Job Description

Director of Urban Design

About Bayview:

Bayview's mission is to meaningfully contribute to social and environmental wellbeing through industry-leading landscape architecture. We create landscapes that foreground ecological stewardship and design excellence. Our tight-knit team works to understand our clients’ goals and aspirations, creating unique, award-winning outdoor environments that add value to people’s lives.

Our Culture:

Our office fosters a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion—a safe and respectful workplace where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work. We believe in open communication, aligning understanding and goals. We conduct biannual performance reviews, quarterly informal check-ins, and a general open-door policy. We also enjoy monthly team-building activities, from birthday lunches to field trips.

Impact Description: What happens when the right person succeeds in this role?

• 1 month milestone : You'll have completed our onboarding process, becoming familiar with the tools, software, and systems we use. After an intensive week with our Principal, you'll have a clear understanding of the firm's history, collaborators, and open projects. You'll also begin check-ins with Project Managers and design staff, understanding their working styles and project status.

• 3 months : You'll have established relationships with key clients and collaborators in the urban, commercial, and community sectors and contributed to filling the pipeline with new business opportunities. Your implementation of new systems will have improved design workflows and efficiency. You will be actively managing the design team's workload and project pipeline for commercial and public projects. Your leadership will have streamlined design reviews, freeing up the Principal’s time for high-level business development and strategic planning. 

• 6 months : You'll be an indispensable part of our leadership team, overseeing design quality and technical standards for a significant portion of our project portfolio. Your mentorship will have fostered noticeable growth in junior staff. You will have successfully led the firm's efforts on key proposals, resulting in new projects. You'll be actively representing the firm as a design leader at industry events, enhancing our reputation for design excellence and innovation.

Job Responsibilities:

Core Strategic & Operational Responsibilities: 

• Leads design team and manages design staff for commercial and public projects. Leads project kickoffs, communicating scope, budget, and design. Conducts comprehensive reviews of all drawing sets and technical details throughout design phases, including final QA/QC, ensuring strict adherence to firm standards. Integrates and enforces firm-wide quality control processes, continuously seeking improvements. Serves as primary internal expert on detailing and constructability, providing guidance for complex technical questions. May provide on-site technical oversight during site visits for commercial and public scale projects. Oversees profitability of said projects, balancing staffing with schedules and budgets. Determines staffing changes with the Principal. Manages project managers, conducting 1:1s to review performance and support growth. Collaborates with Principal and Directors to refine design standards.

Business Development: 

• Drives strategic business development initiatives for specific market segments or project types. Identifies and cultivates new client relationships and opportunities that align with the firm's growth objectives, while using the firm’s CRM software. Leads the preparation of proposals and presentations for projects they will oversee. Represents the firm in a design leadership capacity at key industry events and conferences, actively expanding the firm's network and pipeline.

Communication & Coordination: 

• Holds weekly meetings with project managers to assess status, staffing needs, design progress and billing. Establishes primary communication with new clients during schematic design, and provides direct client communication for high-level technical discussions. May act as temporary project manager or solo lead on select projects. Serves as key proxy for the Principal when unavailable, representing design and technical leadership. Mentors junior staff. fostering their professional development.

Time & Resource Management: 

• Oversees allocation of design staff resources to optimize utilization and meet deadlines. Monitors project hours against budgeted fees, identifying scope creep or efficiency improvements. Ensures adherence to timekeeping policies and promotes accurate time tracking.

Professional Development & Firm Contribution: 

• Participates in educational opportunities and industry conferences, bringing innovative ideas to improve firm operations. Mentors junior design staff, sharing extensive knowledge in design, technical execution, and project leadership. Creates structured learning opportunities, like internal workshops and seminars, fostering continuous improvement. Represents the firm at community events and professional association meetings, enhancing reputation and network.

Qualifications:

Education : MLA is required.

Experience : 12+ years of professional experience.

Licensure : Licensed Landscape Architect in the State of New York is mandatory. Other states beneficial.

Technical Skills : 

• Fluency with Google Workspace, Asana, Hubspot, AutoCAD, Land F/X, and Adobe.
• Proficiency with Lumion, Bluebeam, Revit, Rhino, or SketchUp is beneficial.

Soft Skills/Competencies : Strong leadership, strategic thinking, mentorship, problem-solving, communication skills, and local networking acumen. Confident with financial analysis and projections. 

Physical Demands/Work Environment : Hybrid (1 day remote/week). Frequent site visits are required, which may involve overnight travel to areas like Long Island and the Hamptons. A driver's license is mandatory. Transportation may rely on a car-sharing program or mileage reimbursement.

Compensation:

The salary range for this position is $120,000-$145,000 USD.

• Benefits: We offer competitive benefits, including 11 paid holidays, 10 days of PTO, a closed office between December 24th and January 2nd, a 401k with employer match, commuter assistance, paid family leave, an annual bonus, and a healthcare stipend. We also offer a hybrid schedule with WFH Fridays.

To Apply:

We are currently accepting resumes and portfolios (link or PDF) on a rolling basis. Please include a cover letter and salary expectation. Send your application to jobs@bayviewla.com with the subject line: "Director of Urban Design: Your Name."

Bayview Landscape Architecture is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We urge all qualified applicants to apply.

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