Senior Designer | Architecture | Higher Education

Job Details

Market: Higher Education | Location: Raleigh, NC | FLSA: Exempt | Employment Type: Full‑time

Role Summary

The Senior Designer leads design efforts on small to mid‑size projects, translating insight into clear, compelling concepts and guiding teams and clients through key decisions. This role drives alignment through the BHDP design process—clarifying intent, balancing options and trade‑offs, and coordinating across disciplines—so the design vision is carried through each phase with consistency and quality.

Responsibilities

• Provide project‑specific design leadership by developing and championing big ideas, setting clear expectations, and driving follow‑through on high‑impact design decisions and client‑facing deliverables throughout all phases.
• Leverage the BHDP design process by promoting collaboration across all design disciplines, documenting and communicating design intent, and guiding clients and teams through options, implications, and trade‑offs to maintain alignment and quality.
• Create and champion creative ideas by translating insight into clear, compelling concepts that elevate the client vision and BHDP standards.
• Generate multiple relevant and viable options, test ideas against constraints and opportunities, and guide the team toward a distinctive, feasible design direction that adds value for the client.
• Lead and advance the client‑facing design effort across all design process phases of small to mid‑size projects, translating vision and feedback into clear direction, aligned decisions, and high‑quality outcomes.
• Manage and calibrate expectations for both the client and project team by communicating intent, priorities, and impacts, coordinating across disciplines to resolve issues and maintain a cohesive design through project delivery.
• Lead the BHDP design effort through all phases of the BHDP design process, translating project goals into clear design direction and coordinated deliverables within the design team.
• Align internal team and consultants by driving timely decisions, documenting design intent, and confirming conformance to success criteria and project requirements as work advances.
• Accountable for delivering cohesive design outcomes on projects, aligning project vision, intent, and quality within the operations chain of command.
• Collaborate proactively with other design disciplines to integrate inputs, resolve design conflicts, and document key decisions that uphold firm standards and client goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Architecture degree (NAAB‑accredited program preferred)
• 12+ years in the design and/or architecture industry
• Licensed Architect
• Advanced Revit knowledge – independently deliver defined drawing packages/projects and teach others best practices
• Proficiency with SketchUp, Enscape, or Lumion preferred
• Proficient with Adobe Creative Cloud
• Demonstrated capability to delegate, coach, and raise team performance
• Demonstrated initiative; sees challenges as opportunities
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong communication and collaboration within a team
• Models professional workplace behaviors: reliable follow‑through, constructive feedback, and calm, solutions‑oriented communication with co‑workers and clients

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefit package includes a competitive salary, medical, dental, vision, disability, flexible spending accounts, paid holidays, paid time off, and a 401(k), reflecting our commitment to rewarding high‑performing professionals.

Schedule

Monday – Friday; 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. In‑office Monday – Thursday; Hybrid (remote or in‑office) Friday.

Physical and Mental Demands

• Sustained attention to detail
• Sitting/standing
• Occasional lifting of 20 pounds or less
• Ability to work in an open office environment