Civic Principal

HDR; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR in Dallas seeks a Civic Principal to lead a team focused on planning and designing spaces that promote equity and embody a community's legacy. The role drives client relationships, pursues opportunities, and ensures project success from pursuit through delivery.

The ideal candidate brings 15 years of architecture experience, strong leadership, and a track record with large-scale civic projects. Travel is required, and active registration is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Architecture required with 15+ years in architecture projects.
• Registered Architect with strong large-scale civic project experience.
• Demonstrated leadership, client management and proposal development skills.
• Proven track record in pursuing and delivering complex civic programs.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and vision for the Civic sector.
• Develop capture plans and establish key client relationships.
• Oversee regional fee goals and project oversight during execution.
• Lead qualification development and proposals for Civic work.
• Guide pursuit go/no-go decisions and strategy discussions.
• Direct interview strategies and contract negotiations.
• Serve as Principal-in-Charge on select projects.
• Ensure conformance to client expectations on quality, schedule and budget.
• Mentor staff and support career development.
• Collaborate with SMEs to prepare abstracts/presentations for industry events.

Skills

Leadership

Business development

Project management

Client presentations

Mentoring

Team leadership

Strategic planning

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Architecture

Master's degree in Architecture or related field

Tools

Primavera P3

SureTrak

Prolog

Microsoft Office

Job description

We are currently searching for a Civic Principal to join our Dallas office to lead a team focused on planning and designing spaces that are accessible, promote equity and equality, and help to define a community’s legacy.

Responsibilities

• Leadership and visioning for the Civic sector.
• Developing capture plans and initiating relationships with key clients.
• Maintaining an active and visible presence in the Civic sector, allocating time in proportion to annual fee goals for the local region.
• Leading the development of qualifications and proposals for Civic pursuits.
• Leading pursuit go/no-go and strategy discussions.
• Directing interview strategies and implementation.
• Preparing and negotiating project contracts.
• Serving as Principal‑in‑Charge on projects as appropriate.
• Working closely with local leadership to maintain project oversight throughout execution, including conformance to client expectations for technical/quality, financial performance, and schedule adherence.
• Providing mentorship and guidance to staff in support of career development.
• In collaboration with subject matter experts, and independently when appropriate, developing abstracts and presentations for industry conferences, seminars, workshops, and other similar events promoting program messages, research, project outcomes, lessons learned, trends, etc. related to facility design.

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters Degree in Architecture or related field
• Business Development experience with civic architecture including public safety, courthouses, cultural, and administrative buildings
• Experience and/or interest in sustainable design for spaces and buildings
• Current professional registration or certification in resident state
• PMP certification
• Familiar with Primavera P3 or SureTrak software
• Familiar with Prolog software

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture
• 15 years related experience
• A minimum 7 years project management experience
• Registered Architect
• Must have experience on large-scale projects
• Must be able to lead a team on projects and make client presentations
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Project)
• Extensive knowledge and experience within the local and regional market
• Strong team leadership, mentoring, motivational/organizational and people skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Must be willing to travel
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee‑owned culture is a must

Primary Location: United States-Texas-Dallas

Industry: Architecture

Schedule: Full-time

Employee Status: Regular

BusinessClass: Civic ARC

Job Posting: May 19, 2026

We are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.