This nationally celebrated Architecture and Design firm is renowned for their context-driven spaces that blend creativity with meticulous craftsmanship. Their award-winning work spans Hospitality, Single-Family Residences, Multifamily Developments, Masterplanning, Product Design and Brand Design. Employing a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach, they seamlessly integrate architecture, interior design, and visual identity to deliver thoughtful, human-centered solutions.

Committed to a people-first philosophy, the firm fosters an inclusive culture that values diversity, mentorship, and sustainable practices. They are dedicated to providing exceptional client experiences while continuously shaping the future of design through innovative exploration and flawless execution. As the firm experiences continued organic growth and success, they are seeking a Managing Director of Operations to join their industry-leading team.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Working closely with the Principals, the Managing Director of Operations will lead the day-to-day operations of their 90+ person firm, including people & culture, business management, strategic planning and administration. The Managing Director of Operations will foster a culture of transparency, collaboration and accountability, ensuring that all teams and firm leadership are aligned with the firm's goals while effectively driving and implementing key initiatives across the organization. They will collaborate closely with studio leadership across Architecture & Design, and leaders of Finance, Marketing, IT, Human Resources and Administration to ensure unity and efficiency for the firm as a whole.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Operational, Administrative and Financial  

·      Responsible for creatively and effectively aligning the operational and organizational structure to support firm’s objectives.

·      Liaise with department leaders across human resources, information technology, administrative resources, finance, and marketing; monitoring performance including adherence to annual budgets and strategic initiatives. 

·      Collaborate with human resources and office leadership, with participation in recruitment, retention, employee relations, performance reviews, staff development, and compensation and benefits practices. 

·      Actively engage outside the office to gather insights and identify best practices that drive continuous improvement and enhance the firm’s competitive edge.

·      Collaborate with the Principals to lead the overall strategic direction of the firm, with oversight of financial/administrative operations and project delivery. 

·      Provide oversight of annual office financial plan, monitoring and assuring compliance throughout the fiscal year in collaboration with the Director of Finance.

·      Review, monitor and approve G&A expense requests, assure monthly collections and earnings, lead all collection efforts when required.

·      Review timesheets, expense reports, direct and indirect labor, overtime and trends. 

Studio & Culture

·         Champion the firm’s inclusive and collaborative studio culture, fostering a positive, creative, and high-performance work environment that aligns with the company’s vision and values.

·         Support Studio Leaders in developing a cohesive studio culture by promoting mentorship, staff development, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

·         Ensure that the studio maintains its commitment to diversity, sustainability, and innovative design practices.

·         Lead initiatives to strengthen team cohesion, communication, and culture, ensuring alignment between operational goals and the firm’s creative ethos.

·         Drive the development of studio-wide standards and processes that reinforce the firm’s high-quality design and craftsmanship, while maintaining a strong culture of accountability and collaboration. 

Design & Project Delivery  

·      Work with Studio Leaders to implement studio-wide initiatives and SOPs to control quality, risk, and delivery of projects across the different disciplines.

·      Support the effort to enhance and embrace project delivery systems and innovation at the office level. 

·      Review reporting related to project work plans including milestones, workflow, staffing, and project budgets.

·      Work with the Director of Finance and 3rd party finance consultants to ensure compliance with best practices in financial performance and planning for all projects in the studio. 

·      Assure adherence to budgets, monitoring all project earnings, collections, and expenditures.

·      Guide Studio Leaders toward continually improving project delivery, quality, and profitability. 

Risk Management 

·      Review and approve fee proposals and contracts with respect to scope, fee, and schedule.

·      In conjunction with legal counsel, review and approve fee proposals and contracts with respect to the allocation of risk and liability, insurability, rights of intellectual property, dispute resolution and other key contractual issues.  

·      Assess and update the firm’s insurance policies to ensure alignment with risk mitigation objectives and financial impact.

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS:

·      15+ years combined design practice, project management, and/or practice management experience. Including at least 10 years of direct experience focused on Practice/Office operations management.

·      Professional Degree in Architecture or Design would be an asset but not required.

·      Enhanced knowledge of project design and delivery including proposal development, management of fee, contract, time and staffing. 

·      Experience working directly with clients, and in conversations surrounding negotiations of fees, contract terms and project schedule. 

·      In depth experience of the full cycle of HR processes including hiring, compensation, interviewing, terminations, and HR related decisions. 

·      Strong financial acumen, including experience in collections management, budgeting, financial forecasting, and performance tracking, with the ability to ensure fiscal accountability across projects and operations.

·      Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel)

·      Experience with Procore, Monograph, Rippling, Greenhouse and/or Leapsome desirable.

·      Excellent communication & interpersonal skills, experience managing & directing project teams. 

·      Exceptional collaboration and people skills with the ability to help others understand financial parameters and business practices.

Salary Range Information

Our client fosters a culture that is diverse and inclusive, and strives for pay practices that are fair, and competitive and reflect their commitment to pay equity. Their compensation decisions include but are not limited to a candidate’s qualifications including skill sets, education, experience and training, licensure and certifications credentials if applicable, and business-related factors. This practice extends to all employees, including performance considerations for merit increases, job promotions, and transfer opportunities. They additionally review their pay practices, conduct pay equity audits, and ensure their managers are trained in their pay practices on an annual basis. At the time of posting this job advertisement, the annual pay salary range for this position is between $175,000 and $215,000 commensurate with qualifications.

*Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Our client has established and adopted an Equal Employment Opportunity Employment policy (“EEO”), which is part of the Company’s Human Resources Policy. The purpose of this EEO policy is to ensure that all employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis, and without regard to sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, gender reassignment, citizenship, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state, or local law. In some cases, local laws and regulations may provide greater protections than those outlined here and employees will be covered by the laws of their local jurisdiction.

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision

Our client will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

API Partners is a retained executive search and strategic consulting firm focused on pr

For more Information please contact Lonny Rossman, AIA @ 646.717.4810 + resume to lr@apipartners.com

KP a+d is an award-winning San Francisco architecture firm, looking for an intern architect with an interest in the technical aspects of our profession and very good Revit skills. They are a 5-person firm in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, with a disciplined approach to design and a very wide array of projects in architecture and interior architecture. This woman-owned firm is notable for design work as well as our commitment to a healthy work-life balance.

If you have at least 3 years’ experience working full time in an architecture firm, and enjoying problem-solving and production drawing in Revit, KP a+d is eager to speak with you. The firm currently has an exciting mix of commercial, public and private sector work in all stages of development from conceptual design, construction documentation, and contract negotiation to construction administration. Their current slate of work includes a high-profile institutional project which will require them to produce solid drawing sets and custom detailing. Current project values range from $2.5 - $22 Million in probable construction cost.

The firm’s design approach is focused less on stylistic dogma and more on strong planning principles, the integration of natural light and landscape and meticulous detailing. The office engages in a variety of architectural and interiors projects, from single-family homes to public buildings to larger, urban-scaled housing and office buildings. They have completed numerous high-end private residences, several public libraries and custom commercial and institutional interiors throughout Northern California, as well as projects in New York State and Wyoming. Their work has been published in California Home and Design, Marin Magazine, PLAIN Magazine, Library Journal, Architectural Digest, California Homes, Sunset Magazine, and the local newspapers.

The Job: KP a+d is looking for an architectural intern or recently licensed architect with solid technical skills and good problem-solving instinct. In this small office each individual has a variety of responsibilities and opportunities; however, your principle role will be to produce drawings in Revit, working collaboratively with the project manager and principal. You will produce and coordinate design development and construction documents under direction of the Project Manager. If the opportunity arises you may be able to personally manage selected smaller projects.

Candidate should enjoy working in person, in the office, in a small-firm environment. The successful candidate will be a well-educated, self-motivated architect who enjoys producing well-coordinated drawings You are well organized, have excellent work habits and computer skills and have worked for at least 3 years, (ideally 3 - 5) in the United States since receiving your professional degree. At minimum, a B.Arch is required. Skill in Revit is required.

Skill and experience in Vectorworks and AutoCAD are a plus. Talented sketchers are always appreciated. Also required are fluency in English, both spoken and written, as well as legal status to work in the US, (no visa seekers, please).

Salary and benefits are competitive. KP a+d values and strives for optimal work/life balance and structure their schedule taking alternate Fridays off, year-round. The office culture reflects our commitment to nurturing a career while protecting your creative spirit. They insist that people take time off and encourage everyone to work hard but use your personal time. KP a+p cultivates whole lives. People are empowered to step up to opportunities, to interact with clients and to grow.

If you value a small firm structure with limited hierarchy in a firm that already has GREAT momentum, and if you think this might be the right career move for you, please send your resume to admin@kpad.com.

Architectural designer, educator, and pioneering feminist Debora K. Reiser died on September 19 at the age of 96. The news of Reiser’s passing was shared via social media by Pratt Institute. She is survived by her son Jesse Reiser and daughter-in-law Nanako Umemoto. Together, the three ran the award-winning studio RUR Architecture. - The Architect’s Newspaper

Anik, Nancy, and I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Deby in the Summer of 2021, where she shared stories about pursuing her Bachelors Degree from Pratt Institute in the 1940’s among a class of male peers returning from WWII. She went on to share stories about what it was like to practice architecture in the ‘50’s and how she has seen the profession change over seven decades.

You may recall our Special Holiday Event in December of 2021 where we premiered the footage of our interview with Deby. In this virtual event that Deby, Jesse, and Nanako attended, the MWA community got the chance to hear from them about practicing architecture as a family.

We are honored to have met Deby, to have experienced her palpable zeal for architecture, and to have been able to share her stories. Our deepest sympathies go out to Jesse, Nanako and the RUR team.

Watch our Special Holiday Event featuring the premier of our interview with the indomitable Debora Reiser.

As NYC’s design review agency, the Public Design Commission is an advocate on behalf of innovation, sustainability, and equitability in New York’s public realm. PDC worked meticulously with BKSK to develop a strong indoor-outdoor relationship between building and landscape. The project is imbued with materials, biodiversity, and connections that embody the educational philosophy of the building.

Read more here.