementation, and fee negotiations. Participate in staffing and team organization and composition by helping to identify team members for project teams in alignment with client goals, team member skillsets, and aspirations. Lead, mentor, and inspire multidisciplinary design teams to foster a collaborative and creative work environment. Collaborate with clients, stakeholders, and project teams to understand project requirements and develops innovative design solutions that meet functional, aesthetic, and financial objectives. Ensure all project information is up to date in HUB. Provide guidance to project teams and conducts regular design and quality control reviews to ensure that the firm’s standards and design goals are being met. Work with firmwide leadership to request, organize and execute peer workshops at the appropriate point for each project. Engage with studio colleagues and project teams to request, organize, and execute peer workshops at the appropriate point for each project. Establish and maintain strong relationships with key decision makers and influencers on client teams. Partner with local Talent Managers and studio leadership to identify, interview, recruit, and mentor design staff. Partner with the Interiors Design Director to provide visionary design leadership by setting a clear direction for the studio’s design, guiding teams in the creation of design concepts, and ensuring alignment with project goals and client expectations. Advance the design culture of the firm at the local studio level, focusing on firmwide initiatives like DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), career development, and talent advancement. Mentor staff to ensure their personal and professional development goals are met. Actively participate in the Design Leadership Group. Represents and champions Design Council directives and goals Crafts and maintains the studio’s manifesto in partnership with the Managing Director, Operations Director, and other principals. Facilitate the professional development of all design staff through sponsorship of educational seminars, conferences, and internal design discussions. Build relationships with professional organizations and academic institutions. Keep abreast of current developments, trends, and practices within the design industry. Monitor, advise, review, and actively participate in studio marketing activities, helping to strategize and win stand-alone and integrated work to include all go/no-go decisions, go-to market interview strategy preparation, and has a leadership role at interviews. Demonstrable track record of peer recognized, award winning built/unbuilt designs that have been published nationally and potentially internationally. Partner with design teams to compose written and graphic presentations for clients, stakeholders and peer reviewers to include the choreography of internal design submittals for peer juried workshops and competitions.

Requirements

Architectural license, NCIDQ, or LARE as appropriate
Bachelor's degree in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, urban design or related discipline required
LEED GA within 6 months of hire
Professional accreditation in one area of Living Design that interests you: LEED AP with Specialty, BREEAM AP, WELL AP, SITES AP, CPHC/CPHE Passive House Institute Certified Passive House, or ILFI Living Future Accreditation
Working knowledge of Revit.
Working knowledge of conceptual modeling tools such as Rhino and Grasshopper
Working knowledge of Microsoft Office / Adobe Suite
Working knowledge of visualization tools such as Enscape and VRay
Qualified and interested candidates should submit a resume and work samples.
Include your resume and a compact, representative sample of your work (no larger than 4MB).

Responsibilities

Partnering with the Managing Director and Operations Director to lead the studio by setting strategic goals and ensuring adherence to the goals.
Provide visionary design leadership by setting a clear direction for the studio, guiding teams in the creation of design concepts, and ensuring alignment with project goals and client expectations.
Oversee the quality of the design process, product, and delivery for the studio.
Champion creative excellence and ensures all projects in each practice area of the studio fulfill the firm’s Living Design Framework.
Participate in project scope delineation, work plan creation and implementation, and fee negotiations.
Participate in staffing and team organization and composition by helping to identify team members for project teams in alignment with client goals, team member skillsets, and aspirations.
Lead, mentor, and inspire multidisciplinary design teams to foster a collaborative and creative work environment.
Collaborate with clients, stakeholders, and project teams to understand project requirements and develops innovative design solutions that meet functional, aesthetic, and financial objectives.
Ensure all project information is up to date in HUB.
Provide guidance to project teams and conducts regular design and quality control reviews to ensure that the firm’s standards and design goals are being met.
Work with firmwide leadership to request, organize and execute peer workshops at the appropriate point for each project.
Engage with studio colleagues and project teams to request, organize, and execute peer workshops at the appropriate point for each project.
Establish and maintain strong relationships with key decision makers and influencers on client teams.
Partner with local Talent Managers and studio leadership to identify, interview, recruit, and mentor design staff.
Partner with the Interiors Design Director to provide visionary design leadership by setting a clear direction for the studio’s design, guiding teams in the creation of design concepts, and ensuring alignment with project goals and client expectations.
Advance the design culture of the firm at the local studio level, focusing on firmwide initiatives like DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), career development, and talent advancement.
Mentor staff to ensure their personal and professional development goals are met.
Actively participate in the Design Leadership Group.
Represents and champions Design Council directives and goals Crafts and maintains the studio’s manifesto in partnership with the Managing Director, Operations Director, and other principals.
Facilitate the professional development of all design staff through sponsorship of educational seminars, conferences, and internal design discussions.
Build relationships with professional organizations and academic institutions.
Keep abreast of current developments, trends, and practices within the design industry.
Monitor, advise, review, and actively participate in studio marketing activities, helping to strategize and win stand-alone and integrated work to include all go/no-go decisions, go-to market interview strategy preparation, and has a leadership role at interviews.
Demonstrable track record of peer recognized, award winning built/unbuilt designs that have been published nationally and potentially internationally.
Partner with design teams to compose written and graphic presentations for clients, stakeholders and peer reviewers to include the choreography of internal design submittals for peer juried workshops and competitions.