What are the responsibilities and job description for the Office Technical Leader - Health position at HKS, Inc?
Overview:
HKS Seattle is seeking an Office Technical Leader to join our Health team.Responsible for advancing Design Excellence (as defined by the Design Enterprise as the intersection of Beauty and Performance) for the respective office. Must ensure, and participate in critical technical design dialog across all project teams within the office and evaluate the quality of office work against the strategic plan.
The Office Technical Leader often participates or leads in multiple projects concurrently. The role focuses on growing technical leadership skills related to relationship-building, collaboration and interpersonal skills while working on great projects for exceptional clients.
Responsibilities:
Accountable for:
- Technical design quality for every project they actively work on, holding teams accountable for technical quality for projects in the office
- Partnership with technical leaders in their office to build and enhance a technical design culture
- Implementation of Design Excellence within their office in collaboration with Office Design Leader, ensuring the Framework for Design Excellence is addressed in every project in their office and performance goals are achieved
- Collaboration with project teams to improve overall quality of work product in office by guiding, advising and mentoring other architects/designers
- Collaboration with Office, Regional and Practice Leadership as well as Director of Technical Design to ensure a constant focus on improving technical design quality
Has authority to:
- See, evaluate, and provide feedback to all projects in the office
- Challenge technical solutions to ensure design quality and performance
- Recommend to the Regional Technical Director, Studio Practice Leader, and PIC when a project that should be redirected as it is not performing to the level that HKS requires
- Participate in and influence selection and performance evaluation for architects/designers within the office
Scope
- Hosts office technical meetings to develop technical culture and curiosity within the office
- Utilizes and promotes project pin-ups to improve overall quality of work product in respective office, in collaboration with teams such as HKS Innovation teams, Technical Resource Group (TRG), Construction Administration (CA), etc.
- Ensures that sustainability is integrated into the Project Technical Methodology for all Projects within their office
- Acts as the technical-go-to resource to all the teams in respective office, assisting in the resolution of complex technical problems, and helping them grow in their roles
- Invests in and influences the technical quality of all HKS projects firmwide, including elevating other technical architects/designers in their respective expertise
- Collaborates with leaders such as Project Manager, Studio Practice Leader, and Regional Technical Director to lead their team(s) through all phases by guiding, advising and mentoring other architects/designers on project work
- Participates in quarterly Regional Technical Excellence Meetings to discuss and review innovative work within the region in the spirit of continuous improvement
- Emphasizes and incorporates HKS strategic priorities, such as Design Measures into client solutions
- Operates with "ONE Firm" mindset, minimizes the sector and operational variables within the office in collaboration with technical and design leaders
- Integrates HKS services, expertise, and innovation in all projects, while actively seeking opportunities to incorporate HKS best practices, sustainable design solutions, subject matter expertise and resources strategically and efficiently for the client, user and community
- Exercises skills of persuasion and negotiation on critical issues
Qualifications:
Education and Experience
- Accredited professional degree in Architecture, Interior Design, related degree for respective field, or relevant years in education or experience
- Typically, 15 years of experience, including experience in a leadership role with demonstrated success in both project work and talent/resource development
Licenses and Certifications
- Licensure or certification in chosen field strongly preferred
- Sustainable design accreditation strongly preferred
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Advanced - expert-level experience, knowledge or skills
Intermediate - experience, knowledge or skills required to produce high-quality solutions or work
Basic - familiar with primary concepts or capabilities and may perform elementary functions depending on role
- Intermediate experience in the capability and benefits of design-related software, with constant curiosity of ever-changing technology
- Intermediate skills in MS Office Suite, including Microsoft Project and Microsoft Teams preferred
- Advanced technical skills, materials application, building codes, building systems, and engineering systems knowledge
- Advanced knowledge of project design, construction documentation, and construction materials
- Proficiency in logistics management including connecting people and resources to the right place at the right time
- Advanced presentation skills
- Advanced leadership, communication and relationship management skills
- Advanced organizational skills and the ability to work on multiple projects at the same time
- Advanced ability in success building, nurturing and fostering internal and external relationships
- Intermediate ability to work closely with design & technical leaders to promote an inter-disciplinary design approach and philosophy, and to facilitate its advancement across the firm
- Intermediate ability to manage team with diplomatic and collaborative leadership style which puts value on relationships and collaboration, both internal and external
- Advanced ability to communicate in a clear, concise and professional manner both verbally and in writing
- Advanced ability to problem solve and apply innovative solutions
- Advanced ability to collaborate and encourage collaboration in a team environment
- Advanced ability to effectively meet deadlines at expected quality
- Travel may be required
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If you currently work for HKS, please submit your application via the Internal Careers Portal.
HKS is an EEO/AA Employer: M/F/Disabled/Veteran
HKS is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and committed to a policy of non-discrimination in all employment practices including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, training, advancement, compensation, and termination. HKS’ policies, including its Affirmative Action Programs, are designed to not only ensure legal compliance with state and federal anti-discrimination and retaliation laws, but to carry out the principles of equal employment opportunities in all job categories. Deliberate and conscious effort is made to make employment decisions that are consistent with these equal employment opportunity principles. HKS will recruit, hire, train, and promote persons in all job titles, and ensure that all other personnel actions are administered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, protected veteran status or disability; and ensure that all employment decisions are based only on valid job requirements. Employees and applicants will not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion, or discrimination for filing a complaint, assisting or participating in an investigation, compliance evaluation or hearing, opposing and/or exercising any other right made unlawful by Executive Order 11246, Sections 503 and 38 USC 4212, as amended, or their implementing regulations, or any other Federal, State or local laws requiring equal opportunity.