DLR Group is an integrated design firm with a promise to elevate the human experience through design. This fuels the work we do around the world and inspires our mission to improve the lives of our clients, our communities, and our planet. If this sparks your interest, you’re in the right place.

We have an opening for a Student Housing Design Leader. We operate within a hybrid work model, supporting flexibility between office time and work from home. Considering this model, this role could be based in the following cities:

• Atlanta
• Charlotte
• Dallas 
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• San Diego 
• Washington DC
• Other locations may be considered

About the Higher Education Sector at DLR Group

DLR Group’s Higher Education practice fully embraces our responsibility to society by designing spaces that emphasize academic learning and social development. We are transforming the educational landscape, working with our clients to set new horizons for learning and living that enrich school communities, the spaces they strive to provide, and what they can achieve. Our team draws from evidence-based design to work with shareholders to affect student and teacher engagement, ensuring that learning is enhanced through design. We also understand the rapid pace of technological, social, and cultural change; our teams work with schools to navigate these challenges.

Position Summary

As a Student Housing Design Leader at DLR Group, you will lead the design process for higher education student housing projects, both on-campus and off-campus, nationwide. The role involves developing designs from concept through design development and supporting project teams with documentation, coordination, and construction administration. Demonstrated experience with built on-campus student housing in California is required, and expertise in community college housing projects in the state is highly desired. Familiarity with programming and planning student housing is ideal. As part of our integrated design teams, you will contribute to creating innovative buildings that enhance the human experience through design.

What you will do:

• Have the ability to craft and test conceptual ideas quickly and to facilitate collaborative review of the work.
• Promote design excellence through design charettes, critiques, sharing of projects, and design award submissions.
• Work collaboratively with Sector Leaders and staff to lead the pursuit, award, design and resolution of work.
• Be recognized and respected as a design expert within the student housing market
• Provide thought leadership and innovation within the firm as well as with clients and the higher education student housing industry.
• Have an appreciation and passion for leading an integrated design team.
• Have excellent presentational, written, and verbal communication skills coupled with strong organizational skills
• Attend industry events and improve DLR Group brand recognition through publications, conferences, and speaking engagements.
• Ability to work both independently and effectively in a cross-disciplinary team atmosphere and across multiple offices.
• Have a comprehensive understanding of the coordination aspects and related requirements of all design disciplines.
• Ability to travel as project needs demand.

Required Qualifications:

• 15+ years of relevant experience as a Designer and Planner on higher education student housing projects.
• Demonstrated experience in a client facing role for multiple on-campus, student housing projects in California.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Architecture 
• Licensed Architect or ability to become registered
• NCARB certified
• Sketch-up and other 3D Rendering Software (Revit, Enscape, Lumion).

Our comprehensive Benefits at DLR Group include medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, and paid time off. We also offer a 401(k) plan, employee stock ownership, and bonus opportunities. Compensation considerations are based on location, experience, and skills. The suggested pay range for this position is:

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new builds, renovations, and adaptive reuse projects.

We are 100% employee-owned: every employee is literally invested in our clients’ success. At the core of our firm are interdisciplinary teams engaged in every step of project lifecycles. Our teams champion true collaboration, open information sharing, shared risk and reward, value-based decision making, and proficient use of technology to deliver exceptional design. We are pursuing the goals of the 2030 Challenge, the ME2040, and the SE2050, and are an initial signatory of the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

Through our values – commitment, creativity, environmental stewardship, fun, integrity, ownership, sharing, teamwork – we elevate the human experience through design, together.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/M/F/Veteran/Disabled employer.