Design Leader II

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking a creative leader who has the skills, experience and reputation that reflects the importance of this role in our design practice. You will be responsible for the successful implementation of our goal to be one of the most innovative, creative, and highly regarded design firms in the world. You will be an integral part of the office leadership team, nurture and develop the people and culture of the office, and be a voice for design excellence both firmwide and to the outside world.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL DO

Perform in a lead design role, communicating and representing design goals to the client and the team for the life of the project, with particular emphasis on early phase development. Partner with our most strategic thinkers, co‑leading visioning, and setting conceptual direction. Collaborate with teams throughout all phases of development to ensure design quality. Support Senior Design Leaders on significant strategic pursuits. Create innovative design concepts that synthesize our clients’ culture, goals, and aspirations with the needs of people, community, society and the environment. Deliver solutions uniquely responsive to this expanded view of design impact. Prepare and direct the preparation of client presentation materials to convey the design in a compelling and sophisticated manner. Lead design presentations, with an emphasis on storytelling and aiding client understanding of the design. Capture and communicate key client goals and metrics and how our design solutions add value to our clients’ success. Collaborate with marketing and communications team to build strong narratives of our work. Work within our culture of being an integrated practice by collaborating with technical leaders, subject matter experts and others, creating holistic design solutions that fulfill the complex array of demands our projects require. Integrate performance‑based and sustainable design strategies into design solutions. Further our goals to decarbonize the built environment and meet the AIA 2030 Commitment. Contribute to the firm’s portfolio with externally recognized design work. Submit projects for publication and to awards programs. Engage in activities that strengthen, differentiate, and promote our brand locally, regionally, and nationally. This includes cultivating your personal reputation as a creative leader in the profession. Presentation at and contribution to conferences is encouraged. Mentoring and growing emerging professionals toward future creative leadership. You will assist in nurturing an environment that exemplifies collaboration, experimentation, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Recruiting and retaining design talent. Creating a stimulating and rewarding environment that sets the tone for design excellence and demonstrates it across the firm. Empowering staff and delegating effectively; building high-performance teams by encouraging innovation and continuous improvement. Provoking critical thinking and critique of our work. Leading by example, pursuing and winning design work that represents our future selves and advancing our Living‑Centered Design philosophy.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Bachelor or Master degree in Architecture required. Bachelor or Master degree in Architecture from an accredited program preferred. 15 years minimum experience in a design leadership role, of which a minimum of 3 years are leading others in a design studio or design practice segment required. Current US Architectural Registration preferred. Additional accreditation and/or training relevant to this role is preferred, including LEED. Design portfolio of significant built and unbuilt work. Third party recognition of your work as a lead or supporting design role by local, regional, or national design awards programs and recognized design publications or digital platforms is preferred. Strong oral presentation and storytelling skills required. Must be able to understand and execute business strategy. Must have professional acumen and maturity demonstrated by the ability to communicate authentically and respectfully. Travel required. CannonDesign is an Equal Opportunity Employer. CannonDesign is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free from any and all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. It is therefore the firm’s policy to prohibit discrimination and harassment against any applicant, CannonDesign employee, vendor, contractor, or client on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. It is also CannonDesign’s policy to prohibit any and all forms of retaliation against any individual who has complained of harassing or discriminatory conduct, or participated in a firm or agency investigation into such complaints. #J-18808-Ljbffr CannonDesign