Senior Design Manager - Lab Planning & Design

About the role

Suffolk Construction's design vertical, Suffolk Design, aims to disrupt the traditional design delivery process through a proprietary, collaborative, and fully integrated design-build service offering. Suffolk Design promises to leverage Suffolk’s core construction capabilities, along with innovative technologies and processes to create world-class design-build and design-management services delivering design excellence with unprecedented levels of efficiency and predictability. We are seeking an Architect or Designer with a strong background in laboratory planning and design to lead the programming, planning, and design of advanced research environments across higher education and pharmaceutical sectors.

Responsibilities

• Laboratory Planning, Design, & Technical Delivery Leadership:
  • Lead programming, space planning, and design of complex laboratory environments, including wet labs, dry labs, vivaria, and specialized research spaces, across all project phases.
    • Translate scientific workflows and client objectives into functional, flexible, and high-performance lab environments.
    • Develop test fits, adjacency diagrams, and planning strategies aligned with evolving research and institutional needs.
    • Integrate laboratory planning with overall building design, including workplace, collaboration, and support spaces.
    • Contribute to design concepts, narratives, and client presentations that clearly communicate design intent.
    • Apply best practices in modular planning, flexibility, safety, and sustainability.
    • Ensure alignment of design solutions with institutional standards, user requirements, and industry benchmarks.
    • Lead the development of highly coordinated construction document sets using Revit.
    • Ensure BIM models meet LOD requirements, documentation clarity, and interdisciplinary coordination standards.
    • Cover architectural models with structural, MEP, and specialty consultants to resolve conflicts early in documentation.
    • Provide technical oversight during construction, including RFIs, submittals, shop drawings, and field observations.
  • Design Integration Management:
    • Serve as a design integration manager within Suffolk’s design-build teams.
    • Lead coordination between Suffolk Operations, external design partners, consultants, and other project stakeholders, aligning design deliverables with cost models and schedules.
    • Manage third-party architects and engineers to ensure scope alignment, quality, and accountability.
    • Partner with Suffolk Operations to align design decisions with cost, schedule, and constructability goals.
    • Facilitate a collaborative, high-performing design process that drives innovation and predictable outcomes.
  • Technical Validation Review:
    • Perform constructability and technical reviews of design documentation (internal and external) to ensure quality and completeness.
    • Identify risks and gaps in design to support cost certainty and risk mitigation.

  Qualifications

  • Professional degree in Architecture is required; registration is preferred.
  • LEED Accreditation and DBIA certification is preferred.
  • 8+ years with significant involvement in S&T/Life Sciences project delivery in client-facing role and ability to build client confidence and trust.
  • Demonstrated expertise in laboratory planning and design for higher education and/or pharmaceutical projects.
  • Proven experience delivering projects across multiple phases and scales, including large, complex projects ($50M+).
  • Extensive knowledge of S&T/Life Sciences industry standards and resources.
  • Strong knowledge of building codes, accessibility standards, and construction methods.
  • Experience coordinating with consultants, contractors, and trade partners.
  • Ability to lead teams and contribute to technical standards and best practices.
  • Proven success working on multiple projects of various sizes, across all project phases.
  • Experience mentoring staff and contributing to firm-wide technical standards.
  • Desire to be part of something bigger than oneself and appreciate the opportunity that Suffolk and Suffolk Design bring to radically transform the design and construction industry.
  • Self-motivated and able to work as part of a team or independently.
  • Excellent communication and organizational skills.
  • Inquisitive with a passion for excellence and continual improvement.
  • Able to work and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
  • Able to travel, as needed.
  • Shared enthusiasm for executing the Suffolk Design vision, with a demonstrated willingness to rethink traditional methodologies and to passionately seek out advancements in project delivery outcomes.
  • Must possess Suffolk’s Core Values: Passion, Integrity, Hard Work, Professionalism, and Caring.

  What Sets You Apart

  • Ability to bridge lab planning, architectural design, and design management seamlessly.
  • Strong understanding of research environments and building systems.
  • Strategic mindset balancing design quality, cost, and constructability.
  • Collaborative leadership style with strong communication and facilitation skills.
  • Passion for innovation in both design and project delivery.