Senior Higher Education Campus Planner/Designer

NBBJ Design; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

A design firm is seeking a Senior Higher Education Campus Planner/Designer in Columbus, Ohio. This role involves leading transformative campus planning projects for top-tier institutions, integrating design thinking with institutional strategy. The ideal candidate has over 15 years of experience in higher education planning, excellent communication skills, and proficiency in sketching.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in higher education planning, healthcare and institutional strategy.
• Proven experience leading campus planning efforts for higher education and healthcare institutions.
• AICP, PLA, AIA or other relevant professional certifications.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor to higher education and healthcare clients.
• Present plans and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Translate client vision into actionable spatial strategies.
• Collaborate with architects and designers for planning insights.
• Advocate for sustainability in planning recommendations.

Skills

Excellent communication

Facilitation skills

Proficiency in sketching

Data visualization tools familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree in Planning, Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, or related field

Job description

Overview

Senior Higher Education Campus Planner/Designer – join NBBJ Design to lead transformative campus planning projects for top-tier colleges, universities and healthcare institutions, integrating design thinking with institutional strategy and data analytics.

This role is available in any of our locations: Boston, Columbus, Charlotte, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco or Seattle.

Compensation

Base pay range: $120,000.00/yr - $145,000.00/yr

Annual Bonus

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor to higher education and healthcare clients, leading the planning process from early engagement through final delivery.
• Present plans and recommendations to senior leadership and stakeholder groups.
• Translate client vision into actionable spatial strategies and convey these ideas through hand-drawn or digital plans, diagrams and sketches.
• Conceptualize ideas at campus-wide, district, and site-specific scales.
• Collaborate with architects, designers, and strategists to translate client goals into planning insights.
• Advocate for integrated sustainability, resilience, and equity in planning recommendations.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities to expand the firm’s planning portfolio.
• Contribute to business development efforts, including proposals, client interviews, and relationship-building in higher education and healthcare sectors.
• Support thought leadership through speaking engagements, white papers, and industry participation.
• Stay current with trends and emerging pedagogies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Planning, Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, Architecture, or related field.
• 15+ years of experience in higher education planning, healthcare and institutional strategy.
• Proven experience leading campus planning efforts for higher education and healthcare institutions.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills; ability to engage diverse audiences and build consensus.
• Proficiency in analog or digital sketching.
• AICP, PLA, AIA or other relevant professional certifications.
• Familiarity with data visualization tools or dashboards is a plus.
• Travel required (20–30%) for on-site workshops, campus assessments, and presentations.

This role requires the individual to be based in the United States.

Job function

• Design

Industries

• Architecture and Planning, Higher Education, and Interior Design