Senior Associate, Design - Life Sciences

Unispace•Chicago, IL

About The Position

At Unispace, we create spaces that empower people and businesses to thrive. We are a global design-build partner delivering workplace and life sciences projects for some of the world’s most innovative brands. With over 500 people across four continents, we bring together strategy, design, project management, and delivery into one seamless experience. Our integrated approach enables us to move with agility, solve complex challenges, and deliver meaningful outcomes for our clients. Our people are at the centre of everything we do. We foster a collaborative, inclusive culture that values curiosity, accountability, creativity, and continuous improvement. We believe diverse perspectives strengthen our teams and help us create better experiences for our clients and each other. At Unispace, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to impactful projects, work alongside talented global teams, and grow your career in an environment that encourages innovation and new ideas. Senior Associate, Design – Life Sciences Unispace At Unispace, we create spaces that empower people and businesses to thrive. We’re a global design-build partner delivering workplace and life sciences projects for some of the world’s most innovative organisations. Our model brings strategy, design, project management and delivery together under one roof. That means our designers are involved from the very beginning of a project through to construction and handover, working closely with clients, consultants and delivery teams to turn complex requirements into environments that genuinely work. Within Life Sciences, that means creating highly technical spaces where design quality, functionality, compliance and operational performance all matter. This is an opportunity to join a global, design-led business where you’ll take a leading role on technically complex Life Sciences projects, build strong client relationships and help shape laboratories and specialist environments from concept through to delivery.

Requirements

Around 5–8+ years’ experience within Life Sciences, laboratory, research or other highly technical design environments
Strong laboratory planning experience, including programming, layouts and technical coordination
A solid understanding of how laboratories and specialist environments operate
Experience delivering projects from concept through design development and construction
Strong technical design capability and experience producing coordinated construction documentation
Strong Revit capability , alongside proficiency with wider design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite and CAD
Good knowledge of building codes, regulatory requirements and compliance within technical environments
Confidence working directly with clients and presenting design concepts
Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills
Experience coordinating multidisciplinary consultant teams
Strong understanding of detailing, materials, FF&E and technical specifications
Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining design quality and technical accuracy

Nice To Haves

Experience working within an integrated design-build environment would be highly advantageous
Exposure to larger corporate, research, campus or multi-building Life Sciences environments would be beneficial

Responsibilities

Leading design packages across Life Sciences, laboratory and technical projects of varying scale
Planning and developing laboratory environments, including programming, layouts, adjacencies and technical coordination
Working directly with clients to understand scientific, operational and business requirements and translate them into effective design solutions
Developing strong client relationships and acting as a trusted design partner throughout the project lifecycle
Leading projects through concept design, design development and construction documentation
Producing and overseeing detailed technical drawing and construction document packages
Ensuring designs meet relevant building codes, regulatory requirements and technical standards
Coordinating closely with MEP, engineering, specialist consultants and internal delivery teams
Resolving complex technical and coordination challenges throughout design and construction
Supporting construction administration and helping ensure design intent is maintained on site
Applying strong QA/QC processes across design documentation
Developing and confidently presenting design concepts to clients and stakeholders
Supporting pitches, proposals and wider business development activity
Mentoring and supporting more junior members of the design team
Contributing to wider design standards, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across the business

Benefits

Genuine visibility across the entire lifecycle of a project
Opportunity to work with talented specialists across a global business
Contribution to technically challenging projects
Career development within an environment that values creativity, curiosity, accountability and collaboration
Exposure to major Life Sciences and innovation-led clients
Technically complex projects with real-world impact
Strong client exposure and ownership
Collaboration with global design, engineering and delivery teams
Opportunity to see your work through from concept to completion
Genuine career development within a growing Life Sciences capability