Senior Human Resources Manager - West Coast

Department: Human Resources

Location: Seattle, WA

Job : 1751

Salary: $90000 - $120000 Per Year

Employee Referral Bonus: Employee Referral Eligible

Life at PE: Perkins Eastman is a global architectural design practice with expertise in all aspects of the built environment, working at all scales, and at every level of detail. With studios in 24 locations worldwide, we design for people, to leave a lasting and positive impact on the human experience and the world we inhabit. This is captured in our ethos "human by design".

We believe design is a collaborative art and we are structured as integrated practice of passionate professionals committed to delivering the best design for our clients. Our team of diverse and complementary talents work together in studios, that can draw from relevant expertise and points of view from across the whole practice to analyze and solve the specific design challenges they are working on.

Within the firm we have 18 practice areas, cores of expertise, that focus as centers of knowledge and analysis, that are both an essential foundation and fuel for the creative design work. Sustainability is intrinsic to our design approach. It is an essential ingredient for the design teams throughout the process, adding valuable insights, ideas, and research to the process.

For us all good design is sustainable.

The Opportunity:

The Senior Human Resources Manager will serve as the primary strategic partner for the West Coast and Central Region talent population of approximately 400–500 employees. The ideal candidate is highly organized, approachable, and brings deep expertise in Employee Relations, strong business acumen, and experience supporting creative, project-based, and highly collaborative environments.

In this role, you will help drive positive employee experience, provide trusted counsel to leaders, and ensure alignment between business objectives and people strategies. A flexible, solution-oriented mindset and a polished, professional demeanor are essential for success.

You will report directly to the Director of Human Resources and work alongside a strong team of HR professionals who value communication, partnership, and consistent talent experience across the firm.

Strategic Partnership

• Serve as a senior strategic advisor to studio and department leaders on organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, and talent optimization.
• Translate business priorities into people strategies that drive growth, operational excellence, and a strong firm culture.
• Partner with HR Director to assist with change management initiatives, including restructurings, new studio launches, system implementations, and process redesign.
• Build trusted relationships across leadership and teams, strengthening alignment between leaders and employees.
• Maintain regular touchpoints with studio and department leaders to ensure proactive support.

Employee Relations

• Provide expert guidance on complex employee relations matters, including performance management, conflict resolution, and disciplinary actions.
• Mediate and resolve sensitive employee issues and conduct fair, thorough, and objective investigations.
• Foster a culture of transparency, inclusion, accountability, and psychological safety within creative and project teams.

Workforce Planning

• Partner with firm leadership to evaluate team structure, capacity, and resourcing across multiple project phases.
• Support strategic workforce planning for large-scale, project-driven environments including forecasting, staffing, and succession planning.
• Champion innovative HR programs that contribute to the firm’s long-term strategic goals.

Inclusion & Belonging

• Uphold and promote the firm’s values and culture across all studios, offices, and project teams.
• Collaborate with HR leadership to oversee engagement, recognition, and retention programs.
• Support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, including inclusive hiring practices, mentorship programs, and equitable growth pathways.

HR Operations

• Interpret and apply HR policies consistently across studio locations.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to attract and retain top architectural, design, and…