Back to jobs
New

Client Leader, K-12 Schools

Boston, Massachusetts, United States; New York, New York, United States; 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.

DLR Group is an international leader in the design of educational spaces for schools of all kinds, including independent and public school clients. We operate across over 30 offices to serve our clients with the highest level of expertise, design vision, and client connection. Considering this model, this role would be based in a DLR Group office in one of the following cities:

  • Washington, DC
  • New York, NY
  • Boston, MA

About K-12 Education at DLR Group

DLR Group is committed to excellence in the design of learning environments, and we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of conversations about how design enables teaching and learning, health and wellness, and sustainable futures. We are committed to a design-driven, integrated practice to serve our clients with passion, expertise, and innovation. Our integrated team comprises in-house educators, engineers, interior designers, climate-action strategists, and other experts who collaborate with schools nationwide to navigate this change, ultimately serving communities better and enhancing educational experiences and outcomes for students.

Position Summary

As Client Leader, you will bring your expertise in Independent and Public School design to create long-lasting client relationships and shape the design of projects. You will play a key role in leading teams in design excellence and the highest level of professional practice, growing our practice through business development, and integrating design disciplines. You will have a leading role in project success through direct relationships with clients, collaborative teamwork, and working with project managers to achieve financial health on multiple projects. You will also be an ambassador for DLR Group and a content expert at conferences and professional practice events.

What you will do:

  • Provide impactful design thought leadership on a diverse array of K-12 projects through direct client interaction and leadership of in-house design teams.

  • Support business development initiatives by participating in business development activities, leading RFP responses, and participating in client interviews.

  • Represent DLR Group through attendance and participation in K-12 conferences and professional events.

  • Lead owner and consultant contract negotiations and manage contractual obligations throughout the duration of each project.

  • Collaborate with the Project Managers on staffing, responsibilities, and performance feedback for project teams

  • Track and manage financial performance on multiple projects, including schedule compliance, invoicing, account receivables, and client satisfaction.

Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Architecture professional degree and Professional Architect licensure in at least one state.

  • At least 15 years of professional experience in the AEC industry, inclusive of at least 5 years in a client-facing role 

  • Significant experience working with independent schools, ideally including work with public schools as well. This should include a proven track record of completing educational facility projects. 

  • Active involvement in the independent school educational facility planning and design community (including NBOA, NAIS, or TABS). 

  • Demonstrated success in preparing and submitting proposals for school clients, showing understanding of these institutions' unique needs and requirements. 

  • Strong background in comprehensive campus master planning, including experience developing long-term strategic facility plans that align with schools' educational missions. 

  • Versatile project experience across different scales and types, from renovations and additions to new construction. Should include work on diverse educational facilities such as academic buildings, athletic complexes (including gymnasiums and pools), performing arts centers, student housing, and dining halls.  

  • Strong understanding of business management principles, including strategic planning, resource allocation, and leadership 

  • Expertise in design techniques and tools for producing technical plans, drawings, and models 

  • Familiarity with building methods, materials, and systems for construction and renovation projects 

  • Ability to actively listen, understand others' perspectives, and respond thoughtfully in conversations 

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

$125,000 - $155,000 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.

DLR Group follows a four-day in-office work model, with employees having the flexibility to work somewhere other than the office on Fridays.

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

 

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at DLR Group? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Portfolio/Work Samples (PDF Preferred)

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Please list your current primary residence 

Please list your current primary residence

Please list your current primary residence

Select...

Please list your current primary residence

Please list your current primary residence

Select...

Please list your current primary residence

Select...

If yes, please list their name and your connection to the employee.

Select...
Select...

(Note that such restrictions may be found in different types of agreements, including, but not limited to, employment contracts, stock awards, and sales incentive plans. Indicating that you are subject to a restrictive covenant will not disqualify you from consideration for this position. You should disclose any such restrictive covenant and  be prepared to provide a full, signed copy of the restrictive covenant if requested.)

Select...

If yes, please specify in next question

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Please note that if you have, or will have, an F-1 (CPT, OPT or STEM OPT), H-1B, TN, J1 or E-3 visa, then the answer to this question will likely be "Yes".

Example: https://www.linkedin.com/in/username

Enter N/A if you do not have a LinkedIn Profile

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in DLR Group’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.