Lead, Retail Architecture

Scout Motors • Charlotte, NC

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Scout Motors is bringing back an iconic American vehicle brand, electrifying and digitizing it with American innovation. We are seeking a Lead, Retail Architecture to help revolutionize the electric pick-up truck & rugged SUV marketplace. This role involves leading and documenting retail brand standards for rapid, consistent, and high-quality scaling and deployment of Scout architecture. You will articulate brand values in retail design, develop design requirements for retail sites, and oversee interior and exterior building design, FFE, facades, signage, and graphics. You will coordinate with internal Scout teams (IT, Security, Environmental Health, Retail Operations, AfterSales) to ensure their business needs are met. This role includes managing the execution and construction of the retail prototype, performing user testing, and implementing learnings for improvement. You will serve as Scout’s design architect, ensuring a consistent brand experience across all retail customer journey touchpoints and deploying brand ethos and product DNA into retail designs. You will manage the RFP process for A/E firms, lead partner selection, and build a network of design professionals. Additionally, you will work with construction/preconstruction teams to manage design services and preliminary construction budgets, compile documents for internal funding approvals, and create templates for project summaries. You will enforce design review and compliance processes, maintain design schedules and permitting schedules, establish project milestones, and attend jurisdictional meetings for approvals. This role requires managing multiple projects in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously with various design teams, managing design agreements, and facilitating the handover of construction documents and permits. You will also finalize construction budgets, collect cost and schedule data for analysis, and provide design input on other company projects.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in architecture.
• Licensed architect in good standing.
• 12+ years of architecture and design experience.
• Project management / program management experience, and a passion for leading design consultants through project execution.
• Ability to understand, communicate, and implement brand standards to facilitate a nation-wide rollout of physical retail sites.
• Strong creative design and space-planning skills.
• Experience with Revit, Bluebeam Revu, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator), and Microsoft Office.
• Working knowledge of building codes, standards, zoning regulations and other jurisdictional regulatory requirements.
• Understanding of permitting requirements and ability to develop preconstruction schedules.
• General knowledge of MEP/Structural systems and associated constructability requirements.
• Understanding of how buildings are constructed and able to create technical documents which succinctly describe the implementation of brand standards in a physical environment.
• Understanding of AIA design agreements, and able to identify/avoid contractual risk.
• Strong leadership, organizational, communication, and relationship-management skills.

Nice To Haves

• Retail and/or automotive experience is likely to contribute to success in this role.
• Knowledge of sustainable design programs and certification experience (LEED or similar) is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Possess deep understanding of Scout’s core customer and the automotive retail experience tailored for our audience.
• Lead and assist in the documentation of retail brand standards such that Scout architecture can be rapidly scaled and deployed with consistent, high-quality executions.
• Articulate the core values of the brand and how they manifest in Scout retail design.
• Develop narrative and data points to support the minimum design requirements of proposed retail sites.
• Define general site design and user experience criteria, particularly items impacting the customer journey.
• Oversee general interior and exterior building design, including massing, materiality, functionality, layout, and user experience criteria for both the consumer and the retailer.
• Manage FFE design and layout.
• Oversee exterior facades and signage.
• Manage interior graphics, branding, and décor.
• Coordinate design/construction requirements offered by critical internal Scout teams (IT, Security, Environmental Health, Retail Operations, AfterSales, etc.) and ensure their business needs are met through each facility design and in the design prototype.
• Manage execution/construction of the retail prototype and perform user testing at a test site, measure utilization and implement learnings as needed for prototype improvement.
• Serve as Scout’s design architect, enforcing a consistent brand experience and profile across all touchpoints of the retail customer journey.
• Deploy core elements of Scout’s brand ethos and product DNA into the design of the Scout retail experience from site to site.
• Manage the RFP process for A/E firms as Scout launches into deployment of physical sites.
• Lead partner selection and build a network of trusted and exceptional design professionals.
• Work with construction/preconstruction team members to develop and manage design services budgets and preliminary construction budgets.
• Compile the documents necessary for communicating project scope to facilitate internal funding approvals.
• Create templates to communicate project summaries and project outlook.
• Enforce the process for retail facilities design review and design compliance as retail facilities are added to the Scout network.
• Enforce the process for maintaining design schedules and permitting schedules.
• Establish formal project-level milestones that verify work completion definitions and gates.
• Attend jurisdictional preconstruction meetings as necessary to facilitate jurisdictional approvals (i.e. – rezoning, building permits, site plan approvals).
• Manage multiple projects in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously with a variety of design teams.
• Manage execution of design agreements with architects, engineers, and other design consultants necessary to complete design work.
• Facilitate smooth handover of construction documents and permits to construction management team as projects are ready to go into construction phase.
• Work with preconstruction and construction team members to finalize construction budgets for internal funding approvals and project execution.
• Collect cost and schedule data for analysis against original assumptions at construction completion.
• Utilize the data points for further design program refinement.
• Support Scout team members by providing design input on other company projects as they arise.

Benefits

• Competitive insurance including: Medical, dental, vision and income protection plans
• 401(k) program with: An employer match and immediate vesting
• Generous Paid Time Off including: 20 days planned PTO, as accrued
• 40 hours of unplanned PTO and 14 company or floating holidays, annually
• Up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave for biological and adoptive parents of all genders
• Paid leave for circumstances related to bereavement, jury duty, voting time, or military leave

What This Job Offers

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