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Client Leader, Academic Performing Arts

Washington, D.C.

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.

Our Design team has an opening for a creative, innovative, and customer-focused Client Leader in our Cultural + Performing Arts sector, with a specific focus on Academic Performing Arts. This role could be based in the following cities:

  • Cleveland
  • Houston
  • New York City
  • Phoenix
  • Washington, D.C.

About Cultural + Performing Arts at DLR Group

DLR Group’s experience in design for the arts spans nearly five decades encompassing work on more than 300 arts and cultural facilities around the country and internationally. These include: theaters and performance venues of all types; museums and galleries; media and broadcast related projects; and instructional and studio spaces for dance, drama, music, and the visual arts. Our award-winning portfolio includes projects in new construction and renovation as well as master planning for the arts. Our multi-disciplinary practice has in-house architects, engineers, technology designers—including experts in acoustics, audiovisual systems, theatrical systems, and lighting design—and business operations and funding specialists who focus exclusively on cultural projects. These experts guide clients through every phase of a project, creating compelling solutions that are recognized for their technical, aesthetic, and operational quality. 

Position Summary

You will be responsible for building and leading client relationships with public and private higher education institutions focused on fine and performing arts projects within the larger Global Cultural + Performing Arts Practice. You will have significant decision-making authority, working closely with senior leadership. Specifically, you'll be responsible for growing client relationships in the academic arts, collaborating to secure new work, positioning projects for design excellence, and maintaining client relationships throughout the life of a project. You will engage with our local, regional, and national resources who provide a wealth of perspective and design, planning, and thought leadership to our Cultural + Performing Arts and Higher Education clients worldwide. You will be responsible for leading projects, maintaining regular communication with both clients and project teams from design through completion and post-occupancy, and ensuring our teams deliver on the vision.

What you will do:

  • Develop and foster a design culture to build upon our award-winning academic arts portfolio, where all projects strive for design excellence; this includes hands-on design leadership and cultivating a team and culture to advance a design-led integrated practice
  • Work closely with the Global Leader for Cultural + Performing Arts to develop strategies for the annual business plan
  • Identify new project opportunities, lead/participate in relationship-building with clients to capture new work, and lead/participate in RFQ process and interviews for new project opportunities
  • Collaborate with the Cultural + Performing Arts and Higher Education practices to leverage all firm resources, disciplines, and thought leaders
  • Lead and/or assist in project planning and design in the practice
  • Mentor team members and participate in hiring, training, and onboarding of new staff
  • Demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills coupled with strong organizational skills
  • Participate in in-house training activities to further develop personal skills and abilities, and those of all studio members
  • Actively engage in local and regional organizations e.g., AIA, ICFAD, NOMA, SCUP, IIDA, etc.

Required Qualifications:

  • At least 10 years of demonstrated experience with multiple Academic clients and projects, with a select portfolio of Academic Arts projects
  • Accredited Degree in Architecture or Interior Design
  • Licensed Architect preferred
  • Active in community building and elevating all voices with the goal of inclusive design decisions
  • Demonstrated experience as a Practice Builder within a design firm or within an Academic Institution
  • Knowledge of the Academic Arts environment, e.g., trends, challenges, expectations, and the dynamics of decision-making by clients in procuring professional services

*TO BE CONSIDERED, PLEASE SUBMIT CURRENT PORTFOLIO/WORK SAMPLES IN PDF FORMAT*

Our comprehensive Benefits at DLR Group include medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, and paid time off. We also offer a 401(k) plan, employee stock ownership, and bonus opportunities. Compensation considerations are based on location, experience, and skills. The suggested pay range for this position is:

Pay Range

$120,000 - $180,000 USD

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new builds, renovations, and adaptive reuse projects.

We are 100% employee-owned: every employee is literally invested in our clients’ success. At the core of our firm are interdisciplinary teams engaged in every step of project lifecycles. Our teams champion true collaboration, open information sharing, shared risk and reward, value-based decision making, and proficient use of technology to deliver exceptional design. We are pursuing the goals of the 2030 Challenge, the ME2040, and the SE2050, and are an initial signatory of the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

Through our values – commitment, creativity, environmental stewardship, fun, integrity, ownership, sharing, teamwork – we elevate the human experience through design, together.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/M/F/Veteran/Disabled employer.

 

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