Senior Regenerative Design Advisor - Building Performance Analyst

Perkins&Will; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 112,000 - 164,000; Full time

Job summary

Perkins&Will seeks a Senior Regenerative Design Advisor to guide regenerative strategies across a diverse portfolio, with expertise in high‑performance water, energy, and carbon analysis, ecological restoration, resilience planning, and healthy materials research.

Reporting to the Director of Regenerative Design, you will champion living buildings and transformative design outcomes, delivering sustainable documentation and performance‑driven solutions with a focus on client value and

Qualifications

• Supervisory experience required with proven team leadership.
• Advanced knowledge of deep green sustainability and regenerative design.
• Experience with Living Building Challenge, LEED, Passive House and other green building systems.
• Knowledge of climate positive planning, biophilia, biomimicry, green materials, embodied carbon and energy/water systems.
• Familiar with project specs and architectural drawings; publications desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead regenerative design strategy and method across projects.
• Engage with clients, consultants, and project teams while maintaining confidentiality.
• Support scope mapping, negotiation, administration, and project delivery.
• Present technical content for consultations, presentations, and client deliverables.
• Foster innovation, collaboration, and studio culture.

Skills

Leadership

Regenerative design

Sustainable design

Client engagement

Critical thinking

Education

Architecture degree

Professional registration

Living Future Accredited or LEED Specialty

Tools

Revit

InDesign

Adobe

PowerPoint

Job description

At Perkins&Will, we believe design has the power to restore and regenerate both natural and human systems. Our Bainbridge Island studio is seeking a Senior Regenerative Design Advisor who is passionate about advancing sustainable and regenerative solutions that create meaningful, measurable impact for communities, ecosystems, and the built environment.

In this influential leadership role, you will guide regenerative design strategies across a diverse portfolio of projects, bringing expertise in areas such as high-performance water, energy, and carbon analysis; ecological restoration; resilience planning; biophilic design; healthy materials research; and occupant health and well-being. Working closely with project teams, clients, and studio leadership, you will help shape innovative design solutions that elevate environmental performance while supporting exceptional user experiences.

Reporting to the Director of Regenerative Design, you will champion Perkins&Will’s commitment to design excellence by leading the development and implementation of regenerative design strategies, performance standards, and sustainability initiatives throughout the studio. You will serve as a trusted advisor and technical expert, ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality consulting services, sustainable documentation, and performance-driven solutions that support living buildings and transformative design outcomes.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a collaborative leader who thrives at the intersection of design, research, and innovation, and is inspired to help create projects that restore ecosystems, reduce carbon impacts, and contribute to a more resilient future. Professional licensure is preferred.

Common and Baseline Responsibilities

• Leadership: Partners with local leadership on initiatives to enhance the quality of the local studio's Living Design process as well as encourages and participates in local studio collaboration to implement a robust regenerative design approach and method for documentation. Be responsible for tracking and reporting on trends and programs within three or more service / market sectors.
• Client Engagement: Possesses the ability to interact comfortably with clients, consultants, and other project members while maintaining confidentiality with clients. Must have demonstrated the ability to manage projects that execute an understanding of and respect for the values and objectives of clients, as well as their goals and constraints.
• Project Management & Delivery: Supports the local Director of Regenerative Design in preparation, negotiation, administration, mapping of project scope, and execution of project agreements. Possesses project management abilities to help support project cost control and profitability and assist in monitoring the quality of the design documentation. Demonstrates the ability to make presentations to different client and stakeholder groups and to lead workshops. Prepares and directs technical content for sustainable design presentations, reports, and other client deliverables.
• Studio Culture: Works with studio leadership to foster innovation, creativity, and collaboration in ways that create the best possible environment for effective and creative project design and delivery, and work to build trust and team cooperation among studio staff.
• Office & Team Collaboration: Liaise with architectural, interiors, and urban design project and consultant teams in undertaking targeted sustainable building performance calculations and product research.
• Be responsible for tracking and reporting on trends and programs within three or more service / market sectors. Mentor and oversee the Regenerative Design Advisor, Sustainable Design Advisor I, II, and III's project deliverables.

High-level Summary Of Critical, Baseline Technical Skills And Certifications

Proficiencies

• Previous supervisory experience is required, as is proven team leadership
• Advanced knowledge of ‘deep green’ sustainability and regenerative design is required
• Experience in the sustainable design industry and an understanding and implementation of Living Building Challenge, LEED, Passive House, BREAM, GreenStar, Nabers, WELL Building, and Fitwel and other green building systems
• Participation in a sub-set of areas is required, including: climate positive planning, biophilia, biomimicry, green materials selection and specification, embodied carbon, energy efficiency, renewable energy, water and waste systems, permaculture, passive heating and cooling, daylight modeling, natural ventilation modeling, energy modeling and more
• Knowledge across interior and architectural scopes of work is required. A sub-set knowledge of one or more of the following market sectors is desire, including: corporate, commercial, civil, cultural, higher education, K-12 schools, healthcare, S&T, sports and recreation, and commercial interiors
• Effective (oral and written) with both clients and colleagues, and strong attention to detail
• Thinks critically and strategically and is able to conduct self-directed research and analysis with limited supervision
• Is familiar with project specifications, architectural drawings, and building construction
• Credited publications and thought leadership are desired

Software

• Strong spreadsheet and work process skills, and a current knowledge of Revit, InDesign, Adobe, and Power Point

Licensure/Certifications/Education

• Holds a degree in Architecture, Engineering, or a field related to sustainable building design
• Professional registration is preferred
• At a minimum, be Living Future Accredited or have a LEED with Specialty Accreditation

Compensation & Benefits

At Perkins&Will, we foster a culture that is diverse and inclusive and strive for pay practices that are fair, and 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 range for this position is between $111,500 and $163,800 commensurate with qualifications. In addition, we provide a comprehensive benefits package for full time employees including, medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA accounts, 401k with employer match, PTO and paid holidays, short-term and long-term disability, paid parental leave, commuter benefits, life insurance, and learning and development opportunities.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Perkins&Will has established and adopted an Equal Employment Opportunity Employment policy (“EEO”), which is part of the Company’s Human Resources Policy. The purpose of this EEO 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.

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision

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.