Design Executive

Gilbane Building Company•Arlington, VA

4d•$165,000 - $212,000•Onsite

About The Position

Gilbane is seeking a Design Executive to lead multiple design and construction teams of all project sizes and types across a Business Unit. The role involves delivering coordinated, constructible, and cost-effective designs while driving consistency, risk mitigation, and adherence to advanced delivery model best practices. The Design Executive will oversee project readiness, mentor Sr Design Managers, and ensure alignment of design strategy, scope, and execution across concurrent pursuits and projects. Gilbane is a family-owned, Top-10 ENR Contractor with a long history of shaping communities and a commitment to safety and timely project delivery. The company is dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace and encourages applications from candidates whose experience may not perfectly align with every qualification.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or related field
12-15+ years of relevant experience leading multidisciplinary teams and design-management execution in alternative delivery models
Oversight of multiple projects, pursuits, and/or teams for a specific business unit
Demonstrated ability to lead and influence multiple project teams simultaneously without direct day-to-day control
Advanced understanding of alternative delivery models, including DB, IPD, P3, and EPC from pursuit through execution
Strong portfolio-level risk identification and mitigation capabilities
Proficiency in staffing strategy, fee management, and recoverability awareness
Ability to coach and develop Design Managers into consistent, high-performing leaders
Strategic communicator capable of translating enterprise objectives into project-level execution expectations
Drives continuous improvement, standardization, and knowledge sharing across teams
Or equivalent combination of education and experience

Nice To Haves

DBIA, LEED, RA, PE, AIA, NCIDQ, or related credentials may be preferred based on project/client requirements

Responsibilities

Leads and oversees multiple projects and design teams across a Business Unit, ensuring consistent execution of Design Management SOPs, tools, and best practices
Supports resource planning and workload balancing across projects to maintain team effectiveness and recoverability
Establishes design strategy alignment across pursuits and active projects, ensuring consistency in scope definition, risk posture, and delivery approach
Maintains and leverages relationships with design partners to help strategically inform pursuits and select optimal partners
Reviews and validates project design plans, including schedules, staffing plans, design fees, consultant strategies, and contract alignment
Escalates any contract, liability or risk concerns to Legal/Risk and project leadership
Partners with preconstruction and business unit leadership during pursuits, supporting design approach, staffing strategy, pricing reviews, and interview participation as required
Acts as the business-unit escalation point for cross-discipline or cross-project design issues
Partners with Operations, Preconstruction, and executive leadership to determine whether milestone packages are ready to proceed, need recovery, or require owner/partner escalation
Clarifies ownership and resolves gaps among designers, trade partners, design-build/design-assist partners, project teams, and business-unit leadership
Ensures scope gaps, budget disconnects, procurement blockers, and risk concerns have accountable owners and documented recovery actions
Escalates professional liability, contract, or risk issues through Legal/Risk and business-unit leadership
Champions a culture of Safety-During-Design; leverages lessons learned across all projects and pursuits within a Business Unit
Ensures scalable processes, tools, and governance are in place to support consistent execution of construction phase design services kickoff, project control establishment, and design change management across all projects
Ensures design QA/QC frameworks are consistently applied across projects and that lessons learned are captured and institutionalized
Mentors and coaches Design Managers, providing technical guidance, leadership development, and performance feedback
Responsible for the career development and coaching of team members
Fosters a positive and inclusive work environment to motivate and engage team members
Interprets and translates the organizational strategy, ensuring team understanding of their role in accomplishing strategic goals