Design Director

Henderson Companies•Kansas City, MO

About The Position

At Henderson, we're about more than just buildings We're about the people, experiences, and potential found inside. We’re a company of problem-solvers and innovators known for our technical excellence and ability to come up with out-of-the-box solutions. We love the process of bringing buildings to life. And we're changing the industry by integrating the building design and construction process. As an ESOP, each of our employee-owners are an essential part of our mission to lead the industry in innovation, sustainability, and client experience. With a vision to build a better world, Team Henderson has a people-first culture and diverse portfolio of world-class facilities. It's What We Do We provide total building system design services across multiple high-growth markets for industry leaders. You'll get to use your talent to work on projects for some of the biggest names in mission-critical, higher education, sports, healthcare, grocery, restaurant, and retail within the sectors we serve in business, community, grocery, health, retail, & venue. It's How We're Different We're about more than just buildings. We're about you. You, and the hundreds of passionate employee-owners who make us who we are. We’ve always been committed to providing an inclusive workplace where people can bring their full self to work and helps people reach their full potential – both as professionals and individuals. Together, we dream up innovative solutions for industry-wide problems, design spaces that become landmarks, and toast the good life at our happy hours. Take a peek into what makes us different here: https://youtu.be/AIt17t_uJ-A?si=oSMy5zQeUcb_faE3 Henderson Engineers is seeking a Design Director to join their Venue Sector. The Design Director is a senior technical leadership role that is a client-facing expert who serves as the engineering discipline’s highest-impact contributor in project and program delivery. As the technical counterpart to the Project Director, the Design Director shapes engineering solutions for complex clients, projects or programs, guiding technical strategy and representing the organization as a thought leader and trusted advisor to clients. As the technical counterpart to the Project Director, the Design Director shapes engineering solutions for clients on complex projects or programs, guiding technical strategy and representing the organization as a thought leader and trusted advisor to clients. This position is centered on external engagement, deep project involvement and technical authority. The Design Director brings credibility, innovation and strategic insight to design efforts, anchoring discipline performance across project types and markets while mentoring emerging technical leaders. They speak technically across multiple disciplines due to their breadth of experience and depth of knowledge in the industry.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in relevant field of engineering (e.g., mechanical, electrical, fire protection, or architectural) preferred. High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED) required.
Minimum 15 years of relevant progressive experience required, including 5 years of leadership/management experience.
Demonstrated advanced proficiency in project management standards required.
Demonstrated advanced knowledge and application of building design and construction principles required.
Proven success in leading complex, high-visibility projects or programs and leading clients.
Regarded as an industry leader with deep technical expertise and ability to influence the industry.
Proven track record of effective collaboration, communication and maintaining relationships with project stakeholders over time.
Expert-level knowledge across several disciplines with a track record of technical excellence in at least one.
Proficient knowledge and understanding of earned value, contracts and construction processes and methods required.
Working knowledge of current and industry specific tools and software required, including BIM modeling, markup and annotation, workflow and task management applications.
High technical aptitude with ability to learn, understand and utilize various systems and processes. Experience and comfortability with training others on systems and processes.
Effective verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate with designers at all levels in a clear and concise manner.
Effective critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Team oriented and willingness and ability to function in a highly collaborative environment, in group projects and leading less experienced designers. Ability to work independently as needed.

Nice To Haves

Project management certification preferred.
PE license recommended.
Additional certifications and accreditations aligning with the relevant technical field (e.g., BEMP, CPD, CDP, NICET, RCDD, etc.) preferred.
Sustainability certifications (e.g., CDP, LEED, WELL, etc.) preferred.

Responsibilities

Ensures assigned project and program designs and deliverables meet scope, schedule, cost, quality and client satisfaction requirements.
Performs research and makes recommendations as to the feasibility of systems or equipment.
Evaluates and recommends products for their application.
Produces solutions to the most complex engineering problems and complicated design challenges through direct involvement or in an advisory capacity.
Leads discipline-wide project and program design approaches.
Leads the development, establishment and maintenance of relationships with strategic partners and customers in support of and to expand business opportunities.
Participates in client, company and/or industry events to build and maintain professional relationships, and to showcase thought leadership and technical excellence.
Builds and maintains strong relationships with clients.
Serves as a trusted technical advisor, leveraging expertise to support client satisfaction and business development.
Serves as a corporate leadership level contact for clients, projects and programs as needed.
Partners with sector leadership to develop client-specific quality satisfaction strategies and metrics, generally focused on project deliverables and workflow.
Operates as a visible technical leader to clients, participating in pursuits, interviews and early concepting conversations to define project scope and vision.
Identifies and advances best practices, emerging technologies and discipline-specific design strategies that elevate project and program performance.
Offers insights and research on emerging technologies, processes and solutions to drive technical innovation to the organization.
Strives to continuously develop and expand personal knowledge and the knowledge of others across all disciplines.
Provides thought leadership within and outside of Henderson, including speaking engagements, whitepapers, or standards committees as appropriate.
Serves as the discipline lead or consultant on major, complex, or strategic programs and projects, providing design direction, advanced problem-solving, and oversight of engineering quality.
Performs a range of project/program management responsibilities in collaboration with project managers.
Directs and mentors technical staff on the responsibilities and expectations for the design deliverables and workflow from concept design through completion.
Serves as a technical mentor to engineers across all levels.
Collaborates with project and practice leaders to ensure cohesive project execution and client satisfaction.
Helps guide project role assignments and shape the growth of discipline expertise in partnership with sector leadership.
Inspires others through technical strength, reliability and trust, driving accountability and high performance across teams.
Consistently performs to a higher standard of industry-wide expectations associated with carrying a PE license and being enabled as an Engineer of Record (EOR), including making reasonable engineering decisions and delivering the highest quality of work and accountability to projects.
May be enabled as an Engineer of Record, having additional involvement, oversight, responsibility and accountability for the overall signing and sealing of projects.

Benefits

Flexible Work Hours (Because we all need to balance work and life.)
Casual Dress Code (Be yourself, please.)
Paid Volunteer Time (We literally pay you to volunteer.)
Paid Parental Leave (Because we know both parents deserve to be there for a new child.)
Health and Wellness Initiatives (Get Fit and Stay Fit.)
Receptive and Forward-Thinking Leadership (Our doors are always open.)
Clear Career Path Options (We want you to excel.)
Industry-leading 401K match and profit sharing (When the company succeeds, we all share in that success.)
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (Yes, our employees are the owners.)
Paid Training for Professional Development (We’ll pay for the time you take getting better at what you do.)
Performance Bonuses (When you do well, we reward you for your work.)
Comprehensive and Extensive Insurance (We’ve got you covered.)
Paid Term Life and Disability (We’ve got your family covered, too.)
Health Savings Account & Flexible Spending Accounts (We'll help you take advantage of tax savings.)
Paid Time Off and Sick Time off (Take a break. You deserve it!)
Financial Wellness & Coaching Program (Financial security makes you a happier team member.)