Associate Principal or Principal Architect – Civic

Lionakis; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 158,000 - 221,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus plan

401(k) with match

Health/dental/vision insurance

Generous PTO

Job summary

Lionakis in San Diego seeks an Associate Principal or Principal to lead, grow, and elevate our civic project practice. You will influence firm strategy while building meaningful client partnerships in the Civic market.

As a leader, you will oversee planning, design, and project management across a portfolio of education projects, mentor teams, and collaborate with leadership on market strategies. DOE applies for compensation and level.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, or interior design (or equivalent) and 16+ years of relevant professional experience.
• Established Southern California professional network within justice, government and other public sector project markets.
• Strong leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• California Licensed Architect.

Responsibilities

• Lead or co-lead the civic project practice across San Diego and Southern California.
• Develop and execute long-term market and practice strategies with Market and Firm leadership.
• Provide leadership for planning, programming, design, and project management across education projects.
• Participate in firmwide leadership initiatives, strategic planning efforts, and management committees.

Skills

California Licensed Architect

Leadership & relationship-building

Microsoft Office Suite

Southern California network (public/司法

LEED accreditation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, or interior design (or equivalent)

Job description

Are you a strategic, relationship-driven leader with a passion for shaping the future of civic environments? Do you thrive at the intersection of design excellence, market growth, and mentoring high-performing teams? If so, we’re looking for you: an Associate Principal or Principal to help lead, grow, and elevate our civic project practice in San Diego.

This role blends executive leadership, business development, and project oversight, offering the opportunity to influence firmwide strategy while building meaningful, long-term client partnerships. You’ll play a key role in advancing our mission, vision, and standards of excellence within the Civic market.

As an Associate Principal or Principal, you will…

Lead (or Help Lead) and Grow the Civic Project Practice

• Serve as a leader of the Civic market, building and sustaining strong client relationships throughout the San Diego region and Southern California
• Collaborate with Market and Firm leadership to develop and execute long-term market and practice strategies
• Provide leadership for planning, programming, design, and project management across a portfolio of complex education projects
• Participate in firmwide leadership initiatives, strategic planning efforts, and management committees

Drive (or Help Drive) Business Development and Client Engagement

• Lead marketing and business development efforts aligned with the Firm’s strategic plan
• Identify and pursue new market opportunities, including team formation, proposal development, and participation in interviews
• Represent the Firm at industry events and within professional and client networks
• Meet or exceed performance metrics related to business development, contracts secured, and client satisfaction

Provide Project Oversight and Financial Leadership

• Serve as Principal-in-Charge for assigned projects, overseeing quality, profitability, staffing, and revenue performance
• Review and develop fee proposals, service scopes, and staffing plans to support project success
• Support project managers with contract negotiations, additional services, and financial performance monitoring
• Lead Quality Control/Quality Assurance efforts and champion Firm standards and lessons learned

Mentor and Develop Talent

• Foster a collaborative, respectful, and high-performing work environment
• Act as a mentor and coach to support professional growth, leadership development, and succession planning
• Collaborate across studios, markets, and disciplines to support Firm-wide initiatives and shared goals

The Must-Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, or interior design (or equivalent) and a minimum of 16 years of relevant professional experience
• Established Southern California professional network within justice, government and other public sector project markets
• Strong leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• California Licensed Architect

The Like-to-Haves

• LEED accreditation

Why You’ll Love Lionakis

• A collaborative, design-forward culture that values creativity, mentorship, and shared success
• The chance to shape stories that impact real communities
• A comprehensive benefits package (bonus plan, 401(k) with match, health/dental/vision, generous PTO)
• A workplace deeply committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion – in our projects, our people, and our culture

Join us and help bring our design vision to life—one story at a time.

Salary Range: $158,300-$220,500 annually. Compensation and level DOE.

Studies have shown that underrepresented individuals like women; LGBTQIA+; and BIPOC, among others, are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications in a job description or posting. Because we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, we understand the best candidate may come from a non-traditional background to our field of work. We strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described above. Diversity makes us better.