General Manager – Design & Architecture

Global Schools Group; Maharashtra; On-site; INR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Global Schools Group seeks a General Manager – Design & Architecture to lead the architectural design strategy and governance for K–12 campuses across geographies. This senior, client-side role translates the Group’s educational vision into high-quality, future-ready campuses.

The role collaborates with senior leadership, operations, project teams, architects and external partners to drive master planning, design development, and handover, ensuring consistency, safety, and sustainability across

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Architecture.
• 15–20+ years of progressive experience in architecture, design management, and project delivery.
• Experience in senior leadership roles in education/campus development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall architectural design strategy across geographies.
• Provide design governance, reviews, and approvals from concept to handover.
• Translate educational philosophy and operational needs into architectural solutions.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Architecture

Job description

Reports to: Group Head – Projects & Infrastructure

Function: Projects & Infrastructure

About the Role

We are seeking an accomplished General Manager – Design & Architecture to lead the architectural design strategy and design governance for K–12 school campuses across multiple geographies. This is a senior, client-side leadership role responsible for establishing design standards, driving design excellence, and ensuring that new-build, expansion, and redevelopment projects translate the Group’s educational vision into high-quality, future-ready, scalable, and operationally efficient campuses.

The role will work closely with senior leadership, academic and operations teams, project teams, architects, consultants, and external partners, providing strategic design direction from early feasibility and master planning through design development, construction, and handover.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the overall architectural design strategy for the Group’s school development portfolio across geographies.


• Provide design leadership across campus master planning, new-build developments, expansions, refurbishments, and brownfield projects.


• Translate educational philosophy, curriculum requirements, student experience, and operational needs into effective architectural solutions.


• Drive pedagogy-led, child-centric and future-ready learning environments aligned with international education standards.


• Establish a consistent design language while allowing appropriate flexibility for local context, regulations, climate, and market requirements.

Design Governance & Standards

• Develop, implement, and continuously enhance Group-wide design guidelines, specifications, and campus planning standards.


• Lead key design reviews and approvals across concept, schematic design, design development, tender, and design‑freeze stages.


• Ensure projects meet agreed standards for functionality, quality, safety, accessibility, sustainability, and operational efficiency.


• Identify critical design and coordination risks early and drive timely resolution.


• Benchmark campuses against leading international schools and global best practices.


• Provide senior‑level design oversight across multiple projects at different stages of development.


• Review master plans, architectural drawings, layouts, specifications, material selections, and key design packages.


• Ensure alignment between approved design intent and on‑site execution.


• Participate in project reviews covering design progress, timelines, cost implications, risks, and key decisions.


• Support complex brownfield and live‑campus projects while ensuring student safety, operational continuity, and minimal disruption.

Consultant & Stakeholder Leadership

• Lead and manage relationships with architectural firms, design consultants, specialist consultants, and multidisciplinary project teams.


• Support the selection, appointment, briefing, and performance management of external design consultants.


• Work closely with academic leadership, school operations, finance, procurement, IT, safety, and project teams to ensure integrated design solutions.


• Present design concepts, recommendations, options, risks, and investment implications to senior leadership.


• Drive timely decision‑making and accountability across internal and external stakeholders.

Commercial & Value Optimization

• Lead value engineering initiatives without compromising critical educational or design outcomes.


• Challenge consultant proposals and identify opportunities for design simplification, standardisation, and cost optimisation.


• Support development of project budgets through design‑related inputs and evaluation of alternative solutions.


• Promote standardisation and repeatable design solutions where these can improve speed, quality, and cost efficiency across the portfolio.

Sustainability & Future‑Ready Campuses

• Drive environmentally responsible and resource‑efficient design strategies.


• Promote lifecycle‑focused decision‑making covering energy efficiency, materials, maintenance, durability, and operating costs.


• Incorporate evolving requirements around technology‑enabled learning, flexible learning spaces, wellbeing, accessibility, security, and sustainability.


• Evaluate relevant global design innovations and determine their applicability across the Group’s campuses.

Team & Functional Leadership

• Build and lead a high‑performing design and architecture function.


• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and guidance to internal architects, designers, and project team members.


• Establish effective design governance processes, review mechanisms, documentation standards, and approval frameworks.


• Strengthen internal design capabilities and reduce dependency on external consultants for strategic design decisions.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Architecture from a recognised institution; professional architectural registration preferred.


• Typically 15–20+ years of progressive experience in architecture, design management, and project delivery, with significant experience in senior leadership roles.


• Strong track record in large‑scale institutional, education, campus, mixed‑use, or complex multi‑building developments.


• K–12 school or education‑sector design experience would be highly preferred.


• Demonstrated experience leading multiple projects and managing architectural and multidisciplinary consultants.


• Strong understanding of master planning, architectural design, design development, construction documentation, materials, and site execution.


• Experience working across multiple geographies and familiarity with international design standards and regulatory environments preferred.


• Strong commercial orientation with experience in value engineering, design optimisation, and lifecycle‑cost considerations.


• Ability to engage effectively with senior leadership and translate strategic requirements into practical design solutions.


• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, communication, negotiation, and decision‑making capabilities.

Why Join

This is an opportunity to take a Group‑level leadership role in shaping the physical learning environments of an international education organisation.

The role offers the opportunity to:

• Lead architectural design strategy across a portfolio of international K–12 campuses.


• Influence projects from early‑stage planning through execution and handover.


• Establish Group‑wide design standards and best practices.


• Work directly with senior leadership and multidisciplinary teams across geographies.


• Shape scalable, sustainable, and future‑ready learning environments for students across the Group.