Associate Director Planning Design Space Management

BlueSteps Connect; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

BlueSteps Connect in Iowa City, IA is recruiting an Associate Director, Planning, Design; Space Management for a large academic medical center environment. The role reports to the Executive Director of Capital Management and leads strategic facility planning, healthcare design, space management, and capital planning initiatives.

The Associate Director will steer healthcare facility planning and programming and oversee space planning, allocation, and utilization, coordinating with clinical and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in architecture or equivalent experience.
• 7–10 years of healthcare facility planning and design experience.
• Experience with space management and healthcare master planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead healthcare facility planning and programming initiatives.
• Direct space planning, allocation and utilization strategies.
• Coordinate with clinical and operational stakeholders to align investments with priorities.
• Guide planning standards and design solutions to support patient care and growth.

Skills

Healthcare design

Space planning

Capital planning

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Architecture

Master's degree in Architecture (preferred)

Job description

The client is seeking an Associate Director, Planning, Design ; Space Management for a large academic medical center environment in Iowa City, IA. The role reports to the Executive Director of Capital Management ; Facility Planning and serves as a key leader responsible for strategic facility planning, healthcare design, space management, and capital planning initiatives. The Associate Director will provide leadership and oversight for facility planning, design, and space management activities supporting inpatient, ambulatory, research, and support facilities.

The Associate Director will lead healthcare facility planning and programming initiatives and provide oversight of healthcare planning and design activities. The role will direct space planning, allocation, and utilization strategies, coordinating planning efforts with clinical and operational stakeholders to align facility investments and space usage with organizational priorities. The Associate Director will ensure facility planning and design solutions support patient care, operational efficiency, and future growth, including guidance on planning and design standards across the health system.

Key responsibilities include supporting master planning and strategic growth initiatives, with an emphasis on stakeholder coordination and leadership in complex healthcare settings. Required qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in architecture or equivalent experience, along with 7–10 years of directly related experience that includes healthcare facility planning and design, space management and utilization planning, and healthcare master planning. Preferred qualifications include a master’s degree in architecture, plus strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills and demonstrated