Design Leader, Sports

DLR Group • Overland Park, KS

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

DLR Group’s Kansas City Office is hiring a Design Leader, Sports to help shape next-generation sports and entertainment environments. The Sports Studio focuses on creating memorable fan experiences, fostering community and belonging, and supporting athlete performance and well-being through holistic environments.

The role collaborates with multidisciplinary design teams on projects from conception through construction documents and supports project teams through construction administration. The designer partners directly with the Client Leader and Project Manager to help ensure document quality, meet client responsibilities, support financial goals, and enable team collaboration. Responsibilities include leading design efforts and client interactions, developing creative design solutions, applying advanced architectural concepts, guiding idea generation, mentoring staff, and supporting project delivery within schedule and budget requirements.

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization. It is 100% employee-owned. The firm follows a four-day in-office work model, with flexibility to work somewhere other than the office on Fridays.

Requirements

• Ten or more years of professional experience.
• At least 10 years of experience in collegiate and/or major professional sports stadia, arenas, and training facilities.
• Professional degree in architecture from an accredited program.
• Proficiency with computer-aided design, modeling, and rendering software, including Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, and rendering programs.
• Positive, entrepreneurial spirit and strong work ethic.
• Desire to continually learn, grow, and pursue design excellence in a fun environment.
• Knowledge of executing technical drawings and construction documents.
• Experience coordinating and integrating work with interior design and engineering disciplines.
• Submit a current portfolio or work samples in PDF format for consideration.

Nice To Haves

• Licensure as an architect and NCARB certification.
• Sustainability certification or accreditation, such as LEED or WELL, and a demonstrated interest in sustainable building design.
• Skill in hand drawing techniques for visual communication.
• Knowledge of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and parametric design software, such as Grasshopper, and other modeling software.
• Proficiency with visualization software, such as Lumion or Enscape.

Responsibilities

• Plan, design, and coordinate projects of varying sizes, including large, complex projects.
• Lead client-facing design efforts, teams, and client interactions; develop storylines and designs that reflect clients’ institutional goals and translate them into creative design solutions.
• Apply advanced architectural concepts and designs independently, including complex or novel assignments requiring new or improved techniques and procedures.
• Guide innovative idea generation within integrated teams in pursuit of design excellence.
• Review cost estimates to ensure alignment with the design.
• Guide and mentor design and architectural staff.
• Apply DLR Group practice standards to project deliverables across the project team.
• Lead project and integrated team collaboration by generating design ideas and solutions.
• Communicate effectively with project team members through timely and appropriate written, oral, and visual means.
• Engage peers and specialty experts to proactively develop holistic solutions.
• Meet deliverable deadlines to maintain the overall project schedule.
• Manage time in alignment with the project work plan.
• Respect construction and material costs in alignment with the project budget.
• Collaborate on projects from conception through construction documents and support construction administration.

Benefits

• Employee ownership and the opportunity to own a stake in the firm.
• Four-day in-office work model, with flexibility to work somewhere other than the office on Fridays.

What This Job Offers

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