Education Project Planner V

CannonDesign; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 106,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) plan

Remote work options

Job summary

CannonDesign in Chicago seeks a Senior Education Projects Expert to lead high-level technical work, mentor staff, and elevate project quality.

You will guide teams, engage with clients, translate planning concepts into clear documentation, and drive integrated sustainable design across projects. This role requires a seasoned professional with strong leadership, communication, and technical skills to deliver exceptional results for education-focused facilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture/Interior Design/Engineering or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of related experience.
• Subject matter expert on Education projects.
• Licensure or registration in the United States preferred.
• LEED accreditation preferred.
• Knowledge of building codes and requirements.
• Strong communication and leadership abilities.
• Ability to lead less experienced team members.
• Familiarity with Revit, MS Office and Bluebeam.

Responsibilities

• Lead Education projects with senior oversight and client leadership.
• Collaborate with project teams to provide technical planning expertise.
• Lead user group meetings to refine program needs and space utilization.
• Communicate planning concepts to teams and owners via reports and drawings.
• Translate planning concepts into clear client/designer language.
• Direct development, modification and review of planning concepts and solutions.
• Oversee development of architectural drawings and specs for construction.
• Develop project scope, plan and services during contracts.
• Incorporate Integrated Sustainable Design into projects.
• Build and maintain relationships with clients.
• Provide guidance to other designers and project leaders.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Team leadership

Client-facing

Verbal communication

Written communication

Revit proficiency

Bluebeam proficiency

MS Office

Knowledge of building codes

Education

Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Engineering or related

Tools

Revit

Bluebeam

Microsoft Office

Job description

If you think your skills, experience and aspirations make you a good match for this position, we encourage you to apply.

About The Role

You will perform in a lead high-level specialist role, as a subject matter expert on Education projects, focused on team and client leadership, mentoring our people, and advancing the quality of our work.

Here's What You'll Do

• Actively seek to further the state of the art within our industry and develop innovative solutions and responses as the needs of researchers evolve.
• Effectively collaborate with a project team to provide technical expertise in the programming and planning for projects.
• Lead user group meetings to collect and refine program needs and assess space utilization.
• Communicate planning concepts to project teams and owners, verbally and through graphic and written reports and work effectively with architectural designers to optimize plans that further owners' goals and objectives.
• Translate planning concepts into comprehensible terms for clients, designers, and project team members.
• Lead the development, modification and/or review of planning concepts and solutions.
• Lead the development of architectural drawings and specifications to translate planning concepts into project documentation for construction.
• Develop project scope, plan, and services during the contract process.
• Incorporate Integrated Sustainable Design solutions into projects.
• Develop and maintain excellent relationships with existing and potential clients.
• Provide guidance and advice to other designers and project leaders.
• Other duties as assigned.

Here's What You'll Need

• Minimum Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Engineering or a related degree required.
• Minimum 10 years of related experience required.
• Must have previous experience performing as a subject matter expert on projects ranging from large, complex, or multiple projects for the Education market.
• Licensure or registration in the United States preferred.
• LEED accreditation preferred.
• Knowledge of building codes and requirements.
• Must have advanced knowledge in discipline.
• Must possess business acumen.
• Must have the ability to be client facing with strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Must be able to lead less experienced team members
• Strong technical knowledge, coordination skills and the ability to build a rapport with the project team and client is essential.
• Familiarity with Revit, Microsoft Office and Bluebeam required.

The salary range for this position is $106,300 to $132,900 annually. This salary range is the range we believe is the anticipated range of possible base compensation at the timing of the posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the anticipated salary range for the position. Employees may be eligible for discretionary bonuses. We offer a full benefit package including medical, dental and vision coverage and flexible spending account options and voluntary insurances. We have paid time off, flex-time schedules, remote work options and a 401k plan and employee perk programs. For a general overview of our benefits, please visit our careers page at https://www.cannondesign.com/careers/benefits. Actual compensation may vary from posting based on geographic location, work experience, education and/or skill level.

For a general overview of our benefits, please visit our careers page at https://www.cannondesign.com/careers/benefits

About Our Firm

CannonDesign is a design practice where strategy, experience, architecture, engineering, and social impact converge. We don't just dream up solutions - we create and bring them to life in ways to solve some of the biggest challenges facing our clients and the society. At the heart of everything we do is Living-Centered Design, a bold commitment to using our talents to not just improve the world but to truly reshape it for the better. Its more than a philosophy - its who we are, and it drives us to make a meaningful, lasting difference every day.

About Working Here

• We are relentless in our pursuit of client adoration (not simply satisfaction). Consistent delivery of the best service is what we are about.
• We are committed to ensuring our practice provides equal opportunities for all employees, as we strive to connect with communities around us and focus on the future of design. We support equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts that benefit all employees through the leadership of our DEI Council, our Employee Resource Groups which are open to everyone, and other community initiatives.
• We're about communication and transparency here. If you want to talk to someone about an idea you have, or a challenge that needs addressing, we're ready for you.

Should an issue arise that you feel we should be aware of, please contact us.

As a condition of employment, all employees are expected to complete mandatory training, including compliance training, within required timeframes and adhere to our internal policies and our Code of Conduct.

CannonDesign is an Equal Opportunity Employer. CannonDesign is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free from any and all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. It is therefore the firm’s policy to prohibit discrimination and harassment against any applicant, CannonDesign employee, vendor, contractor, or client on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. It is also CannonDesign’s policy to prohibit any and all forms of retaliation against any individual who has complained of harassing or discriminatory conduct, or participated in a firm or agency investigation into such complaints.