Team Lead / Principal Life Sciences Architect

HFA; Massachusetts; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

HFA in Boston is seeking a senior Life Sciences architectural leader to shape our Life Sciences practice across New England. You’ll guide complex pharmaceutical and biotech facilities from concept through construction, mentoring teams and building client relationships.

This role emphasizes design leadership, technical excellence, and business development, with responsibility for mentoring staff and growing our presence in labs and research environments.

Qualifications

• Significant Life Sciences and laboratory design experience.
• Proven leadership of complex pharmaceutical/biotech projects.
• Strong understanding of lab environments, planning, and unique Life Sciences requirements.
• Proven experience leading project teams and managing client relationships.
• Track record of delivering large-scale, technically complex projects.
• Strong business development capabilities in Life Sciences/Biotech/Pharmaceutical markets.

Responsibilities

• Lead Life Sciences and laboratory projects from strategy and design through project delivery.
• Provide architectural and technical leadership with oversight of approximately 4–6 team members.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and problem solver, guiding teams through design and project challenges.
• Oversee project delivery, quality, coordination, and client satisfaction.
• Build and maintain long-term relationships with clients, consultants, and industry partners.
• Mentor architects and designers, helping develop the next generation of Life Sciences professionals.
• Identify opportunities for new work and contribute to business development, pursuits, proposals, and client engagement.

Skills

Life Sciences leadership

Life Sciences & lab design

Team mentorship

Business development

Client relationship management

Project leadership

BD opportunities

Education

Licensed Architect (MA licensure)

Job description

We’re looking for a senior-level architectural leader to join our team in Boston and help shape the future of our Life Sciences practice across New England.

This is a leadership opportunity for an architect with deep experience in Life Sciences, laboratory, pharmaceutical, biotech, and research environments who can bring together technical expertise, project leadership, client relationships, and business development.

In this role, you’ll lead complex projects and multidisciplinary teams, serve as a trusted advisor to clients, mentor and develop staff, and play an important role in growing our presence across the Life Sciences and Biotech markets.

What You’ll Do

• Lead complex Life Sciences, pharmaceutical, biotech, research, and laboratory projects from strategy and design through project delivery.
• Provide architectural and technical leadership across project teams, with direct oversight of approximately 4–6 team members.
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor and problem solver, helping teams navigate complex design, technical, and project challenges.
• Oversee project delivery, quality, coordination, and client satisfaction.
• Build and maintain long-term relationships with clients, consultants, and industry partners.
• Mentor architects and designers, helping develop the next generation of Life Sciences professionals.
• Identify opportunities for new work and contribute to business development, pursuits, proposals, presentations, and client engagement.

What We’re Looking For

• Significant architectural experience focused on Life Sciences and laboratory design — this is a critical requirement.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex pharmaceutical, biotech, research, and laboratory facility projects.
• Strong technical understanding of laboratory environments, planning, programming, and the unique requirements of Life Sciences facilities.
• Proven experience leading project teams and managing client relationships.
• A track record of successfully delivering large-scale, technically complex projects.
• Strong business development capabilities within the Life Sciences, Biotech, Pharmaceutical, or related markets.
• The ability to build trust with clients and serve as a strategic partner throughout the project lifecycle.
• A collaborative leadership style with strong communication, mentoring, and relationship-building skills.
• Comfortable working with global, diverse, and multidisciplinary clients and teams.
• Licensed Architect preferred, ideally with Massachusetts licensure.

Leadership & Impact

This role goes beyond project delivery.

You’ll have the opportunity to influence how our Life Sciences practice grows, develop and mentor talented professionals, strengthen key client relationships, and help shape the direction of our work in one of the country’s leading Life Sciences markets.

If you’re an experienced Life Sciences architect looking for an opportunity to combine design leadership, technical expertise, client relationships, team development, and business growth, we’d love to hear from you.