Senior Design Strategist – Workplace & Education

ERA-co; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

ERA-co, a global placemaking consultancy, is seeking an experienced strategist in Australia to lead workplace, property and campus strategies for diverse clients. The role involves guiding projects end-to-end, engaging senior stakeholders and shaping tailored strategic briefs.

You will grow client relationships, identify opportunities and drive proposals while coordinating cross-location teams across time zones. This is a hands-on, client-facing leadership position.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant professional experience in spatial strategy, architecture, design or property.
• Experience in workplace and property strategy or education and campus strategy.
• Ability to frame complex problems and lead multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex, high-impact projects from inception to delivery.
• Shape project approach, scope, programme, team and deliverables.
• Build trusted relationships with senior clients and act as main contact.
• Design and lead executive interviews, workshops and presentations.
• Translate research, data and insights into clear strategies and briefs.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Data analysis

Leadership of strategic work

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Adobe InDesign

Job description

ERA-co is a global placemaking consultancy made up of strategists, data scientists and experience designers. Our collective operates in the rare space between creativity and consulting. We work across strategy, design and research to help clients understand how people and places can perform better. Our User Strategy team works with a wide range of organisations, property owners, universities and education providers. We combine research, data and user insight to develop workplace and campus strategies, strategic briefs, spatial plans, change strategies and practical recommendations that guide investment and enhance the user experience.

So, Who Are You?

We are looking for an experienced strategist with 8+ years of relevant professional experience gained on either the consulting or client side. You will have a strong background in workplace and property strategy, education and campus strategy, or precinct strategy. Experience across more than one of these areas would be valuable but is not essential.

This is a hands-on, client-facing role. You will lead projects from start to finish and work directly with senior clients to solve a range of complex problems by developing clear, evidence-based strategies. You will be comfortable moving between big-picture thinking and practical delivery, whether developing a workplace or campus strategy, leading a strategic brief, testing space portfolio scenarios or facilitating stakeholder engagement.

You will also help grow the business by building strong client relationships, identifying and developing new opportunities and leading proposals and pitches. Ideally, you will bring an established network within the workplace, property or education sectors, as well as the ability to build genuine, long-term relationships. We are looking for someone with a growth mindset who takes ownership, creates a clear path forward and is comfortable leading through ambiguity. You will often lead several projects at once, coordinate teams across different locations and time zones and remain actively involved in project delivery, getting into the detail and working alongside the team to maintain quality. You will be a team player, generous with your knowledge and willing to support the development of others in the team

Key Responsibilities

You will have the opportunity to lead complex, high-impact projects for some of the world’s most innovative organisations, helping to shape the future of work, learning and place.

• Lead workplace, property, education and campus strategy projects from start to finish.
• Shape the project approach, scope, programme, team and deliverables, setting each project up to achieve meaningful outcomes.
• Build trusted relationships with senior clients and act as their main point of contact.
• Design and lead executive interviews, workshops, presentations and other stakeholder engagement that uncovers insight and builds alignment.
• Solve complex problems by translating research, data and user insights into clear, evidence-based strategies, briefs and recommendations.
• Set the approach to utilisation analysis, benchmarking, demand modelling, growth projections and portfolio or campus assessments.
• Lead the development of workplace strategies, campus strategies, strategic briefs, spatial frameworks and other client deliverables.
• Use Excel or Power BI to analyse complex data and PowerPoint and InDesign to communicate findings in clear and compelling ways.
• Use AI and other emerging tools responsibly to deepen research, accelerate analysis, test ideas and improve how insights are developed and communicated.
• Set a high standard for the accuracy, clarity and overall quality of work produced by the project team.
• Manage project scope, programmes, fees, resources, risks and quality.
• Identify and develop new opportunities through existing projects, client conversations and industry relationships.
• Lead proposals and pitches, including shaping the response, methodology, team, programme and fee.
• Bring together input from ERA-co, Woods Bagot and other contributors to produce clear, tailored and well-designed submissions.
• Build and maintain genuine, long-term relationships with clients, collaborators and contacts across the industry.
• Share knowledge, mentor junior team members and support their development.
• Help evolve ERA-co’s thinking, tools and methods, exploring new and better ways to work and create value for clients.
• Undertake local and international travel as required.

Your Experience

• 8+ years of relevant professional experience gained on either the consulting or client side, in spatial strategy, architecture, design, property or a related field, with a strong track record of leading complex strategic work.
• Strong experience in either workplace and property strategy or education and campus strategy. Experience across both sectors is valuable but not essential.
• The ability to frame complex problems, establish a clear strategic direction and lead projects and multidisciplinary teams from inception through to delivery.
• Genuine curiosity about the future of work, learning and research, and the evolving role of workplaces and campuses.
• Confidence building trusted relationships with senior and executive stakeholders and influencing strategic decisions.
• Experience leading workshops and bringing together different perspectives to establish clarity, alignment and direction.
• Strong research and data analysis skills, with the ability to challenge assumptions and translate complex information into clear, actionable insights.
• A proven ability to lead compelling proposals and pitches, develop new opportunities and help convert them into meaningful work.
• Experience growing client relationships and identifying opportunities for repeat and new work. An established network within the workplace, property or education sectors is highly desirable.
• Experience managing project scope, fees, programmes, resources and quality.
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively.
• Strong proficiency in Adobe InDesign and the Microsoft Office suite together with the confidence to leverage AI tools to strengthen research, analysis and project delivery.
• The ability to lead several projects and priorities at once while maintaining momentum, strong relationships and a consistently high standard of work.

Mandatory requirements

It is an essential requirement that at the time of applying for this position, applicants must have the legal right to work in Australia (Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident).

Alignment with ERA-co Values

We are a global team with big ambitions. We value people who combine a strong point of view with low ego; who stay curious, communicate clearly, collaborate generously and have the grit to see transformative ideas through. These behaviours are expected to be visible not only in how you work personally, but in the culture, standards and opportunities you create for others.

//HUMAN FIRST - Champion the End User

Communicate with clarity and keep people at the center of decisions, relationships and outcomes.

//PROTAGONISTS - Ask Beautiful Questions

Bring a point of view, ask the hard questions and create the conditions for constructive challenge.

//COLLABORATIVE - The Best Ideas are Co-Authored

Be high on talent and low on ego. Share relationships, opportunities and credit, and invite the strongest thinking into the work.

Maintain a global radar on clients, culture, markets and emerging needs, continually looking for where ERA-co can create new value.

//GRITTY - Persevere for the Sake of Transformative Placemaking

Roll up your sleeves when required, maintain momentum through ambiguity and stay the course on the ideas and relationships that matter.