Design Director

Perkins & Will Inc.; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 162,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Perkins & Will Inc. in Denver is seeking a proven design leader to elevate design quality, mentor talent, and foster collaboration. This role involves providing visionary leadership and establishing a creative direction while ensuring high-performing teams and maintaining strong client relationships.

Desired qualifications include a professional architecture degree and a minimum of 15 years of experience. The position offers an annual salary range between $162,000 and $195,000, reflecting a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15 years of professional experience.
• Strong project budgeting and contract negotiation skills.
• Experience in hiring, directing, and mentoring project teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide visionary design leadership and a clear creative direction.
• Guide teams in developing innovative design concepts.
• Champion creative excellence and conduct design reviews.

Skills

Visionary design leadership

Mentoring and coaching

Project budgeting and contract negotiation

Knowledge of Revit

Strong design portfolio

Education

Professional degree in Architecture

Professional architectural license

Tools

Revit

Rhino

Grasshopper

Microsoft Office

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

As a key member of the studio's Management, Operations, and Design (MOD) leadership team, you will lead by example—elevating design quality, mentoring the next generation of talent, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, and representing Perkins&Will within the profession and community. This is an opportunity for a proven design leader who is passionate about both exceptional design and developing others to achieve their full potential.

What You'll Do:

• Provide visionary design leadership andestablisha clear creative direction for the studio.
• Guide teams in developing innovative design concepts aligned with project goals and client expectations.
• Oversee the quality of design processes, project delivery, and built outcomes.
• Champion creative excellence and ensure all projects align with the firm’s Living Design Framework.
• Conduct design reviews andquality-controlreviews throughout project development.
• Work with firmwide leadership to organize and execute peer workshops atappropriate projectmilestones.
• Stay current on emerging industry trends, technologies, and design practices.

Build and Develop High-Performing Teams

• Lead, mentor, coach, and inspire multidisciplinary design teams.
• Foster a collaborative and creative work environment.
• Partner with Talent Managers and studio leadership to recruit, interview, hire, and develop design talent.
• Support the growth of diverse talent and skillsets across the studio.
• Mentorstaff andhelp them achieve both personal and professional development goals.
• Facilitate ongoing learning through design discussions, conferences, seminars, and educational opportunities.
• Build long-term bench strength and cultivate future design leaders.

Serve as a Studio and Client Leader

• Partner with the Managing Director and Operations Director to establish strategic goals and ensure execution.
• Collaborate with clients, stakeholders, and project teams to develop innovative solutions that achieve functional, aesthetic, and financialobjectives.
• Build andmaintainstrong relationships with clients, decision-makers, consultants, and industry influencers.
• Represent the firm’s commitment to design within public, professional, cultural, and academic communities.
• Build relationships with professional organizations and academic institutions.

Contribute to Studio Growth

• Participate in staffing decisions and team composition.
• Support project planning, scope development, work plans, and fee negotiations.
• Participate in marketing activities, including go/no-go decisions and interview leadership.
• Help strategize, pursue, and win work for the studio.
• Partner in developing andmaintainingthe studio’sdesign vision.
• Advance studio initiatives related to career development, talent advancement, and inclusion.

Required Qualifications:

• Professional degree in Architecture or related discipline.
• Professional architectural license.
• Minimumof15 years of professional experience.
• Knowledge of industry regulations, life-safety requirements, and building codes.
• Knowledge of site analysis, conceptual design, schematic design, design development, contract documents, and construction administration.
• Strongideatorand conceptual thinker
• Strong designportfolio, ideally broad-based on a range of project types.
• Strong project budgeting and contract negotiation skills.
• Strong working relationships with clients and consultants.
• Experience in hiring, directing, mentoring, and coordinating successful project teams
• Working knowledge of Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite,Enscape, andVRay.
• LEED GA and one Living Design accreditation upon hire or within six months of hire

Salary Range Information

We foster a culture that is diverse and inclusive and strive for pay practices that are fair, and competitive and reflect our commitment to pay equity. Our compensation decisions include but are not limited to a candidate’s qualifications including skill sets, education, experience and training, licensure and certifications credentials if applicable, and business-related factors. This practice extends to all employees, including performance considerations for merit increases, job promotions, and transfer opportunities. We additionally review our pay practices, conduct pay equity audits, and ensure our managers are trained in our pay practices on an annual basis.At the time of posting this job advertisement, the annual pay salary range for this position in Denver is between $162,000 and $195,000.

At Perkins&Will we believe that inclusion spurs creativity and that innovation is born from an engaged culture of diverse people + ideas. By moving beyond barriers and stereotypes of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, medical condition, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status; we are committed to building an organization that reflects the diversity of the communities and clients we serve.

Perkins&Will has established and adopted an Equal Employment Opportunity Employment policy (“EEO”), which is part of the Company’s Human Resources Policy. The purpose of this EEO policy is to ensure that all employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis, and without regard to sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, gender reassignment, citizenship, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state, or local law. In some cases, local laws and regulations may provide greater protections than those outlined here and employees will be covered by the laws of their local jurisdiction.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.