Associate Principal or Principal Architect- Higher Education

Are you a strategic, relationship-driven leader with a passion for shaping the future of higher education environments? Do you thrive at the intersection of design excellence, market growth, and mentoring high-performing teams? If so, we’re looking for you: a Principal to lead, grow, and elevate our higher education practice in Irvine.

This role blends executive leadership, business development, and project oversight, offering the opportunity to influence firmwide strategy while building meaningful, long-term client partnerships. You’ll play a key role in advancing our mission, vision, and standards of excellence within the Education market.

We offer a competitive compensation package, robust bonus program, comprehensive health benefits (medical, dental, and vision), generous paid time off, and a 401(k) with employer match.

As an Associate Principal or Principal, you will…

Lead and Help Lead and Grow the Higher Education Practice

• Serve as the regional leader for the Higher Education market, building and sustaining strong client relationships throughout the San Diego region and Southern California.
• Collaborate with Market and Firm leadership to develop and execute long-term market and practice strategies.
• Provide leadership for planning, programming, design, and project management across a portfolio of complex education projects.
• Participate in firmwide leadership initiatives, strategic planning efforts, and management committees.

Drive and Help Drive Business Development and Client Engagement

• Lead marketing and business development efforts aligned with the Firm’s strategic plan.
• Identify and pursue new market opportunities, including team formation, proposal development, and participation in interviews.
• Represent the Firm at industry events and within professional and client networks.
• Meet or exceed performance metrics related to business development, contracts secured, and client satisfaction.

Provide Project Oversight and Financial Leadership

• Serve as Principal-in-Charge for assigned projects, overseeing quality, profitability, staffing, and revenue performance.
• Review and develop fee proposals, service scopes, and staffing plans to support project success.
• Support project managers with contract negotiations, additional services, and financial performance monitoring.
• Lead Quality Control/Quality Assurance efforts and champion Firm standards and lessons learned.

Mentor and Develop Talent

• Foster a collaborative, respectful, and high-performing work environment.
• Act as a mentor and coach to support professional growth, leadership development, and succession planning.
• Collaborate across studios, markets, and disciplines to support Firm-wide initiatives and shared goals.

The Must-Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, or interior design (or equivalent).
• Minimum of 16 years of relevant professional experience.
• Established West Coast professional network within the Community College and/or Higher Education market.
• Strong leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• California Licensed Architect

The Like-to-Haves

• LEED accreditation.

Why You’ll Love Lionakis…
At Lionakis, people and design come first. You’ll find:

• A collaborative, design-forward culture that values creativity, mentorship, and shared success.
• The chance to shape stories that impact real communities.
• A comprehensive benefits package (bonus plan, 401(k) with match, health/dental/vision, generous PTO).
• A workplace deeply committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion – in our projects, our people, and our culture.

Join us and help bring our design vision to life—one story at a time.

Salary Range: $158,300-$220,500 annually. Compensation and level DOE.

Studies have shown that underrepresented individuals like women; LGBTQIA+; and BIPOC, among others, are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications in a job description or posting. Because we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, we understand the best candidate may come from a non-traditional background to our field of work. We strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described above. Diversity makes us better.