Architect: Sports Market Leader

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Here, our designers push the boundaries of possibility for our clients in the communities and institutions we serve. As we continue to grow with significant sports projects nationwide, we're seeking an experienced architect who will serve as a doer-seller in this pivotal role, creating innovative spaces and helping RDG pursue and create meaningful sports facilities nationwide.

As a seasoned architect, you'll lead marketing efforts and facilitate strong prospective client relationships, continuing to build our national market. You won’t be alone! You’ll work alongside a successful team of other leader-sellers focused on a variety of athletic, recreation, wellness and outdoor venue project types. 

Beyond your client service and marketing responsibilities, you'll help inspire and mentor others within our Sports team. This dual focus on client relationships and market development offers a unique opportunity to influence both our projects and our practice at a foundational level. Our ideal candidate will be entrepreneurial, collaborative, action-focused, continually looking for prospective projects and leveraging our team atmosphere to grow the Sports market. 

This person will find opportunities in the marketplace and be proactive in pursuing pathways that enhance both individual and collective achievements. They will be motivated to make a significant impact nationally. While working alongside other market leaders, they will go the extra mile to ensure the continued success of our sports clients.

Essential Functions

• Develop client relationships nationally, focused on those in need of professional services within the sports space.
• Initiate strategies and talking points to secure work via thought leadership, seminar presentations, responses to RFQ/RFP solicitations, and project proposals. 
• Collaborate and brainstorm across RDG.
• Collaborate across disciplines, both in and outside RDG. We are not looking for a lone ranger.
• Create compelling presentations that communicate our design knowledge, inspire prospective clients, and communicate strong design solutions.
• Serve as a project manager, leading portions of the planning and design of dynamic, award-winning sports facilities. 
• The best candidates will have experience in all parts of the architectural process.

Requirements:

Skills & Strengths

• Exceptional oral presentation and written communication skills, ability to lead others and build confidence in client prospects. 
• Compelling leadership to guide, build, and direct others, including staff, client prospects, and clients.
• Excellent critical thinking and collaboration ability, combined with strong relationship skills and execution strengths.
• Demonstrated history of building long-term relationships with team members and clients. The best candidate will have experience building ground-up relationships with client prospects.
• Proven ability to develop and execute successful strategies for initiating and completing marketing tasks and billable project work, on time and on budget.
• Proven flexibility to perform at high capacity when faced with a changing landscape across multiple communication platforms while leveraging technology with research and depth of experience to continually build confidence in others. 
• Travel is required to meet our clients' and project needs. The best candidate will be able to fulfill the requirements of this role while traveling. 

Education and Experience:

• 10 or more years of professional work experience with five plus years of focus on athletics, recreation and/or related sports facilities.
• Licensed architect, preferably with specialty credentials. 
• Knowledge of trends in sports, athletics and recreational facility planning, design and operations. 
• Demonstrated leadership and marketing experience.
• Past project management experience initiating planning, feasibility, fit-studies, conceptual design and design development. The best candidate will have strong experience in all phases of an architectural design, production and construction processes. 
• Broad technical understanding of how a building is created, building systems, and project delivery.
• Experience as a collaborative teammate in interdisciplinary planning, design, and construction environments.

Location: Des Moines and St. Louis, with consideration of our other office locations.