Studio Lead Designer

About the role

This Studio Design Leader position drives design quality and excellence across the studio, shaping design conversations across project teams and ensuring the studio's output meets the firm's strategic goals. The role typically involves overseeing or contributing to several projects at once, with a focus on building relationships, collaborating effectively and leading people while delivering outstanding work for discerning clients.

Key responsibilities

• Partner with project design leads and teams to uphold quality standards and measure results against the studio's strategic objectives, working closely with local and regional leadership.
• Contribute to longer-term planning for the practice area, help refine marketing approaches and make sure the right people and resources are available.
• Guide teams in setting clear success criteria for integration, innovation and real-world impact, tracked from concept through completion.
• Stay involved in projects from the earliest pursuit through construction, helping define vision and goals, improve delivery processes, shape working culture and ensure strong documentation.
• Work with project managers, practice leads and regional design directors to steer teams, mentor designers, set design direction and run productive critiques.
• Serve as a key point of contact for clients, understand their goals and culture, help manage expectations, keep internal communication flowing and coordinate consultants.
• Support decisions on staffing levels, utilization and growth, recommend changes when needed, and act as a technical and design resource for teams.
• Review early concepts, promote a collaborative, cross-practice approach, embed firm design priorities in client solutions and use sustainable strategies and specialized knowledge to the benefit of clients, end users and communities.
• Use strong influencing and negotiation skills on high-stakes issues.

Required profile

• Professional degree in architecture, interior design or a closely related discipline (or equivalent education and experience).
• Professional registration or certification preferred.
• Generally 15 or more years of relevant experience, including prior leadership of projects and people/talent development.
• Deep expertise in the studio's primary market or practice area; sustainable design credentials preferred.
• Proven track record leading design teams from pursuit through strategy and concept development, and a strong history of building client relationships.
• Confident presentation skills and a diplomatic, relationship-focused leadership style.

Required skills

• Working knowledge of common design software and digital tools.
• Comfort with standard office productivity platforms, including project management and collaboration software.
• Able to juggle multiple projects without dropping quality and to deliver reliably against deadlines.