Project Manager - Cities + Urban Design

Gensler; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 110,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits

401k

Profit sharing

Employee stock ownership

Bonus opportunities

Job summary

Gensler's Planning team in Washington, DC seeks an experienced Project Manager to deliver a range of local, regional and international urban design and planning projects. You will lead teams on master plans, site plans and design guidelines, coordinating multiple assignments and ensuring high-quality outcomes.

The role requires 10–15 years in urban planning or architecture, strong leadership and communication, and ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10–15 years leading urban planning, design or strategy projects in a practice.
• Bachelor's degree in City/Regional Planning, Urban Design, Architecture or related field.
• Experience managing large-scale master plans, design guidelines and international projects.
• Proficiency with MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite; basic CAD/3D tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead and elevate design and project objectives, scope and schedule.
• Manage client satisfaction and project delivery, documentation and trust.
• Track project financials including fees, billings and collections; oversee budgets.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Communication

Team coordination

Client relations

Budget management

Education

Bachelor's degree in City/Regional Planning, Urban Design, Architecture

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe Creative Suite

AutoCAD

Revit

SketchUp / Rhino

Job description

Your Role

Gensler is the world's largest architecture, design and planning firm with offices in over 50 locations globally. As a natural outgrowth of Gensler's core business of creating great places, our Cities + Urban Design (C+UD) practice area delivers a range of performance‑focused design strategy and planning services to an ever‑expanding group of cities, institutions, developers, governments, and international organizations.

Gensler's Planning team in Washington, D.C. is seeking an experienced Project Manager to join our Cities + Urban Design practice area to deliver on a range of local, regional and international high‑profile public and private‑sector projects, including large‑scale master plans, conceptual design, site‑specific plans, urban design guidelines, development standards and other planning studies.

Ideal candidates will have a background in urban planning, particularly urban design, or architecture; and have demonstrated experience leading, organizing and coordinating project teams and team assignments to deliver successful large‑scale planning and mixed‑use projects. Strong interpersonal, analytical and communication skills are critical. Comfort in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment and the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously is a must. Candidates should be self‑starters, collaborative and eager to supervise, train and mentor teammates.

What You Will Do

• Lead and elevate design, and envision transformational projects through communicating project objectives, contract scope, terms and schedule
• Manage projects and client satisfaction; focus on the project process, service delivery, work environment, project documentation and building client trust and loyalty
• Track and manage financial performance of projects (e.g., work plan, schedule, fees, billings and collections)
• Monitor budgets and profitability targets; oversee billing and fee management to ensure all financial activities are consistent with Gensler policies and procedures; manage accounts receivable, discretionary expenses, expense report approvals and productivity projections
• Resolve complex technical/design issues and provide guidance and mentorship to the team
• Coordinate client, team and project coordination, including full documentation coordination
• Execute documents with design intent and technical quality
• Conduct site visits and meet on‑site with client teams
• Prepare and make presentations to clients, community stakeholders and city planning staff
• Support the C+UD practice area with business development efforts

Your Qualifications

• 10–15 years of experience leading teams on projects related to urban planning, policy, design and/or strategy in an architectural practice
• Bachelor's degree in City/Regional Planning, Urban Design, Architecture or a closely related field
• Working knowledge of planning laws, policies and regulatory tools
• Experience managing planning projects, including large‑scale master plans, public entitlements, design guidelines and other planning studies, large‑scale international urban design and planning projects
• Experience successfully responding to public RFPs and negotiating for projects
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign)
• Basic skills in AutoCAD and/or Revit
• Basic skills in Sketch‑Up, Rhino and/or other 3D and multimedia technologies
• Excellent written, verbal and graphic communication skills
• Strong leadership, organizational, communication and relationship‑management skills
• Collaborative and team‑conscious

Preferred Qualifications

• AIA (Registered Architect, RA) and/or AICP certification
• Leadership in urban planning professional organizations
• Proficiency in GIS and mapping tools
• Real‑estate development experience and/or education

*This role is not remote; we look forward to working with our new Project Manager in our dynamic Washington, D.C. office.

The estimated base salary range for this position is $110k‑135k, plus eligibility for bonuses and a comprehensive benefits package, with final compensation contingent on relevant experience. To learn more about our compensation philosophy and full benefits offerings, please visit Great People, Great Rewards | Gensler.

Life at Gensler

At Gensler we are committed to enjoying life as much as delivering best‑in‑class design. From curated art exhibits to internal design competitions to Well‑being Week, our offices reflect our people's diverse interests.

We encourage every person at Gensler to lead a healthy, balanced life. Our comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, paid time off, 401k, profit sharing, employee stock ownership and twice‑annual bonus opportunities.

As part of the firm's commitment to licensure and professional development, Gensler offers reimbursement for certain professional licenses and associated renewals and exam fees. We also reimburse tuition for certain eligible programs or classes.