Senior Landscape Architect

SENIOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

Nashville, TN

About Sherwood Design Engineers

Sherwood is a civil and environmental engineering firm that is committed to investing in and embracing people, communities and the environment. 

Our team has delivered net zero energy and net zero carbon systems, net positive water systems, resilient coastlines, natural resource protection, green streets, living roofs and more for thousands of clients in the region and across the globe. We specialize in sustainable infrastructure, water management strategies, green building design, and systems based solutions for infrastructure and landscapes. Our focus is on the conservation and management of the consumption of all site resources — carbon, energy, water, and waste. We’ve worked on over thirty award-winning projects, and our work has been published locally and internationally.

Founded in 2003, our award-winning projects include Hudson Yards in New York (the largest private real estate development in U.S. history), San Francisco Better Streets Plan, Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan, revitalization of the iconic waterfront Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the 35 square-km Baietan Urban Area Plan in the heart of Guangzhou, China.

Our mission is to engineer an environmentally and socially regenerative planet. Will you join us?

Role Summary

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Landscape Architect to lead design and delivery for a major, highly complex, nature-forward campus project in the Southeastern United States while helping shape the next chapter of Sherwood's interdisciplinary landscape architecture and urban design practice.

This is a hands-on senior leadership role for someone who can move comfortably between site-wide vision, technical detail, project strategy, client conversations, and team priorities. You will guide work from master planning and concept design through Design Development, Construction Documents, bidding, and Construction Administration, coordinating landscape architecture with civil engineering, hydrology, ecology, water systems, architecture, and other specialist disciplines.

The ideal candidate combines strong design judgment with technical depth, decisive project leadership, clear communication, and genuine care for people. You bring structure to complex, fast-moving projects, build trust with clients and partners, mentor staff, make thoughtful decisions under pressure, and step into critical issues when senior judgment is needed to protect design quality, schedule, scope, and team performance. We also value curiosity about how data, computational design, BIM, AI, and emerging technologies can expand what is possible in landscape architecture.

Minimum Skills

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Landscape Architecture from an accredited university.
• Registered Professional Landscape Architect (PLA) license required, or current state registration with ability to obtain Tennessee reciprocity within 1 year.
• 10+ years of progressive landscape architecture experience, including substantial responsibility for complex, multidisciplinary projects and project teams.
• Demonstrated design leadership on large-scale campus, public realm, mixed-use, waterfront, land development, or civil/environmental infrastructure projects.
• Proven ability to lead projects across the full design lifecycle, from master planning and concept design through DD, CD, CA, bidding, construction administration, and field observation.
• Strong technical understanding of site planning, grading and drainage, hardscape, planting, materials, detailing, specifications, constructability, and cost implications.
• Experience managing scope, fees, schedules, staffing, QA/QC, consultant coordination, and client expectations across multiple concurrent workstreams.
• Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite, and 3D modeling workflows such as Rhino and/or Revit; working knowledge of Civil 3D, GIS, and project management tools is highly desirable.
• Outstanding written, verbal, facilitation, and executive presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex technical and design issues into clear decisions and compelling narratives.
• Ability to travel periodically to project sites, client meetings, and workshops as required.

Preferred Skills

• Strong master planning and urban design experience, with a demonstrated sensitivity to public space, human experience, circulation, and the relationship between landscape and the broader urban fabric.
• Experience with ecological infrastructure, water-sensitive landscapes, stormwater systems, hydrology, habitat, or regenerative site design.
• Experience leading large corporate or technology campuses and coordinating with complex architectural, engineering, specialty design, and construction teams.
• Experience with computational design, BIM, data analysis, parametric workflows, AI-enabled design tools, or other emerging technologies that improve design and project delivery.
• Business development experience, including client relationship building, RFQ/RFP responses, interviews, scopes of work, fee proposals, and pursuit strategy.
• Experience mentoring multidisciplinary teams and developing staff through a combination of clear expectations, trust, feedback, and opportunities aligned with individual strengths and career goals.
• Experience working across offices, cultures, or international consultant teams on complex, high-profile projects.

What You'll Lead

• 1. CD & CA Leadership / Technical Project Delivery
  • Construction Documentation Leadership: Lead the project team through Design Development and Construction Documents, translating design intent into coordinated, technically rigorous, and buildable drawing and specification packages.
  • Technical Oversight: Direct and review hardscape, planting, grading, drainage, site furnishings, materials, landscape details, specifications, and interdisciplinary interfaces, with a strong understanding of constructability, cost, sequencing, and long-term performance.
  • Construction Administration: Lead landscape architecture services during construction, including RFIs, submittals and shop drawings, design clarifications, field observations, contractor coordination, punch walks, and resolution of unforeseen site conditions.
  • Design Intent Through Construction: Protect the quality and intent of the design while responding pragmatically to field conditions, contractor questions, schedule pressures, cost constraints, substitutions, and value-engineering decisions.
  • Interdisciplinary Coordination: Proactively identify and resolve conflicts between landscape, civil, architecture, structural, MEP, water feature, ecology, irrigation, lighting, and other specialty systems before they affect construction.
  • QA/QC & Issue Resolution: Lead rigorous reviews at major milestones and take ownership of critical technical or coordination issues, ensuring decisions are made quickly and open items are carried through to resolution.
• 2. Complex Project Management & Execution 
  • Project Clarity: Translate major milestones into clear priorities, responsibilities, decision paths, and action items so multiple design and technical workstreams can move efficiently in parallel.
  • Schedule & Deliverables: Anticipate what the team, client, consultants, and contractors will need next; actively manage dependencies and keep complex deliverables moving toward completion.
  • Scope, Fee & Resource Management: Manage project budgets, staffing, fee burn, consultant scope, resource allocation, and scope changes while protecting design quality, schedule, and project profitability.
  • Risk & Decision Management: Identify design, technical, contractual, and coordination risks early; bring the right people together; and make or facilitate timely decisions before issues affect project delivery.
• 3. Design Vision & Interdisciplinary Systems Integration 
  • Design Leadership: Maintain a strong site-wide landscape vision while making sure high-level design ideas can successfully translate into detailed, constructible solutions.
  • Integrated Design: Work closely with Sherwood's civil engineers and environmental scientists, as well as architecture and specialty consultants, to integrate ecology, hydrology, green infrastructure, water systems, grading, circulation, and constructability into a coherent landscape experience.
  • Design Judgment: Move comfortably between master-plan scale and individual details, understanding when a decision requires broader design thinking and when a technically practical solution is most important.
• 4. Client & Partner Leadership 
  • Trusted Client Partner: Serve as a senior point of contact who builds confidence, understands client priorities, and maintains strong relationships through complex project decisions and delivery challenges.
  • Communication & Storytelling: Lead presentations, workshops, and executive conversations that translate complex design and technical issues into clear decisions and compelling narratives.
  • Negotiation & Alignment: Know when to advocate firmly for design quality, scope, schedule, or team needs and when to adapt, helping clients, consultants, and contractors reach decisions while maintaining productive relationships.
• 5. Team Leadership & Mentorship 
  • Prioritization & Delegation: Establish clear priorities across the team, assign work thoughtfully, and help staff understand what needs to happen now, what can wait, and what requires senior attention.
  • Mentorship & Growth: Understand team members' strengths, interests, and career goals; provide meaningful feedback and create opportunities for growth while maintaining accountability for quality and deadlines.
  • Hands-On Leadership: Empower staff to own their work while being willing to step directly into critical design, technical, or coordination issues when senior experience is needed to keep the project moving.
  • Collaborative Culture: Build a low-ego, high-trust team environment where people communicate openly, support one another, and perform at a high level without relying on unsustainable workloads.
• 6. Practice Growth & Innovation 
  • Business Development: Strengthen client and partner relationships, identify new opportunities, and contribute to RFQ/RFP responses, interviews, scopes, fees, and pursuit strategy.
  • Practice Building: Help grow Sherwood's landscape architecture and urban design capabilities, standards, workflows, technical knowledge, and market presence.
  • Innovation: Encourage thoughtful use of computational design, BIM, data, AI, IoT, and other emerging tools to improve design exploration, technical coordination, communication, and construction delivery.

What We Offer

• Flexible working - with every other Friday off
• Competitive Health plans, including PPO and HMO options, Dental and Vision plans
• Learning and Development stipend to use as you see fit
• Generous PTO and 8 paid holidays
• Automatic 401k enrollment and 401K match
• Fun team events, lunches and happy hours to get to know colleagues outside of work
• A tangible opportunity to truly help the environment!