Higher Education Market Sector Leader

LOCATION: Raleigh, NC

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree required

REGISTRATION/CERTIFICATION: Professional architectural license preferred but not required

EXPERIENCE: 12 or more years of overall experience, including experience in a leadership role with demonstrated success in both project work and talent/resource development

TARGET SALARY RANGE: Commensurate with experience

JacobsWyper Architects (JWA)

a full-service design firm working in a variety of market sectors, is seeking a Higher Education Sector Leader in Raleigh, North Carolina to grow our practice serving colleges, universities, and workforce development organizations. This is a strategic leadership opportunity for someone with deep relationships across the higher education market who is energized by developing new opportunities, leading complex projects, and helping shape the future of a growing practice.

The ideal candidate brings experience leading state-funded capital projects and understands the complexities of public procurement, agency oversight, and institutional decision-making. They have established relationships with leaders across public and private universities, community colleges, state university systems, and the agencies that support and oversee campus capital programs.

In this role, you will serve as a market leader, representing the firm through thought leadership and active engagement within the higher education and design communities. As a member of the firm’s leadership team, you will contribute to firm-wide strategic planning, influence growth initiatives and market positioning, guide project delivery, and help define the future of our higher education practice.

Our higher education practice is focused on STEAM facilities and workforce development environments—including research labs, applied learning spaces, advanced training centers, and career-focused education facilities. Backed by a nationally recognized life sciences and advanced manufacturing practice, we are uniquely positioned to support institutions investing in innovation, research, and workforce development.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Practice Leadership

• Serve as a member of the firm’s leadership team, helping shape strategic direction, market positioning, and growth initiatives for the higher education practice.
• Lead and expand the firm’s higher education market sector, with a focus on STEAM facilities, research environments, and workforce development projects.
• Collaborate with sector leaders, project managers, and subject matter experts across offices to align resources, expertise, and client opportunities.
• Champion design excellence, technical quality, and best practices across higher education projects.
• Support resource planning, recruiting, and team development to ensure the practice is positioned for sustainable growth.

Client & Market Development

• Serve as a primary relationship manager for key higher education clients, building long-term partnerships that generate repeat work and strategic opportunities.
• Represent the firm through thought leadership within the higher education and design communities, including conference presentations, panel participation, industry organizations, and published content.
• Collaborate with business development and marketing teams to identify opportunities, position the firm, and develop pursuit strategies across multiple markets and regions.
• Lead or support proposals, interviews, and contract pursuits, including state-funded and publicly procured projects.
• Maintain and grow a network of institutional leaders, capital project stakeholders, and industry partners.

Project Leadership

• Serve as Principal-in-Charge, Project Executive, or senior project leader on higher education projects from planning through implementation.
• Guide design, technical decision‑making, and quality standards across project teams. Prioritize planning and programming effort. Plan and lead charrettes. Stay involved throughout project to ensure goals and success themes are met.
• Provide strategic oversight of project execution, ensuring alignment with client goals, budget, schedule, and firm quality standards. Ensure accountability for team’s compliance with established BIM Execution Plan and Quality Management System.
• Share expertise across offices and project teams, particularly regarding state construction processes, public procurement, and campus capital programs.
• Support project managers and team leads in navigating client relationships, consultant coordination, and project delivery challenges.

People Leadership

• Directly supervise and mentor architects, designers, and project leaders within the higher education practice.
• Foster technical development, leadership growth, and knowledge sharing across teams.
• Participate in recruiting, hiring, performance feedback, and professional development planning.
• Monitor team workload, utilization, and staffing needs to support both project success and employee engagement.
• Build a collaborative, high‑performing culture that encourages innovation, accountability, and professional growth.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Accredited professional degree in Architecture, Interior Design, a related degree for respective field, or relevant years in education or experience
• Licensure or certification in chosen field preferred
• Typically, 12+ years of experience, including experience in a leadership role with demonstrated success in both project work and talent/resource development
• Sustainable design accreditation preferred
• Ability to review and interpret contracts
• Comprehensive understanding of design‑related software, implementation, and required processes used by the team to leverage talent and push JWA’s technology to its limitless capabilities.
• Experience with Revit, Autodesk Cloud, Enscape, Adobe Creative Suite is required
• Experience in MS Office Suite, including Microsoft Project and Microsoft Teams preferred
• Excellent presentation skills
• Strong leadership, organization, communication, and relationship management skills and the ability to work on multiple projects at the same time
• Interpersonal Abilities
• Work closely with design leaders to promote an inter-disciplinary design approach and philosophy, and to facilitate its advancement across the offices and with remote employees.
• Manage team with a diplomatic and collaborative leadership style that puts value on relationships and collaboration, both internal and external
• Communicate in a clear, concise, and professional manner both verbally and in writing
• Ability to solve complication problems and apply innovative solutions
• Collaborate and encourage collaboration in a team environment
• Effectively meet deadlines at expected quality
• Local and overnight travel will be required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with SketchUp and Rhino are a plus

ABOUT US

We are in the business of transformation. Together with our clients and partners, we envision spaces where people are freed to work more productively, make discoveries, and live healthier and more joyful lives.

We love what we do. And we work not just for the love of architecture and design, but to satisfy our calling to improve the quality of life in our communities, both today and in the sustainable future. Our process is collaborative by design.

We value and develop long‑term partnerships with clients across a broad range of industries and institutions. By leveraging the design intelligence of the group, and making connections across industries and disciplines, we see farther than any of us could alone. That’s how innovation happens.

We have a culture that values responsiveness, hard work, creative problem solving and design excellence, and a respect for the environment we inhabit. We are able and responsible designers and partners, creating environments that we need and use, supporting the life of our community.

JacobsWyper Architects provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.