Senior Design Manager - Lab Planning & Design

Suffolk Construction•Boston, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Suffolk Construction’s design vertical, Suffolk Design, aims to disrupt the traditional design delivery process through a proprietary, collaborative, and fully integrated design-build service offering. Suffolk Design promises to leverage Suffolk’s core construction capabilities, along with innovative technologies and processes to create world-class design-build and design-management services delivering design excellence with unprecedented levels of efficiency and predictability. We are seeking an Architect or Designer with a strong background in laboratory planning and design to lead the programming, planning, and design of advanced research environments across higher education and pharmaceutical sectors. This role uniquely blends architectural leadership with design management, supporting both the hands-on design of complex lab environments and the oversight of the design process within integrated design-build teams. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in life sciences and academic research facilities and will operate in a dual capacity: As a lab planning and design leader on projects delivered by Suffolk Design, and As a design integration manager, partnering with Suffolk Operations and third-party architects, engineers, and consultants to guide the design process from concept through construction. This individual will ensure alignment between design intent, technical rigor, cost, and constructability, while championing Suffolk’s design-build vision and continuously improving the efficiency, quality, and speed of project delivery.

Requirements

Professional degree in Architecture is required; registration is preferred.
LEED Accreditation and DBIA certification is preferred.
8+ years with significant involvement in S&T/Life Sciences project delivery in client-facing role and ability to build client confidence and trust.
Demonstrated expertise in laboratory planning and design for higher education and/or pharmaceutical projects.
Proven experience delivering projects across multiple phases and scales, including large, complex projects ($50M+).
Extensive knowledge of S&T/Life Sciences industry standards and resources.
Strong knowledge of building codes, accessibility standards, and construction methods.
Experience coordinating with consultants, contractors, and trade partners.
Ability to lead teams and contribute to technical standards and best practices.
Proven success working on multiple projects of various sizes, across all project phases.
Experience mentoring staff and contributing to firm-wide technical standards.
Desire to be part of something bigger than oneself and appreciate the opportunity that Suffolk and Suffolk Design bring to radically transform the design and construction industry.
Self-motivated and able to work as part of a team or independently.
Excellent communication and organizational skills
Inquisitive with a passion for excellence and continual improvement.
Ability to work and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
Able to travel, as needed.
Shared enthusiasm for executing the Suffolk Design vision, with a demonstrated willingness to rethink traditional methodologies and to passionately seek out advancements in project delivery outcomes.
Must possess Suffolk’s Core Values: Passion, Integrity, Hard Work, Professionalism, and Caring

Nice To Haves

Ability to bridge lab planning, architectural design, and design management seamlessly.
Strong understanding of research environments and building systems.
Strategic mindset balancing design quality, cost, and constructability.
Collaborative leadership style with strong communication and facilitation skills.
Passion for innovation in both design and project delivery.

Responsibilities

Lead programming, space planning, and design of complex laboratory environments, including wet labs, dry labs, vivaria, and specialized research spaces, across all project phases.
Translate scientific workflows and client objectives into functional, flexible, and high-performance lab environments.
Develop test fits, adjacency diagrams, and planning strategies aligned with evolving research and institutional needs.
Integrate laboratory planning with overall building design, including workplace, collaboration, and support spaces.
Contribute to design concepts, narratives, and client presentations that clearly communicate design intent.
Apply best practices in modular planning, flexibility, safety, and sustainability.
Ensure alignment of design solutions with institutional standards, user requirements, and industry benchmarks.
Lead the development of highly coordinated construction document sets using Revit.
Ensure BIM models meet LOD requirements, documentation clarity, and interdisciplinary coordination standards.
Coordinate architectural models with structural, MEP, and specialty consultants to resolve conflicts early in documentation.
Provide technical oversight during construction, including RFIs, submittmits, shop drawings, and field observations.
Serve as a design integration manager within Suffolk’s design-build teams.
Lead coordination between Suffolk Operations, external design partners, consultants, and other project stakeholders, aligning design deliverables with cost models and schedules
Manage third-party architects and engineers to ensure scope alignment, quality, and accountability.
Partner with Suffolk Operations to align design decisions with cost, schedule, and constructability goals.
Facilitate a collaborative, high-performing design process that drives innovation and predictable outcomes.
Perform constructability and technical reviews of design documentation (internal and external) to ensure quality and completeness.
Identify risks and gaps in design to support cost certainty and risk mitigation.