Lead Architect, Educational Practice Leader

EXP•Coral Gables, FL

2d•$140,000 - $190,000

About The Position

At EXP, we’re driven to provide innovative solutions for the world’s built and natural environments. As a team of architects, engineers, designers, and planners, we create spaces that shape communities and inspire learning. Here, you join a collaborative, entrepreneurial culture within an employee-owned firm that values diversity, innovation, and lasting partnerships. Are you ready to design your future? Be our next Senior Architect, Educational Practice Leader – K-12 + Higher Education. This leadership role is accountable for driving both strategic growth and design excellence within EXP’s educational architecture practice across South and Central Florida, with potential for expanding the practice into other geographic markets as success is demonstrated. The successful candidate will leverage current personal expertise in K-12 and higher education programming and design to build client partnerships, lead pursuits, and position EXP as a trusted partner for school districts and universities across the region. You will serve as both a practice leader and business developer, responsible for winning work and expanding our presence in a competitive market where population growth, aging infrastructure, and educational innovation are fueling demand for new and modernized facilities. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in identifying opportunities, cultivating relationships with decision-makers, and delivering exceptional design solutions that reflect EXP’s mission of understanding, innovating, partnering, and delivering.

Requirements

Florida Licensed Architect with 15 + years of progressive experience in educational facility design (K-12 and/or higher education).
Proven record of winning and delivering projects with Florida school districts and universities.
Established network and reputation within target agencies listed above.
Strong understanding of Florida’s funding, capital planning, and procurement processes for education projects.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams, develop capture strategies, and drive growth in a competitive AEC environment.
Excellent presentation, communication, and stakeholder-management skills.
Willingness to travel throughout Florida to meet clients and pursue opportunities, wind and deliver work for EXP.

Nice To Haves

Entrepreneurial and self-motivated with the ability to operate independently and build a practice from the ground up.
Relationship-driven leader who thrives on collaboration and client success.
Strategic thinker who can balance business growth with design excellence.
Passionate about creating learning environments that positively impact students, educators, and communities.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive three-year strategy to grow EXP’s educational architecture practice, focusing on both K-12 and higher education markets.
Leverage relationships and market insights to position EXP for success in the region’s largest and most active education capital programs.
Identify, pursue, and capture new projects through deliberate, relationship-driven engagement with key education clients.
Collaborate closely with Regional Marketing, Business Development, and Operations to align pursuits with EXP’s long-term growth strategy.
Create, leverage, build and maintain long-term relationships with facilities directors, procurement officials, and executive leadership at target school districts and universities.
Serve as the primary client manager for key accounts, leading strategic growth efforts in collaboration with EXP’s operations and marketing teams.
Represent EXP at conferences, client meetings, and education-sector forums across Florida with active involvement and leadership positions to promote our thought leadership and design excellence to our peers.
Develop capture plans and pursuit strategies tailored to each client’s capital priorities, aligning EXP’s services with their long-term facility goals.
Collaborate with proposal, engineering, and design teams to produce winning submissions that differentiate EXP through innovation and client value.
Oversee the design and delivery of K-12 and higher education projects, ensuring alignment with client objectives, schedule, and budget.
Serve as the Project Manager on Strategic project Pursuits as needed.
Lead Project Work Plan (PWP) development for all education projects in the sector.
Serve as the lead decision maker on Building and Energy Code related issues in our designs and in service to our clients.
Partner with multidisciplinary divisions, including project controls and engineering, to deliver integrated solutions across EXP’s service lines.
Mentor and develop junior architects and emerging leaders within the education practice.
Establish design standards, QA/QC processes, and operational best practices that support excellence and consistency across projects.
Identify and Stay ahead of emerging trends in educational facility design, including flexible learning environments, safety/security integration, sustainability, and hurricane resiliency.
Anticipate changes in the make-up of design teams needed to successfully deliver to meet clients needs and work with sector management to identify, recruit, hire and retain the best talent to serve our Clients.
Contribute to EXP’s growth in industry profile through active engagement in thought leadership: speaking engagements, publications, and community partnerships.
Evaluate alternative delivery strategies (Design-Build, CM-at-Risk, PPP) to position EXP for upcoming state and district procurements.