Director for Residential & Housing - Small Architecture Studio

Curio Careers; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established architecture studio seeks a Director for Residential & Housing to lead a talented team in a collaborative environment. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the design direction and client relationships while fostering a culture of design excellence. The ideal candidate will have a strong architectural background, experience in business development, and a passion for mentoring others. Join a hands-on practice that values creativity and strategic thinking, and take the next step in your career with a firm that is committed to growth and innovation.

Benefits

Collaborative Work Environment

Leadership Opportunities

Employee Ownership

Professional Development

Networking Opportunities

Qualifications

• Strong design focus with experience in residential architecture.
• Ability to mentor and elevate design quality within a team.

Responsibilities

• Lead teams through all project stages with a focus on early RIBA stages.
• Develop a network of clients and refine client briefs.

Skills

Architectural Design

Business Development

Client Management

Team Leadership

RIBA Stages Knowledge

Education

Qualified Architect with UK Registration

Job description

Director for Residential & Housing - Small Architecture Studio

Director for Residential & Housing - Small Architecture Studio

1 week ago Be among the first 25 applicants

Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features.

This range is provided by Curio Careers. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

Direct message the job poster from Curio Careers

The client is looking to appoint an Director with a strong residential architectural background. The practice has a legacy of over 40 years and is currently undergoing an EOT process. This is a strategic hire for the future of the practice and the first role of its kind within the company. The studio has a diverse residential portfolio of projects and small to large-scale schemes across London and the Home Counties. The company culture is hands-on and down-to-earth, with a flat hierarchy, fostering a highly collaborative environment.

This role is suited to an architect with a strong design focus who enjoys client-facing responsibilities and can co-lead an office of 20 architects. You may currently be at Director level in your current practice but feel you’ve hit a glass ceiling in your career progression.

The successful candidate will initially focus on front-end design, playing a pivotal role in pitches, client interactions, and fostering strong design standards within the team. Those who not only excel in design but can encourage, mentor, and elevate design quality within a team will be best suited to this opportunity. This position offers the potential to take on a leadership role, shaping the design direction, client relationships, and strategic growth of the practice. It is an ideal opportunity for an architect seeking greater responsibility in team management and the eventual leadership of a studio.

Over time, this role will take on business development responsibilities, so architects applying should be comfortable with business strategy, leadership, and work-winning. While this is not a targeted sales role, there is an expectation to bring in projects and contribute to the studio’s long-term growth. Eventually, this will be a residential role; therefore, the client only wants to hear from profiles who have experience winning work and possess the necessary skill set.

Candidates should already be actively networking, attending industry events such as MIPIM, UKREiiF, or participating in design panels or maintaining long-standing industry relationships in their practice. A business plan will be developed in collaboration with the existing director, with a key measure of success being the ability to generate new projects.

The Director will be supported by four associates, who are all project runners but are not yet work-winning architects. A candidate who can instil confidence in business development within the team would be highly beneficial and is comfortable with the responsibility of a team and the leadership of a practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Fee-earning responsibilities.
• Develop a network of clients in a complementary sector to the studio.
• Analyze and refine client briefs as part of project-team assembly.
• Lead teams through all project stages, with a focus on early RIBA stages.
• Encourage and nurture design excellence within the studio.
• Develop compelling visual and graphic content for pitches and presentations.
• Participate in strategic decision-making alongside the director and founder.
• Refine and improve business processes to support growth and efficiency.
• Create a succession business plan in collaboration with the current director.

Experience & Skills

• Qualified Architect with UK registration.
• Strong knowledge of all RIBA stages and design processes.
• Experience leading multiple projects through all RIBA stages, ideally in the UK.
• A creative, strategic thinker who can improve processes and project outcomes.
• A hands-on approach with strong attention to detail.
• Experience in business leadership, practice strategy, and team management.
• A strong, confident communicator able to articulate ideas clearly to clients, directors, and teams.
• Agility to work in fast-paced project stages.
• Previous experience working at a senior management level.
• Experience winning work, leading competitions, or developing a client network.

Why Join?

• Step into leadership with an stablished, employee-owned firm.
• Collaborate closely with the founder and director to shape the practice’s future.
• Opportunity to build a client network and lead business development.
• Lead a talented team of architects and associates in an ambitious and design-led practice.
• Co-lead a practice

If you are an experienced Director looking for your next step into practice leadership, this role offers a unique opportunity to grow within a respected, long-established firm.

The office is based in Shoreditch, the team are 4/5 days in the office and have a strong team culture

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Project Management, Art/Creative, and Production

• Industries

  Architecture and Planning and Accessible Architecture and Design

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Curio Careers by 2x

Sign in to set job alerts for “Director of Housing” roles.

City Of London, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago

London, England, United Kingdom 6 days ago

London, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago

London, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Uxbridge, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Commercial Director – Social Housing Construction - City of London - Retained – Confidential

City Of London, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Commercial Director – Social Housing Construction - St Albans - Retained – Confidential

St Albans, England, United Kingdom 4 weeks ago

London, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Operations Director : Premium Catering (12 Month FTC)

London, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Director, Performance Operations Hotel Market Partnerships (PGA)

London, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Dartford, England, United Kingdom 3 months ago

London, England, United Kingdom 3 weeks ago

London, England, United Kingdom 1 month ago

London, England, United Kingdom 1 day ago

Director, Operational Resilience Exercising-R-245230

London, England, United Kingdom 6 days ago

London, England, United Kingdom 1 month ago

Billericay, England, United Kingdom 3 weeks ago

London, England, United Kingdom 6 days ago

London, England, United Kingdom 3 weeks ago

Business Integration and Operations Head, Global Real Estate - Executive Director

London, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

London, England, United Kingdom 4 days ago

London, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

M&A Integration & Strategic Operations Director

Greater London, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Director, Operational Resilience Exercising-R-245230

Loughton, England, United Kingdom 6 days ago

Director of Welfare and Grants, HARRIS HILL EXECUTIVE SEARCH

Harrow, England, United Kingdom 3 weeks ago

London, England, United Kingdom 3 weeks ago

We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.