Project Lead

Oxman•New York City, NY

About The Position

OXMAN is a nature-based research and design company based in Manhattan. We incubate ventures and technologies that reimagine the relationship between humanity and the natural world. Working across disciplines—from architecture and ecology to computation and materials science—we develop nature-centric solutions to critical environmental challenges. The EDEN team is a digital design environment for the engineering and design of ecosystems—modeling the flows, relationships, and processes that sustain ecosystems, while bridging ecology and technology to enable the creation of resilient landscapes. We develop tools that quantify how landscapes can be engineered toward specific performance goals—cooling cities, filtering water, sequestering carbon, protecting key species—then use those tools to guide the design of ecologically active sites. EDEN operates as both a design and innovation practice and an emerging software product. Today, our work spans strategic partnerships with developers, project-based design and analytics engagements, and the development of a software platform that packages our internal tools for broader use across the architecture, landscape architecture, and development industries. As EDEN grows, we are seeking a Project Lead to own and develop dedicated client partnerships, lead the delivery of partner-specific projects, and ensure that project work is clearly scoped, technically grounded, commercially aligned, and executed with discipline.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, ecology, environmental design, engineering, business, project management, or a related field.
5+ years of experience leading complex projects, interdisciplinary delivery teams, client-facing engagements, design projects, strategic initiatives, or project-based consulting work.
Demonstrated experience managing project delivery with accountability for scope, timelines, communication, delivery quality, expectation management, and internal coordination.
Strong project scoping and documentation skills, including the ability to define deliverables, timelines, assumptions, exclusions, workstreams, dependencies, review points, decision records, and closeout criteria.
Experience managing project risks, scope changes, handoffs, timelines, internal dependencies, client feedback, and issue escalation.
Ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical teams, including designers, computational designers, researchers, scientists, product teams, and executive stakeholders.
Technical fluency sufficient to understand computational design workflows, analytical methods, design optimization, data-driven deliverables, and the constraints of technical production.
Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex ecological, design, and technical concepts to external partners.
Excellent organizational judgment, with the ability to convert ambiguous opportunities into structured project plans and executable scopes.
Demonstrated ability to maintain clear project operating systems, including meetings, trackers, documentation, milestones, review processes, and accountability structures.
Ability to operate in a small, fast-moving, interdisciplinary team where processes are still being built and roles may evolve.
Strong sense of ownership and accountability for project delivery, internal coordination, and client trust.

Nice To Haves

Experience in architecture, landscape architecture, real estate development, environmental planning, ecological design, climate technology, design technology, or adjacent AEC industries.
Experience working with developers, municipalities, design firms, landowners, or institutional partners on site-based design or planning projects.
Familiarity with computational design, geospatial analysis, ecological modeling, environmental analytics, simulation workflows, or design optimization.
Experience developing proposals, scopes of work, client presentations, project briefs, schedules, project trackers, and project management systems.
Experience managing recurring client work, account-based project portfolios, or long-term partnerships where individual projects contribute to a broader relationship.
Experience working in hybrid organizations that combine consulting, design services, research, and product development.
Interest in ecology, regenerative design, environmental performance, resilient landscapes, and the role of technology in shaping the built environment.

Responsibilities

Lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of EDEN projects, ensuring that scopes, timelines, deliverables, dependencies, review points, risks, and decisions are clearly documented and actively managed.
Serve as a primary project contact for dedicated clients or partners, maintaining clear communication, managing expectations, and building trust through reliable execution.
Develop a strong working understanding of the partner’s business, site portfolio, strategic priorities, constraints, decision-making structure, and near-term opportunities for collaboration.
Lead project scoping, including proposal scope, deliverables, timelines, staffing assumptions, fee logic, exclusions, dependencies, and required technical, scientific, or design review.
Convert client needs and expectations into clear internal project goals, success criteria, workstreams, deliverables, schedules, responsibilities, and execution plans.
Own the project gates process for partner projects, ensuring proposal readiness, project briefing, execution planning, scope management, delivery finalization, and closeout are documented, coordinated, and completed.
Coordinate with technical, scientific, design, research, product, narrative, and communications leads to ensure project commitments are feasible, appropriately staffed, accurately represented, and delivered through a planned process.
Protect internal staff time and project quality by managing scope, handoffs, review points, decision records, risks, changes, and issue escalation throughout the project lifecycle.
Maintain project management systems, meeting cadences, action trackers, documentation practices, and internal communication structures that allow interdisciplinary teams to execute effectively.
Capture lessons learned, reusable assets, process improvements, communication opportunities, and candidates for technical translation into the EDEN tech stack.
Support the identification and development of future project opportunities within the partnership by delivering successful work, communicating EDEN’s value clearly, and maintaining a strong understanding of partner needs.