Mixed-Use Studio Leader

DLR Group • Nashville, TN

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

DLR Group is an integrated design firm with a promise to elevate the human experience through design. This fuels the work we do around the world and inspires our mission to improve the lives of our clients, our communities, and our planet. Our Nashville, TN office has an opening for a Studio Leader to support and lead the growth of our Mixed-Use sector locally. We operate within a hybrid work model, supporting flexibility between office time and work from home.

DLR Group’s Mixed-Use practice bridges enterprise and community through transformative design that enlivens social hubs, curates distinctive stories, and creates cultural identity. Our goal is to create a meaningful connection between communities and the built environments where people can thrive. From the first step inside to the last step out, our studio is focused on designing a people-first journey that feeds the soul of the end-user. This can start with a carefully workshopped design focused on diversification of uses, access to a network of public spaces, mobility, and adaptability to create crucial measures of resiliency.

As a Studio Leader/ Client Leader, you will play a key role in business development, managing client relationships, and leading contract negotiations. You will educate clients on our design process while collaborating with the project manager and design leader to ensure the financial success and design excellence of each project. Throughout the project lifecycle, you will maintain consistent client contact, foster a collaborative and innovative work environment, and ensure that both client and DLR Group goals are met. The Nashville studio has a culture of focusing on great design with great people. We pride ourselves in elevating the human experience through design internally and externally.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, Interior Design, or related construction field (Professional licensure preferred)
• At least 10 years of professional experience in the AEC industry, inclusive of at least 5 years in a client-facing role leading Mixed-Use projects in the southeast, preferably in Nashville.
• Strong understanding of business management principles, including strategic planning, resource allocation, and leadership
• Knowledge of customer service principles, including needs assessment, quality standards, and customer satisfaction
• Expertise in design techniques and tools for producing technical plans, drawings, and models
• Familiarity with building methods, materials, and systems for construction and renovation projects
• Strong critical thinking, time management, and communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to actively listen, understand others' perspectives, and respond thoughtfully in conversations

Nice To Haves

• Professional licensure in Architecture
• Experience leading integrated teams on complex, high-profile mixed-use projects
• Active engagement in professional or community organizations related to design, development, or urban planning
• Recognized participation in industry events, publications, or design awards demonstrating leadership in the profession

Responsibilities

• Manage project execution, ensuring alignment with budget, schedule, and scope while maintaining client expectations
• Collaborate with the Project Manager and design leader on staffing, responsibilities, and performance feedback for project team members
• Track project milestones and deliverables, ensuring adherence to quality standards and preparing regular status reports
• Facilitate and document meetings with staff and clients, coordinating project personnel, vendors, and consultants
• Participate in client contract negotiations, manage change requests, and approve project plan modifications
• Support business development initiatives by contributing to RFP responses and participating in client interviews
• Oversee project invoicing, ensuring accuracy and alignment with work deliverables, and manage account receivables

Benefits

• We are 100% employee-owned: every employee is literally invested in our clients’ success.
• We are pursuing the goals of the 2030 Challenge, the ME2040, and the SE2050, and are an initial signatory of the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.
• Through our values – commitment, creativity, environmental stewardship, fun, integrity, ownership, sharing, teamwork – we elevate the human experience through design, together.
• DLR Group follows a four-day in-office work model, with employees having the flexibility to work somewhere other than the office on Fridays.

What This Job Offers

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