National Mission Critical Design Leader

National Mission Critical Design Leader

DLR Group is an integrated design firm with a promise to elevate the human experience through design. This fuels the work we do around the world and inspires our mission to improve the lives of our clients, our communities, and our planet. If this sparks your interest, you’re in the right place.

As a Mission Critical Design Leader at DLR Group, you will be responsible for managing all aspects of project document development and coordinating with all project team members to maintain the quality of the work product within the established project schedule for large, complex mission‑critical facilities, including hyperscale data centers, emergency operations centers, industrial environments, and advanced manufacturing projects. As part of our integrated design team, you will help create buildings that elevate the human experience through design.

You will partner directly with Market Sector leadership to ensure the project's financial health, the quality of design and documentation, risk mitigation, team collaboration, and seamless communication. Additionally, you will lead cross‑functional design disciplines in developing innovative, technically rigorous solutions.

• Champion design quality and innovation across mission‑critical project types, setting vision from concept through completion
• Elevate human‑centered, resilient, and high‑performance design principles tailored to secure and technology‑driven environments
• Engage in internal and external thought leadership to advance design excellence in the mission‑critical market

• Inspire and mentor multidisciplinary design teams, fostering curiosity, creativity, accountability, and technical confidence
• Support and develop emerging design leaders across studios and regions
• Model collaboration and knowledge‑sharing to strengthen practice‑wide design culture

• Lead integrated design teams to deliver coordinated, high‑performance solutions
• Balance design excellence with mission‑critical performance requirements, including redundancy, resiliency, security, and uptime
• Drive quality assurance, documentation excellence, and adherence to DLR Group standards

• Cultivate strong relationships with sophisticated clients and technical stakeholders
• Translate complex operational, security, and reliability expectations into thoughtful, scalable solutions
• Confidently communicate design strategy, vision, and technical rationale in both client‑facing and internal settings

• Partner with Market Sector leadership to support practice growth, innovation, and strategic pursuits
• Work closely with Project Managers to align design intent with scope, schedule, and performance goals
• Strengthen and reinforce DLR Group’s integrated design culture through shared accountability and transparent communication

• 10+ years of experience as a Project Architect or Project Engineer working on Data Center, Industrial, Warehouse Distribution, and Office projects, with 5+ years working on ≥10 MW Data Center buildings.
• Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, or a related field.
• Proficient in the use of REVIT and CAD computer modeling and rendering software.
• Requires occasional travel to support project tasks.
• Licensed Architect or Engineer.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States without needing a work visa or residency sponsorship.
• Submit current portfolio/work samples in PDF format*.

Hourly Rate: $150,000 – $200,000 USD

Medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, paid time off, 401(k) plan, employee stock ownership, and bonus opportunities.

Hybrid work model with flexibility between in‑office and work‑from‑home time. DLR Group follows a four‑day in‑office work model, with employees having the flexibility to work somewhere else on Fridays.

DLR Group is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.