Associate Principal or Principal Architect– Education

About the role

Are you a strategic, relationship-driven leader with a passion for shaping the future of education environments? Do you thrive at the intersection of design excellence, market growth, and mentoring high-performing teams? If so, we're looking for you: an Associate Principal or Principal to lead, grow, and elevate our education practice in Sacramento. This role blends executive leadership, business development, and project oversight, offering the opportunity to influence firmwide strategy while building meaningful, long-term client partnerships. You'll play a key role in advancing our mission, vision, and standards of excellence within the Education market.

Responsibilities

Lead (or Help Lead) and Grow the Education Practice

• Serve as the regional leader for the Education market, building and sustaining strong client relationships throughout Northern California
• Collaborate with Market and Firm leadership to develop and execute long-term market and practice strategies
• Provide leadership for planning, programming, design, and project management across a portfolio of complex education projects
• Participate in firmwide leadership initiatives, strategic planning efforts, and management committees

Drive (or Help Drive) Business Development and Client Engagement

• Lead marketing and business development efforts aligned with the Firm's strategic plan
• Identify and pursue new market opportunities, including team formation, proposal development, and participation in interviews
• Represent the Firm at industry events and within professional and client networks
• Meet or exceed performance metrics related to business development, contracts secured, and client satisfaction

Provide Project Oversight and Financial Leadership

• Serve as Principal-in-Charge for assigned projects, overseeing quality, profitability, staffing, and revenue performance
• Review and develop fee proposals, service scopes, and staffing plans to support project success
• Support project managers with contract negotiations, additional services, and financial performance monitoring
• Lead Quality Control/Quality Assurance efforts and champion Firm standards and lessons learned

Mentor and Develop Talent

• Foster a collaborative, respectful, and high-performing work environment
• Act as a mentor and coach to support professional growth, leadership development, and succession planning
• Collaborate across studios, markets, and disciplines to support Firm-wide initiatives and shared goals

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in architecture, engineering, or interior design (or equivalent) and a minimum of 16 years of relevant professional experience
• Established West Coast professional network within the K-12, Community College, and/or Higher Education market with a proven ability to navigate the DSA process
• Strong leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• California Licensed Architect

Qualifications

• LEED accreditation

Benefits