Director of Design

Are you a talented architect and designer with excellent mentoring skills? Do you have career aspirations to become a member of the leadership team? Are you looking to become involved with initiatives. projects, and activities that advance your career and your Firm. Then this could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for!

Spiezle is a 100% employee-owned firm! When you join Spiezle as an employee-owner, this is YOUR Company. By nature, employee ownership reinforces our culture of transparency and helps fuel our entrepreneurial spirit. As an award-winning architectural and engineering design firm, we collaborate with our clients to create innovative designs, build long‑term value, and contribute to our clients’ lives. Since our founding in 1954, our team has generated consistent and steady growth over the years and is one of the top architectural firms in the region, and within the top 200 firms within the country.

Our vision, mission, and values guide us in everything we do, and employee ownership shapes our culture. Spiezle’ s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) makes us accountable not only to ourselves, but to each other. It’s our company, and our actions and engagement make the difference!

Director of Design Employee-Owners wanted! Spiezle employee owners don’t have jobs, but careers! The Spiezle team has earned a reputation as preeminent professionals who provide the best possible design and service. With over 135 employees and seven locations along the East Coast, we assist clients with a variety of project types across the United States. Led by our passionate thought‑leaders, our work is focused on Education, Healthcare, Senior Living, Corporate, Multi‑Family and Government projects.

The Director of Design (Architecture) is a leadership role responsible for championing and advancing design excellence while shaping the future of the firm’s design direction. This position demands a highly creative, collaborative, and strategic professional who can guide a team of architects and designers, interface with senior management, and align design initiatives with broader company goals. This individual will bring conceptual skill, deep technical rigor, and the leadership to drive exceptional design across a wide range of project types.

They will lead multidisciplinary teams through all phases of design - from early visioning to delivery - ensuring that our work is innovative, contextually responsive, and consistently excellent. This individual shall be equally comfortable sketching before of a room full of people, standing in front of a client Board, or presenting to various types of owners. As the spearhead of the design process, the Director of Design reports directly to a Principal and ensures consistency in design and messaging across all platforms and projects.

• Lead design vision and execution on complex projects across multiple market sectors
• Drive and elevate the design process from concept through construction
• Lead and manage design teams, providing mentorship to the next generation of design talent, and foster a collaborative environment across all offices
• Oversee the creative process from concept to final execution on multiple projects simultaneously
• Ensure consistency and quality of design across all market sectors
• Collaborate with project managers, production teams, and other stakeholders to ensure cohesive design product and adherence to budgets and timelines
• Stay up to date with industry trends and incorporate relevant innovations into design practices
• Conduct quality reviews on design of projects
• Present design concepts and strategies to senior management, project teams and clients
• Provide constructive feedback to applicable design team members
• Mentor staff and foster a culture of curiosity, critique, and craft
• Support business development through proposals, interviews, and client engagement

• Bachelors or Masters Degree in Architecture from an accredited college/university
• Minimum 15 years of experience, with demonstrated successfully leading project teams
• Exceptional creativity and innovative vision
• Architectural License (or eligibility), or…