Senior Project Manager - Higher Education

Perkins & Will Inc.; Los Angeles, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 139,700 - 205,300; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

Professional development stipend

Job summary

Perkins & Will Inc. in Los Angeles is seeking a Senior Project Manager to lead design processes in higher education projects. With a minimum of 10-15 years of experience, the role demands strong project management skills and collaboration with teams to ensure excellence in execution. The ideal candidate will possess an architectural degree, necessary licenses, and experience managing significant project budgets.

Benefits include medical and dental insurance, performance bonuses, and opportunities for professional development.

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of experience with Higher Education clients in California.
• Professional Accreditation in living design.
• Experience managing projects over $50m.

Responsibilities

• Lead all phases of design process ensuring project goals are met.
• Manage project teams and foster collaboration.
• Monitor construction administration during the construction phases.

Skills

Project management

BIM

Building codes

Site analysis

Specifications

Education

Bachelor's degree in architecture

Architectural license or Interior Design certification

Tools

Advanced Revit

2D/3D production software

Job description

Senior Project Manager – Higher Education

Job Category: Architecture

Requisition Number: SENIO005736

• Posted : May 26, 2026
• Full-Time
• Hybrid

Locations

Showing 1 location

We are seeking a Senior Project Manager – Higher Education to join a highly collaborative and dynamic team with opportunities for growth. The ideal individual will have 10‑15+ years of experience and is a self‑starter with strong project management skills. Professionals with experience in highly technical projects and a strong interest in higher education are encouraged to apply.

As a Senior Project Manager on the Perkins & Will team, your skills and passion will come to life through the following responsibilities:

• Responsible for leading all phases of the design process with a high level of proficiency and expertise while adhering to firm and project goals and standards of excellence in design, execution, and living design.
• Full responsibility for managing all aspects of projects to ensure efficient execution within scope and budget.
• Manages project teams, fosters collaboration, demonstrates strong and effective communication and direction which inspires high team performance, design ideas, and successful project delivery.
• Leads effort in developing and validating project scope, fee, budget, services during the marketing and contract development process.
• Accountable for complete and timely communication of project information to and from clients and project team.
• Responsible for managing project using the Deltek Project Management system; completes work plans in Deltek, including identification of project team members, budget, consultants, schedule for completion, fees, and costs as well as project change notices or other actions taking place on the assigned project.
• Works with Project Architect and Sr. Project Architect to avoid or eliminate conflicts in schedule due to the changes in various projects.
• Provides on‑going communication through team meetings, minutes, and memos to project team.
• Communicates with clients, consultants, contractors, sub‑consultants, and other disciplines to ensure effective communication.
• Monitors construction administration during the construction phase.
• Understands and responds to technical implications and design decisions.
• Participates in marketing opportunities and develops successful client relationships for continuing business.
• Controls risk management by monitoring client issues and technical issues in a timely manner to minimize liability.
• Reviews work for accuracy, omissions, legibility, and for document compliance in accordance with the Project Delivery Manual.
• Coordinates staffing resources with Operations Director.

Education & Experience

• 10‑15+ years of experience with Higher Education clients in California
• Bachelor's degree in architecture or related discipline required
• Architectural license or Interior Design license/certification
• LEED GA within 6 months of hire
• Professional Accreditation in one area of Living Design that interests you: LEED AP with Specialty, BREEAM AP, WELL AP, SITES AP, Passive House Institute Certified Passive House Consultant/Designer CPHC/CPHD, or ILFI Living Future Accreditation
• Preference for Design‑Build experience and/or DBIA Certification
• Preference for experience with DSA/Community Colleges
• Experience managing projects over $50m
• Experience managing teams of various sizes and will mentor emerging staff, especially in training future PMs
• Experience with supporting pursuits and strong presentation/interview skills

Proficiencies

• BIM
• Building codes
• Site analysis
• Preliminary design studies
• Field measurements
• Life safety requirements
• Specifications
• Construction contract administration
• Project kickoff and closeout

Software

• Advanced knowledge of 2D/3D production software
• Advanced Revit
• Conceptual modeling tools
• Physical modeling tools such as 3D Printing and Laser cutting
• Presentation tools such as InDesign and Photoshop

Qualified and interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume and work samples (should be a compact, representative sample of your work, no larger than 4 MB).

At Perkins & Will, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Wellness programs and mental health support
• Short‑and long‑term disability (STD/LTD)
• Life insurance
• Paid time off (PTO)

We also provide:

• A professional development stipend and dedicated time for continuing education
• Performance‑based bonuses
• Engaging studio initiatives and events
• Active firmwide affinity groups and leadership development opportunities

Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Above all, our culture is grounded in a firmwide commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)—a core foundation of everything we do.

At Perkins & Will we believe that inclusion spurs creativity, and that innovation is born from an engaged culture of diverse people and ideas. By moving beyond barriers and stereotypes of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, medical condition, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status; we are committed to building an organization that reflects the diversity of the communities and clients we serve.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

Perkins & Will has established and adopted an Equal Employment Opportunity policy (“EEO”), which is part of the Company’s Human Resources Policy. The purpose of this EOO policy is to ensure that all employment decisions are made on a non‑discriminatory basis, and without regard to sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, gender reassignment, citizenship, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state, or local law. In some cases, local laws and regulations may provide greater protections than those outlined here, and employees will be covered by the laws of their local jurisdiction.

We foster a culture that is diverse and inclusive and strive for pay practices that are fair, competitive and reflect our commitment to pay equity. Our compensation decisions include but are not limited to a candidate’s qualifications including skill sets, education, experience and training, licensure and certifications credentials if applicable, and business‑related factors. This practice extends to all employees, including performance considerations for merit increases, job promotions, and transfer opportunities. We additionally review our pay practices, conduct pay equity audits, and ensure our managers are trained in our pay practices on an annual basis. At the time of posting this job advertisement, the annual pay salary range for this position is between $139,700 to $205,300 commensurate with qualifications, skillset and years of experience. Perkins & Will will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60‑1.35(c)