Facilities Design and Architecture Eng/Planner V, Planning and Design

Kaiser Permanente; Oakland (CA); Hybrid; USD 154,000 - 199,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, CA, is seeking a Design Manager to lead design delivery across capital projects within the NCAL region. The role coordinates Planning & Design, Project Management, operational stakeholders, and external consultants to ensure alignment of scope, budget, schedule and design deliverables.

You will translate owner requirements into actionable design strategies, drive early design clarity, reduce waste, and enforce disciplined review processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, Planning, Interior Design, Construction Management, Cost Estimating, or related field.
• Minimum eight (8) years of experience in planning, architectural, design, engineering, CADD, hospital/medical facility, healthcare planning, construction estimating, or a directly related field OR eleven (11) years of related experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead design delivery across capital projects with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Coordinate Planning & Design, Project Management, and external consultants.
• Translate Owner Project Requirements into actionable design strategies and decision frameworks.
• Promote disciplined design management, milestone reviews, and consultant oversight.
• Provide technical guidance to designers/drafters/architects and junior staff.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, Planning, Interior Design, Construction Management, Cost Estimating, or related field

Eight+ years of experience in planning, architectural, design, or related field (or eleven+ years with health/safety/related)

Job description

Design Manager - Facilities Planning & Design

This is a Flexible (Hybrid) position but must be based in the NCAL region, or WA, and OR.

The Design Manager - Facilities Planning & Design - is responsible for leading efficient, high-quality, and cost-effective design delivery across capital projects by coordinating Planning & Design, Project Management, operational stakeholders, and external architecture and engineering consultants. This role serves as a design integrator, ensuring alignment between project scope, budget, schedule, operational requirements, and design deliverables from project initiation through construction documentation.

The Design Manager drives design clarity early in the project lifecycle, reduces waste and rework, and promotes consistent execution through disciplined design management practices, milestone-based reviews, and consultant oversight. By translating Owner Project Requirements into actionable design strategies and decision frameworks, the role helps identify and resolve risks, scope gaps, and coordination issues before they impact project outcomes.

Working closely with project teams, user groups, and subject matter experts, the Design Manager supports timely decision-making, strengthens consultant accountability, standardizes design delivery processes, and advances continuous improvement initiatives that enhance quality, efficiency, and overall project performance.

Job Summary

In addition to the responsibilities listed below, this position is responsible for driving complex assignments projects, performs all conventional and moderately advanced planning and/ or architectural techniques, procedures, and standards; plans and completes assignments requiring more advanced techniques; coordinates the development of templates and standards for planning, design, structural performance specifications, materials, equipment, estimated costs, and constructability of medical and support spaces with focus on user requirements, safety, cost efficiency, and integration of technology and best practices; performs programming, planning, design and development and documentation activities of broad scope including spreadsheets, drawings, calculations, manuals/comprehensive documents and coordination with hospital/medical facility users; develops presentation materials and present to various audiences; leads moderately sized special projects as assigned; develops and leads Content Expert Panels; serves as resource and advisor to capital Project teams and KP service areas/regions; conducts reviews inside buildings to assess current state versus desired end state and to capture those requirements; and provides technical guidance to designers/drafters and less experienced architects/planners.

Essential Responsibilities

• Promotes learning in others by communicating information and providing advice to drive projects forward; builds relationships with cross-functional stakeholders. Listens, responds to, seeks, and addresses performance feedback; provides actionable feedback to others, including upward feedback to leadership and mentors junior team members. Practices self-leadership; creates and executes plans to capitalize on strengths and improve opportunity areas; influences team members within assigned team or unit. Adapts to competing demands and new responsibilities; adapts to and learns from change, challenges, and feedback. Models team collaboration within and across teams.
• Conducts or oversees business-specific projects by applying deep expertise in subject area; promotes adherence to all procedures and policies. Partners internally and externally to make effective business decisions; determines and carries out processes and methodologies; solves complex problems; escalates high-priority issues or risks, as appropriate; monitors progress and results. Develops work plans to meet business priorities and deadlines; coordinates and delegates resources to accomplish organizational goals. Recognizes and capitalizes on improvement opportunities; evaluates recommendations made; influences the completion of project tasks by others.
• Directs planning and design projects by: using judgment and discretion to define issues and develop solutions to resolve complex problems for the capital program; coordinating the communication network between the project team and other internal personnel across the organization and external contacts; and researching, recommending, and training teams and consultants on strategies and concepts to provide expert strategic guidance, coordination, and management of the support teams area of expertise.
• Supports NFS program deliverables by: managing multiplecomplex National Facilities Services (NFS) projects and initiatives with responsibility and accountability for project outcomes from initiation through design phase with minimal oversight from senior management; developing, analyzing, and managing complex project plans which include scope identification and management, schedule, inter-dependencies, and resource forecast; monitoring overall project performance (e.g., on time, within scope, and with quality) against plans, ensuring measurement of business benefits and outcomes, and makes adjustments as needed; leading project activities related to organizational change management (e.g., development and execution of user adoption, implementation, and training plans) as defined by the project; and driving allocation of resources, establishes schedules, and task assignments to ensure established practices are in place.
• Contributes to consultants relationship management by: driving the application of strategies and concepts to provide technical guidance, coordination, coaching, and project-level supervision to designers/drafters/engineers/consultants/architects/planners; obtaining advanced research knowledge on building codes and materials from vendor and applying strategies for implementation; and identifying incremental process improvements that increase efficiency and effectiveness of vendor assessment.
• Provides oversight for compliance by: leading other internal teams to ensure the enterprise facilities design standards development to ensure quality solutions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Architecture, Engineering (e.g., Electrical, Mechanical, Structural, etc.), Planning (e.g., Space Planning), Interior Design, Construction Management, Cost Estimating, or related field AND minimum eight (8) years of experience in planning, architectural, design, engineering, CADD, hospital/medical facility, healthcare planning, construction estimating, or a directly related field OR Minimum eleven (11) years of experience in planning, architectural, design, engineering, CADD, hospital/medical facility, health and safety administration/management, construction estimating, or a directly related field.

Preferred Qualifications

• EDAC Certification.
• LEED Accredited.

Primary Location: California,Oakland,Ordway

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40

Shift: Day

Workdays: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri

Working Hours Start: 08:00 AM

Working Hours End: 05:00 PM

Job Schedule: Full-time

Job Type: Standard

Worker Location: Flexible

Employee Status: Regular

Employee Group/Union Affiliation: NUE-PO-01|NUE|Non Union Employee

Job Level: Individual Contributor

Department: Oakland Reg - 1800 Harrison - Rgnl Fac-Design & Constr Admin - 0308

Pay Range: $154000 - $199210 / year

Kaiser Permanente strives to offer a market competitive total rewards package and is committed to pay equity and transparency. The posted pay range is based on possible base salaries for the role and does not reflect the full value of our total rewards package. Actual base pay determined at offer will be based on labor market data, internal alignment, and a candidate's years of relevant work experience, education, certifications, skills, and geographic location.

Travel: Yes, 15 % of the Time

Work Setting: Flexible

Worker location must align with Kaiser Permanente's Authorized States policy.

Kaiser Permanente is an equal opportunity employer committed to fair, respectful, and inclusive workplaces. Applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic or status.