Design Lead, Real Estate Development

Western Governors University • Salt Lake City, UT

1d • Onsite

About The Position

WGU is embarking on a long-term, multi-phase development of its expanded national headquarters in downtown Salt Lake City. This project will deliver a one-million-square-foot urban campus designed to support up to 5,000 employees, with the first building targeted for a 2030 move-in. As the Development Design Lead, you will provide senior-level design leadership and ensure this ambitious project achieves its architectural, urban design, and placemaking goals.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience directing architects and multidisciplinary consultant teams on complex development projects
• Proven ability to guide projects from master planning and concept design through design development and delivery
• Strong expertise in urban design, placemaking, public realm design, and mixed-use development
• Experience working on the owner or developer side of major development projects preferred
• Professional licensure in architecture, urban design, or planning preferred
• Strong leadership, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement skills
• Ability to balance design excellence with feasibility, schedule, and development objectives
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Architecture, Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, or a related field.
• 15+ years of professional experience leading design for large-scale mixed-use developments, campus environments, or district-scale urban projects.

Nice To Haves

• Experience presenting to executive-level stakeholders
• Experience with large campus or district-scale development
• LEED experience or sustainability-forward design background

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic design leadership for the planning and development of WGU’s headquarters campus, ensuring architectural, landscape, and public realm elements align with the master plan and campus vision
• Serve as the owner’s design representative, leading design decisions and ensuring alignment with long-term institutional goals
• Direct and coordinate architects and multidisciplinary consultant teams including planners, landscape architects, engineers, interior designers, and specialists
• Safeguard the integrity of the campus master plan across phases, ensuring alignment of buildings, infrastructure, circulation, and public spaces
• Guide the integration of workplace environments, public realm spaces, and mixed-use amenities to create an active, connected campus district
• Lead design of pedestrian-friendly environments and public spaces that foster engagement and urban connectivity
• Establish and lead design governance and review processes through concept design, schematic design, design development, and construction documentation
• Translate program, operational needs, and strategic goals into architectural and urban design solutions
• Ensure solutions support feasibility, phasing, scheduling, and delivery strategies
• Promote design approaches that enhance well-being, collaboration, learning, and innovation
• Support sustainability objectives including alignment with LEED Gold goals
• Prepare and present design strategies, master plan concepts, and project updates to senior leadership
• Develop visual and narrative materials to communicate design intent and progress

Benefits

• bonuses
• medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare
• health savings account and flexible spending account
• basic and voluntary life insurance
• disability coverage
• accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages
• legal and identity theft coverage
• retirement savings plan
• wellbeing program
• discounted WGU tuition
• flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual
• flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual
• 11 paid holidays
• other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior