Market Director, Education & Public Sector (Architecture)
6 days ago
Tampa
Job Description Market Director (Architecture – Education & Public Sector | Tampa Region) Job Summary The Market Director serves as a critical operations and design leader responsible for supporting the overall performance, coordination, and growth of an assigned market, with a primary focus on Educational clients and projects, including but not limited to K-12, Higher Education, and Independent Schools. Reporting to the Market Leader, this role will ensure consistent, high-quality architectural delivery across teams while contributing to strategic initiatives, client relationship management, and staff development. This position plays a hands-on role in day-to-day operations, including oversight of project execution, resource planning, financial performance, and market-specific initiatives aligned with organizational priorities. The Market Director must be a licensed, Registered Architect with deep experience delivering Educational work and the ability to support and grow project opportunities across the Tampa region. Experience with broader public-sector projects such as municipal, civic, justice, and other government-related work is strongly preferred. Primary Essential Functions • Support the Market Leader in executing strategic, operational, and growth initiatives across the assigned market, with emphasis on Educational clients and pursuits in the Tampa region., • Oversee daily operations to ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, within scope, and aligned with design excellence and quality standards., • Provide architectural leadership and oversight to ensure strong design outcomes, technical rigor, and consistent documentation across project teams., • Lead resource planning and workforce management, aligning architectural talent and expertise to Educational and public-sector client needs., • Manage and monitor key financial metrics including revenue forecasts, backlog, utilization, project profitability, and overall delivery health., • Support business development through proposal preparation, interview strategy, pursuit planning, and long-term client relationship management., • Serve as a trusted client partner for school districts, universities, and independent schools, strengthening client satisfaction, repeat work, and strategic account growth., • Collaborate with project managers to monitor performance and ensure alignment with contractual requirements, agency standards, and public procurement processes., • Promote strong stakeholder engagement practices appropriate to Educational and public-sector environments, including board presentations and user-group coordination., • Partner with HR and market leadership to support employee development, mentoring, career planning, and performance management., • Drive operational consistency and continuous improvement by implementing best practices in project delivery, QA/QC, and team performance., • Act as a culture ambassador by promoting an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performance environment across offices and disciplines., • Contribute to annual planning and budgeting processes by identifying growth opportunities, efficiencies, and risk mitigation actions., • Serve as a liaison between project teams and executive leadership, escalating delivery risks, staffing needs, and client concerns as appropriate., • Oversee compliance with health, safety, and quality assurance standards across the market., • Collaborate effectively with clients and colleagues across cross-functional teams, peers, direct reports, and leadership to foster a positive work environment., • Collaborate with other key offices to effectively execute work, including but not limited to offices across Florida. Knowledge • Comprehensive understanding of Educational market trends, client expectations, and competitive positioning, including K-12, Higher Education, and Independent School environments., • Strong knowledge of architectural project management, including scope, schedule, budget, and technical quality control., • Familiarity with A/E/C regulations, public procurement processes, contracting methods, and delivery models., • Awareness of workforce planning, resource utilization, and professional services financial performance metrics., • Understanding of organizational development practices including coaching, performance reviews, and succession planning., • Strong organizational and planning skills with the ability to manage multiple complex priorities and deadlines., • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across clients, internal teams, and leadership., • Financial acumen including forecasting, fee management, cash flow awareness, AR, and project financial tracking., • Strong leadership skills including mentoring, conflict resolution, team development, and performance management., • Proficiency with project and client management tools and platforms (e.g., Deltek, ERP systems, CRM tools)., • Translate strategic goals into clear and actionable operational plans., • Analyze operational and financial data to identify trends, risks, and growth opportunities within the market., • Influence cross-functional teams and drive alignment without direct authority through clarity and accountability., • Balance long-term planning with short-term execution demands while maintaining high-quality outcomes. Required • Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from an accredited program., • Registered Architect (active licensure required)., • Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in architecture, including leadership in project delivery, operations, and/or market leadership within the A/E/C industry., • Demonstrated experience leading teams, managing budgets, and overseeing project portfolios., • Demonstrated depth of experience delivering Educational projects, including K-12 and/or Higher Education., • Master’s degree or advanced certification in architecture, operations, management, or related field., • Experience managing multidisciplinary teams across distributed offices or remote work environments., • Prior experience supporting market financial accountability and profit-center performance (direct or support role)., • Additional public-sector project experience (municipal, civic, justice, or other government work). #LI-MV1