Design Director - Central Region

CannonDesign Regional Design Director Position

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If you think your skills, experience, and aspirations make you a good match for this position, we encourage you to apply. This position may be filled anywhere in the United States. Preference may be given to candidates that can work in any of the CannonDesign offices located in our Central Region, which includes Dallas, TX, Denver, CO, Houston, TX, and St. Louis, MO.

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ABOUT THE ROLE

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This role is responsible for the leadership of creative and innovation excellence in a specific geographic area consisting of 150 - 300 people spread across multiple local offices, each with their own office design leadership. This role reports to the firm’s Executive Design Director and will be accountable both to CEO as well as the executive team and will be evaluated both as a single region as well as on the performance of all the regions collectively.

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HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL DO

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You will be a leading voice for how our Living-Centered Design ethos is translated through our work with clients. You will partner with marketing and communications teams to build strong narratives and communicate the impact of our work at a regional level.

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Most importantly, you will be an ambassador with your regional leadership team of our brand, responsible for demonstrating how our Living-Centered Design ethos comes to life in our culture and in the way we partner with clients and in our work.

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Although you are a creative leader first, you will be expected to support design-led growth initiatives. You must possess a general fluency in regional and firm business metrics. You must have an understanding of how to translate the strategic framework into regional growth goals and impact, including achieving top-line targets and successful financial results that lead to a minimum 10% growth of the region year over year.

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AREAS OF FOCUS

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Transforming design excellence

• You will be accountable for design excellence and the overall design quality across the region. Your region will be expected to regularly submit and successfully win design awards, contributing to the firm’s portfolio. You will deliver solutions uniquely responsive to deliver innovative design concepts that synthesize our clients’ culture, goals, and aspirations with the needs of people, community, society.

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Transforming the design team

• You will nurture a community of designers in your region by setting the standard for an environment that exemplifies collaboration, experimentation, innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. You will partner with the Executive Director of Design in the recruitment and retention of senior design leaders to grow the next generation of design leaders. You will champion the high-performance design teams in all offices in the region and coordinate with the Regional Director and Office Practice Leaders to fill creative talent gaps.

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Transforming the organization

• You will be the leading regional voice for the firm’s design aspiration to be one of the most innovative, creative, and highly regarded impact-driven solutions design firms in the world. You will be a key participant in the definition and execution of a strategic regional growth plan. You will be a partner in your regional leadership team and engage with other firm, office, and market leadership to develop and implement a business plan which identifies key business strategies and entrepreneurial initiatives focused on the continued growth and impact of the region. You will be responsible for engaging senior design leaders within your region as appropriate to participate in the process, take ownership, communicate, and champion the initiatives set forth.

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HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• B.Arch from an NAAB-accredited architecture program required. M.Arch from an NAAB-accredited architecture program preferred.
• Current Architectural Registration in the US and LEED AP preferred.
• A minimum of 20 years of related work experience in A/E/I industry and a proven track record of the ability to lead and inspire others.
• Ability to lead a diverse team of creative architects, designers, and other disciplines across multiple offices.
• Proven design ability demonstrated through a design portfolio of significant built and unbuilt work.
• Third party recognition of your work as a lead designer by local, regional, and national design awards programs, and recognized design publications or digital platforms is required.
• Demonstrated ability and aptitude for innovative design solutions to address the challenges of people, business, community, society, and the environment.
• Business fluency to translate the strategic framework into regional growth goals and business metrics.
• A passion for understanding our business and the business of our clients and seek continuous improvement for both.
• Demonstrated leadership to build a culture of collaboration, transparency, safety, and trust.
• Aptitude for communicating complex ideas, both business and design ideas, in a compelling manner that convinces others of their value.
• Talent to build our brand, by being connected externally and being visible in the region.
• Champion an ethical culture and hold others accountable for the same.

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The salary range for this position is $213,750 to 237,500 annually. This salary range is the range we believe is the anticipated range of possible base compensation at the timing of the posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the anticipated salary range for the position. Employees may be eligible for discretionary bonuses. We offer a full benefit package including medical, dental, and vision coverage and flexible spending account options and voluntary insurances. We have paid time off, flex-time schedules, remote work options, a 401k plan, and employee perk programs. For a general overview of our benefits, please visit our careers page at CannonDesign Benefits. Actual compensation may vary from posting based on geographic location, work experience, education, and/or skill level.

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ABOUT OUR FIRM

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We’re a design practice at the nexus of strategy, experience, architecture, engineering, and social impact. We dream up, create and bring to life solutions that enhance human vitality, further equity, strengthen communities, and safeguard our planet all at once. We’ve been recognized multiple times by Fast Company as one of the most innovative design firms in the world. With nearly 1,300 teammates across 18 offices, we forge deep partnerships with clients across all industries, empowering them to reach greater heights. At the heart of our work lies our ethos, Living-Centered Design — a bold commitment to using our skills to not only enhance the world but to fundamentally reshape it for the better.

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ABOUT WORKING HERE

• We are relentless in our pursuit of client adoration (not simply satisfaction). Consistent delivery of the best service is what we are about.
• We are committed to ensuring our practice is equitable for all employees, representative of the communities around us – and focused on the future of design. We advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts through the leadership of our DEI Council, Employee Resource Groups, and other community advocacy initiatives.
• We’re about communication and transparency here. If you want to talk to someone about an idea you have, or a challenge that needs addressing, we’re ready for you.

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Please note that candidates can only apply to our positions on our company Careers site. It's not uncommon for scammers to create positions that look legitimate on other sites; never enter your information or apply for CannonDesign positions on any platform. Should an issue arise that you feel we should be aware of, please contact us. Please provide your resume and portfolio when applying. As a condition of employment, all employees are expected to complete mandatory training, including compliance training, within required timeframes and adhere to our internal policies and our Code of Conduct.

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CannonDesign is an Equal Opportunity Employer. CannonDesign is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free from any and all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. It is therefore the firm’s policy to prohibit discrimination and harassment against any applicant, CannonDesign employee, vendor, contractor, or client on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other basis prohibited by law. It is also CannonDesign’s policy to prohibit any and all forms of retaliation against any individual who has complained of harassing or discriminatory conduct or participated in a firm or agency investigation into such complaints.