Architecture and Design Lead

We're seeking someone to join our team as an Architecture and Design Lead to serve as the senior design authority for Morgan Stanley's workplace portfolio across the Americas, shaping environments that strengthen employee experience, client engagement, brand expression, and project delivery outcomes.

In the Corporate Services division, we empower our businesses by creating collaborative workplace solutions and commercial services that enhance the employee and client experience, while optimizing the value of our sourcing and third-party lifecycle to enable the Firm to do-and-win business.

Since 1935, Morgan Stanley is known as a global leader in financial services, always evolving and innovating to better serve our clients and our communities in more than 40 countries around the world.

What you'll do in the role:
- Serve as the senior design authority for the Americas workplace portfolio, setting design direction and governance standards across active and future real estate projects.
- Provide executive oversight of architects, designers, consultants, and internal partners to ensure design solutions align with business priorities, brand standards, user experience goals, and delivery objectives.
- Lead design strategy for approximately 15 buildings in the current book of work, including the Uptown Dallas design effort, while balancing project costs, schedules, risk, and stakeholder expectations.
- Drive workplace innovation by translating employee, client, and business needs into design concepts that support collaboration, flexibility, productivity, wellness, and the Firm's evolving operating model.
- Establish and maintain design standards, review processes, and decision-making forums that promote consistency, quality, cost discipline, and efficient execution across the real estate portfolio.
- Influence senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams through clear design recommendations, business cases, presentations, and governance materials that support informed decision-making.

What you'll bring to the role:
- Extensive experience in architecture, interior design, workplace strategy, corporate real estate, construction, or a related field, with a track record of leading complex, multi-site design programs.
- Strong understanding of workplace planning, design governance, brand standards, project delivery, construction coordination, budgeting, and consultant management.
- Demonstrated ability to balance design excellence with practical delivery considerations, including cost, schedule, operational requirements, stakeholder priorities, and user experience.
- Executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to advise senior leaders, influence decisions, and translate complex design concepts into clear business recommendations.
- Experience managing external architects, designers, vendors, and consultants, including reviewing deliverables, setting expectations, and holding partners accountable for quality outcomes.
- Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Workplace Strategy, Real Estate, Construction Management, or a related discipline preferred; professional design credentials or equivalent experience a plus.

The position’s work location will be 1445 Ross Ave, Dallas, TX 75202 at a future date. The role may begin remotely until the office location becomes available. In-Person interviews will be required for the role.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

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Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $130,000 and $180,000 per year at the commencement of employment. However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long-term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents.

Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.

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