Sector Leader - Urban Planning

Harley Ellis Devereaux (HED); Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Harley Ellis Devereaux (HED) is seeking a Sector Leader for Urban Planning to establish and grow a national practice. You will lead executive-level client relationships, shape urban strategy, and drive multidisciplinary opportunities across architecture, engineering, and design services.

Reporting to the CEO, you will guide strategy, pursue major engagements, and advance placemaking and community development initiatives while collaborating with leaders across markets and offices.

Qualifications

• Professional degree in planning, architecture, urban design, or related field.
• Advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 12 years of industry experience with leadership in advisory services.
• Professional licensure or certification (architectural) and/or AICP.
• Experience leading complex, multidisciplinary engagements as Principal-in-Charge or executive role.
• Proven ability to develop executive-level client relationships and originate work.
• Ability to work across multiple markets, disciplines, offices, and regions.
• Proficiency with Revit, Deltek Vision, MS Teams, Bluebeam, Adobe Creative Suite, and CRM platforms.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, negotiation, and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead HED's national Urban Planning practice.
• Develop and implement urban planning and strategy initiatives.
• Build planning into nationally recognized enterprise capability across markets.
• Partner with leaders to incorporate planning into sector strategies and pursuits.
• Serve as Principal-in-Charge for major urban planning engagements.
• Drive thought leadership and market visibility for urban planning and placemaking.
• Lead development of multidisciplinary teams across markets and disciplines.
• Foster strategic partnerships with municipalities, agencies, and institutions.

Skills

Executive leadership

Client development

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Negotiation

Relationship building

Education

Professional degree in planning/architecture/urban design

Advanced degree preferred

AICP certification or architectural licensure

Experience leading multidisciplinary teams

Tools

Revit

Deltek Vision

MS Teams

Bluebeam

Adobe Creative Suite

CRM platforms

Job description

Sector Leader - Urban Planning

HED is looking to add an experienced Sector Leader to join our talented team. The Sector Leader - Urban Planning establishes, leads, and grows HED's Urban Planning practice as a firmwide enterprise capability. Reporting directly to the CEO, the position provides executive leadership in urban planning, urban strategy, master planning, urban design, redevelopment, placemaking, community development, and strategic advisory services.

About HED

We are a team that is full of ideas, experience, creativity, passionate opinions, insatiable curiosity, uncompromising integrity, commitment, and skill. Our culture is about aspiration, embracing change and challenges, listening to (and learning from) each other, encouraging continual learning, and inspiring collective growth. As an inclusive, integrated architecture and engineering practice, we value the diversity of perspectives, experiences, abilities, and expertise that advance both the work we do, and the world we share.

Position Summary

The Sector Leader III functions as an enterprise strategist, business developer, practice builder, thought leader, and Principal-in-Charge for significant planning and multidisciplinary advisory engagements. The position advances HED's integrated design strategy by engaging clients earlier, shaping investment and development decisions, and creating downstream opportunities for architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, interiors, sustainability, and consulting services.

Strategic Purpose

• Strengthen every HED market sector.
• Position HED earlier in the client decision-making process.
• Expand planning and upstream advisory services.
• Generate multidisciplinary opportunities across the firm.
• Increase collaboration among markets, offices, and disciplines.
• Establish HED as a recognized leader in Urban Strategy & Placemaking.
• Support the continued evolution of the Community and Housing markets.

Primary Responsibilities

Enterprise Leadership

• Establish and lead HED's national Urban Planning practice.
• Develop and implement the firm's Urban Planning and Urban Strategy & Placemaking strategy.
• Build Urban Planning into a nationally recognized enterprise capability.
• Partner with Business Leaders and Market Sector Leaders to incorporate planning into sector strategies, client plans, and pursuits.
• Collaborate with the CEO and corporate leadership on market strategy, organizational development, and growth initiatives.
• Advance HED's integrated design philosophy through multidisciplinary collaboration.
• Identify opportunities to expand HED's upstream advisory role.
• Develop strategic partnerships with municipalities, agencies, institutions, developers, community organizations, and other external partners.
• Serve as Principal-in-Charge for HED's most strategic planning and advisory engagements.

Community Sector Leadership

Serve as a Sector Leader within the Community market by:

• Partnering with the Community Business Leader in developing and executing sector strategy.
• Cultivating strategic client relationships and market opportunities.
• Leading significant pursuits and client engagements.
• Supporting sector financial, operational, growth, and client-service objectives.
• Collaborating with other Community Sector Leaders to strengthen national market performance.
• Helping shape the future evolution and integration of HED's Community and Housing markets.
• Connecting Community opportunities with relevant capabilities across HED's other sectors and disciplines.

Client Development and Business Growth

• Develop and maintain executive-level relationships with municipal leaders, federal agencies, school districts, universities, health systems, public agencies, developers, institutional clients, corporations, and economic development organizations.
• Identify target clients and priority opportunities in collaboration with Business Leaders and Strategy & Development.
• Originate and lead planning, advisory, and multidisciplinary opportunities.
• Position HED earlier in the client lifecycle, before individual capital projects are fully defined.
• Expand planning and advisory revenue.
• Convert planning engagements into downstream architecture, engineering, interiors, landscape architecture, sustainability, and consulting opportunities.
• Strengthen pursuit differentiation through integrated planning and strategic advisory services.
• Support account planning, relationship development, and client-retention strategies.
• Negotiate and support the development of scopes, fees, contracts, and teaming arrangements.

Principal-in-Charge Leadership

Serve as Principal-in-Charge for significant Urban Planning and multidisciplinary advisory engagements by:

• Acting as the executive client relationship leader.
• Providing strategic direction throughout pursuit, contracting, planning, design, and implementation.
• Ensuring alignment between client objectives and HED's integrated approach.
• Establishing clear project goals, success criteria, and decision-making structures.
• Maintaining executive accountability for client satisfaction, quality, financial performance, contractual obligations, and risk management.
• Supporting Project Managers in scope, schedule, staffing, fee, and delivery decisions.
• Assembling and aligning multidisciplinary teams across markets, offices, and disciplines.
• Facilitating executive-level client decisions and resolving significant project issues.
• Identifying opportunities for follow-on services and expanded client relationships.
• Ensuring that projects advance HED's reputation, strategic positioning, and long-term client value.

Practice Development

• Develop HED's Urban Planning methodologies, service offerings, tools, and standards of practice.
• Define the skills, staffing, and organizational structure required to support the practice.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop planners, urban designers, and related professionals.
• Build multidisciplinary teams that integrate planning with architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, interiors, sustainability, and Data/AI.
• Establish consistent approaches to public engagement, research, analysis, planning, visualization, and implementation.
• Promote knowledge sharing across offices and market sectors.
• Develop reusable content, project examples, qualifications, and pursuit materials.
• Monitor industry trends, market needs, policy developments, and emerging client challenges.
• Incorporate technology and data-informed decision-making into planning services.
• Support succession planning and the development of future practice leaders.

Thought Leadership and Market Visibility

• Establish a clear external position for HED in Urban Planning, Urban Strategy, and Placemaking.
• Represent HED through conferences, professional organizations, publications, panels, juries, research, and industry partnerships.
• Develop and communicate perspectives on issues affecting cities, campuses, communities, housing, mobility, redevelopment, and the public realm.
• Pursue opportunities for awards, recognition, and publication.
• Strengthen HED's relationships with planning, design, development, government, and community organizations.
• Translate thought leadership into client engagement, pursuit differentiation, and business opportunities.

Leadership and Collaboration

• Operate with an enterprise perspective rather than as the leader of an isolated technical practice.
• Influence through relationships, credibility, strategic insight, and demonstrated business value.
• Respect the accountability of Business Leaders and Market Sector Leaders while strengthening their markets through planning expertise.
• Build alignment across offices, sectors, and disciplines.
• Balance long-term practice development with near-term revenue, client, and project responsibilities.
• Communicate clearly with executive leadership regarding opportunities, performance, risks, investments, and resource needs.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performance culture.

Requirements

• Professional degree in planning, architecture, urban design, or a related field.
• Advanced degree in planning, policy, urban design, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum 12 years of industry experience with a proven record in technical project leadership and client development.
• Professional registration or certification appropriate to the role, such as architectural licensure and/or AICP certification.
• Significant leadership experience in urban planning, master planning, urban design, redevelopment, or related advisory services.
• Demonstrated experience building or growing a planning practice, market, or service line.
• Proven ability to develop executive-level client relationships and originate work.
• Experience leading complex, multidisciplinary engagements as Principal-in-Charge or in a comparable executive role.
• Demonstrated financial, contractual, quality, and risk-management accountability.
• Strong external reputation and active involvement in relevant professional or industry organizations.
• Ability to work effectively across multiple markets, disciplines, offices, and geographic regions.
• Proficiency with Revit, Deltek Vision, MS Teams, Bluebeam, Adobe Creative Suite, and CRM platforms.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, negotiation, and leadership skills.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of computer use and active participation in collaborative sessions.
• Frequent engagement in verbal, virtual, and written communication.
• Regular travel for client meetings, project reviews, and industry events.

Work Environment

• We embrace a hybrid model that promotes both autonomy and collaboration, including the freedom to work from home, with regular in-office days to connect with teammates and build culture.
• The office is a professional, open-space environment for collaborative and independent work.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.