Project Manager, Higher Education Practice Lead

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM); New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401K matching

Paid family leave

Paid vacation

Professional development reimbursement

Job summary

A leading architecture firm in New York seeks a Project Manager for their Higher Education Practice. The role involves overseeing projects, engaging stakeholders, and leading teams to success while managing resources and client expectations. Candidates should possess a professional degree in Architecture, significant experience, and strong communication skills. This position offers a salary range of $120,000 to $170,000, emphasizing a commitment to sustainability and innovation in the design process.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience or equivalent in project management.
• Licensed architect in the state of practice; LEED accreditation preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage project schedules, budgets, and resources.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Architectural Project Team for successful project outcomes.
• Monitor project schedules and financial performance against goals.
• Communicate effectively with clients and manage their expectations.
• Supervise and mentor team members for professional development.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Leadership

Sustainable design

Education

Professional degree in Architecture

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe Suite

Smartsheets

Google Workspace

Deltek Vision

Salesforce

Job description

## Project Manager, Higher Education Practice LeadAt SOM, we are a collective committed to shaping a better future for our clients, communities and planet. We aspire to create the most sustainable, impactful work through creative, interdisciplinary teams with all the resources and diversity of a global firm. We value those who are passionate about excellence, innovation, integrity, inclusivity, and collaboration. Together we can achieve great things.**Success at SOM Means****Overview**The Project Manager and Practice Lead for the Higher Education practice serves as both project team leadership and strategic advisor to enhance our higher education projects. This role requires active engagement in understanding and articulating the forces that shape higher education buildings and campuses. This position will work directly with Partnership, Principals, and other Practice Leaders to successfully manage higher education projects, identify target clients and projects and assist with the direction of business development strategy including market research, create new business development opportunities and actively pursue leads. This role requires understanding of the higher education market, development of relevant data, tools, and models to serve these clients, and contributes to design innovation to advance SOM’s reputation of design excellence in this practice area. Significant knowledge and expertise in campus master planning, space programming, stakeholder engagement, and community outreach for Higher Education institutions is required.**Project Management Responsibilities*** Leads the Architectural Project Team through close collaboration with SOM Partners project leadership to achieve design, technical and financial success.* Prepares, with Leadership input, quality agreements with clients including letters of intent, memoranda of understanding, and professional service agreements. Executes additional service agreements and gains authorization by phase.* Collaborates with Partners and senior team to prepare, issue, and manage compliance plans to align project goals including budget, deliverables and schedule. Gains agreement with the senior team for labor allocation. Chairs weekly team meetings to address variances from the project plan.* Administers internal control procedures with Project Accountant including billing, collections, percent complete, expense management, and year-end activities. Analyzes project reports and proactively manages the profitability of a project.* Participates actively in project design and technical discussions and decision making.* Communicates actively through chairing weekly meetings, issuing meeting minutes and accurate project record keeping and sharing project information and correspondence.* Manages owner/client relationship and expectations to allow SOM and team to work effectively, efficiently and collaboratively.* Initiates, monitors and maintains project schedule and work plan including schedule of meetings and presentations.* Schedules and leads internal team weekly project meetings; develops the meeting agenda and project status update.* Defines project schedule and work plan with project leadership for early stakeholder engagement for programming and scope definition of educational spaces.* Initiates, monitors and maintains project plan and financial performance of project.* Initiates and maintains SOM-Client Services Agreement, SOM Sub-Consultant Agreements and requests for additional services.* Monitors scope for contract compliance and potential additional services.* Actively engages in project risk management through close collaboration with SOM Partners and legal group.**Practice Lead Responsibilities*** Provide guidance to Project Team members in the development, production, promotion, and marketing of SOM’s Higher Education functional market focused on the strategic growth of the practice.* In collaboration with firm-wide Higher Education Leads, contribute to the creation and implementation of the business development strategy including market research, create new business development opportunities and actively pursue leads.* Proactively organize and implement engagement strategy based on the Higher Education Business Plan including cultivating relationships between SOM leaders and clients and aligning SOM leaders and appropriate industry organizations.* Defines appropriate scope of work for Higher Education planning and design projects including review of specialty consultant scope of work.* Advise Project Teams and clients on best practices, trends and strategies to implement best in class design and planning solutions for teaching and learning environments.* Participates actively in project design and technical discussions and decision making for educational programs.* Facilitate integrated, participatory, and data-informed planning and design processes on Higher Education projects.**Leadership Responsibilities*** Actively leads multiple projects and teams.* Established as a officewide resource in an area of expertise for market, discipline, or department.* Directly supervises, trains, and mentors team members.* Engages in talent strategy to find specialists, leaders, and future professionals for the firm through resume review, interviews, and leveraging personal network.* Demonstrates leadership in the implementation of sustainable strategies in all project assignments and the associated development of staff knowledge.* Creates and drives new ways of working through contributing to the development of services, standards, procedures based in an understanding of the business principles that protect SOM from financial and legal risk.**Minimum Qualifications*** Significant knowledge and expertise in campus master planning, space programming, stakeholder engagement, and community outreach for Higher Education institutions is required.* Professional degree in Architecture.* Licensed in state of practice; LEED accreditation preferred.* Minimum 10 years of experience or equivalent knowledge, skills and abilities.* General understanding of sustainable strategies and principles including familiarity with LEED or other green building rating systems.* Demonstrated ability to successfully lead project teams and manage project schedule, budget and program.* Strong verbal and written communication skills.* Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Smartsheets, Adobe Suite and Google Workspace.* Familiarity with Deltek Vision, Salesforce.**Our Benefits:****Health and Wellness:**Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life & accident insurance**Savings:** 401K matching, pre-tax spending accounts, and employee discount programs**Work/Life Balance:** Inquire about our hybrid/flexible schedules, paid family leave, paid vacation, backup child and elder care, and an employee assistance program**Professional Development:** Reimbursement for professional licenses, associated renewals, and exam fees as well as specialized in-house career development Compensation for this role is based upon experience, qualifications, location, and education and typically ranges from $120,000 to $170,000. **Our Culture:**Our creative, interdisciplinary teams work like small, dynamic studios, with all the resources and diversity of a global firm. Here, you’ll collaborate with industry experts on some of the most exciting and transformative architecture, engineering, and planning projects in the world.We believe an inclusive environment improves our teams, our firm, and our communities and are passionate about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Our was created to bring meaningful change to our profession, starting with our own culture and practices. We are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. to learn more about SOM's employment policy as well as additional information such as a privacy notice for California residents and how to apply offline.For