What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Designer | Architecture | Higher Education position at BHDP Architecture?
Market: Higher Education
Location: Raleigh, NC
FLSA: Exempt
Work Mode: Monday – Friday; 8:00 – 5:00; In-Office Monday – Thursday; Hybrid (remote or in-office) Friday
Employment Type: Full-time
At BHDP, we believe great design does more than define spaces—it influences behavior, drives performance, and creates meaningful experiences. Guided by our purpose to Inspire People and Impact Results, By Design, we collaborate across architecture, interiors, strategy, and research to solve complex challenges in integrated ways. Here, your ideas matter, your voice is heard, and your work has the power to shape experiences that truly make a difference.
Role Summary
The Senior Designer leads design efforts on small to mid-size projects, translating insight into clear, compelling concepts and guiding teams and clients through key decisions. This role drives alignment through the BHDP design process—clarifying intent, balancing options and tradeoffs, and coordinating across disciplines—so the design vision is carried through each phase with consistency and quality.
Responsibilities
- Provides project-specific design leadership by developing and championing big ideas, setting clear expectations, and driving follow-through on the highest-impact design decisions and client-facing deliverables throughout all phases.
- Leverages the BHDP design process by promoting collaboration across all design disciplines, documenting and communicating design intent, and guiding clients and teams through options, implications, and tradeoffs to maintain alignment and quality to success criteria.
- Creates and champions creative ideas by translating insight into clear, compelling concepts that elevate the client vision and BHDP standards.
- Generates multiple relevant and viable options, testing ideas against constraints and opportunities, and guiding the team toward a distinctive, feasible design direction that adds value for the client and improves the design outcomes.
- Lead and advance the client-facing design effort across all design process phases of small to mid-size projects, translating vision and feedback into clear direction, aligned decisions, and high-quality outcomes.
- Manages and calibrates expectations for both the client and project team by communicating intent, priorities, and impacts, coordinating across disciplines to resolve issues and maintain a cohesive design through project delivery.
- Leads the BHDP design effort through all phases of the BHDP design process, translating project goals into clear design direction and coordinated deliverables within the design team.
- Leads alignment across internal team and consultants by driving timely decisions, documenting design intent, and confirming conformance to success criteria and project requirements as the work advances.
- Accountable for leading and delivering cohesive design outcomes on projects, aligning project vision, intent, and quality within the operations chain of command.
- Collaborates proactively with other design disciplines to integrate inputs, resolve design conflicts, and document key decisions that uphold firm standards and client goals.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Architecture degree (NAAB accredited program preferred)
- 12 years in the design and/or architecture industry
- Licensed Architect
- Advanced Revit knowledge – independently deliver defined drawing packages/projects and teach others on best practice.
- Proficiency with SketchUp, Enscape, or Lumion preferred
- Proficient with Adobe Creative Cloud
- Demonstrated capability to delegate, coach, and raise team performance
- Demonstrated initiative; sees challenges as opportunities
- Strong attention to detail
- Strong communication and collaboration within a team
- Models professional workplace behaviors: reliable follow-through, constructive feedback, and calm, solutions-oriented communication with co-workers and clients
Physical and Mental Demands
- Sustained attention to detail
- Sitting/standing
- Occasional lifting of 20 pounds or less
- Ability to work in an open office environment
Life at BHDP
Our comprehensive benefit package includes a competitive salary, medical, dental, vision, disability, flexible spending accounts, paid holidays, paid time off, and a 401(k), which aligns with our commitment to rewarding our high-performing professionals.
BHDP Architecture is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Individuals with disabilities and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.
The mental and physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.
This position description is prepared to provide a general understanding of the responsibilities of the position and does not include a comprehensive list of activities, duties, success factors, or responsibilities that are required for a specific employee. Success Factors, duties, responsibilities, and activities may be modified or augmented at any time with or without notice.