Civic Principal

Overview

At HDR, our employee‑owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves:
What is our impact on the world?

We believe architecture is more than designing buildings; it’s about providing solutions to societal challenges and creating stronger, more vibrant communities. As part of our Architecture practice at HDR, you’ll contribute to the design and delivery of spaces and experiences that advance community well‑being around the world. From healing environments and learning spaces to research labs, civic landmarks, and infrastructure, your work will directly influence how individuals experience the world around them.

We bring together architects, planners, designers, and technical experts to solve complex design challenges with creativity, curiosity, and collaboration. From championing design excellence with an emphasis on resilience and sustainability to pioneering innovative building technologies, your contributions will leave a lasting impact on the built environment. This isn’t just a job, it’s a chance to drive meaningful change and help define the future of our communities.

Civic buildings are pivotal in defining the quality of life in a community. We are currently searching for a Civic Principal to join our Dallas office to lead a team focused on planning and designing spaces that are accessible, promote equity and equality, and help to define a community’s legacy.

The successful candidate will work together with architects, engineers, planners and other design professionals as part of a collaborative interdisciplinary team. We are an employee‑owned, expertise‑driven practice that balances deep technical knowledge with the highest degree of creativity, resulting in award‑winning design.

• Leadership and visioning for the Civic sector.
• Developing capture plans and initiating relationships with key clients.
• Maintaining an active and visible presence in the Civic sector, allocating time in proportion to annual fee goals for the local region.
• Leading the development of qualifications and proposals for Civic pursuits.
• Leading pursuit go/no‑go and strategy discussions.
• Directing interview strategies and implementation.
• Preparing and negotiating project contracts.
• Serving as Principal‑in‑Charge on projects as appropriate.
• Working closely with local leadership to maintain project oversight throughout execution, including conformance to client expectations for technical/quality, financial performance, and schedule adherence.
• Providing mentorship and guidance to staff in support of career development.
• In collaboration with subject matter experts, and independently when appropriate, developing abstracts and presentations for industry conferences, seminars, workshops, and other similar events promoting program messages, research, project outcomes, lessons learned, trends, etc. related to facility design.

• Masters Degree in Architecture or related field.
• Business Development experience with civic architecture including public safety, courthouses, cultural, and administrative buildings.
• Experience and/or interest in sustainable design for spaces and buildings.
• Current professional registration or certification in resident state.
• PMP certification.
• Familiar with Primavera P3 or Sure Trak software.
• Familiar with Prolog software.

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture.
• 15 years related experience.
• A minimum 7 years of project management experience.
• Registered Architect.
• Must have experience on large‑scale projects.
• Must be able to lead a team on projects and make client presentations.
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Project).
• Extensive knowledge and experience within the local and regional market.
• Strong team leadership, mentoring, motivational and organizational and people skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be willing to travel.
• Must have an attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee‑owned culture.