Job Opportunity! Regional Design Strategy Manager (BAY AREA)
About OFFICEUNTITLED:
OFFICEUNTITLED (OU) is a young, energetic architecture and design firm focused on creative solutions across multiple scales and typologies, including commercial, hospitality, residential, and mixed-use. Established in 2013 as R&A and rebranded in 2019 as OFFICEUNTITLED, the practice leverages the award-winning design and project leadership of its four principals and a broad portfolio of experience in transformative architecture and interiors projects. OFFICEUNTITLED sees the value in every project as an opportunity for transformation and impact.
“We discover the unseen, the unexpected, and the fantastic through relentless curiosity, research, and fearless exploration to reimagine new typologies for a better future.”
About OUx Design Strategy:
OUx is a new design strategy model that blends creativity and consulting to enable our clients to tackle the challenges of this ever-changing world. We are a collection of design strategy thinkers and creatives at OFFICEUNTITLED (OU). This specialized group brings innovative and resilient thinking to define and solve complex problems. The team includes strategists, architects, urban planners, interior designers, and digital artists that work with our clients to clearly define challenges, foster collaborative ideation, articulate resilient visions, and adopt actionable solutions.
“We help translate and articulate our client’s vision, brand, and culture to ensure their physical environment enhances the end-user experience – positively impacting the future of cities, neighborhoods, and businesses.”
Job Description:
We are seeking a Regional Design Strategy Manager to partner with our client’s talented global real estate design and development organization. The role focuses on the strategic planning and design management of our client’s workplace hospitality-forward amenity programs. Working as contributors to the client’s real estate organization, the Regional Design Strategy Manager is responsible for the holistic execution and implementation of the strategic vision for the company’s hospitality-forward amenity programs at specific sites. In close partnership with the real estate and amenity programs teams (Food, Events, Fitness, Transportation, etc), the Regional Design Strategy Manager will act as a local steward for the cross-functional approach, process, and delivery of strategic guidance for an integrated hospitality-forward amenity experience.
This role is based in Sunnyvale, CA with the expectation to be on site in the office three days per week. We already have a Design Strategist working in Los Angeles, New York, and Germany and you will join part of this growing global team. You will interface with our current team, and report directly to the key regional client lead. While based at our client’s world-class offices, you will be a key part of the OUx team and will benefit from the design support and training offered by our administrative and design support teams.
The ideal individual for this role is a multi-faceted and innovative problem solver with broad knowledge of design, architecture, and urban planning with experience in hospitality and workplace amenity programming. Additionally, you must be a clear communicator, action-oriented, self-motivated, and comfortable with ambiguity. This position is best suited for a person who thrives in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment, values creativity and collaboration, and is passionate about project delivery at the highest quality.
General Responsibilities
● Facilitate a consistent approach for project initiation
● Support initiation of real estate team engagement process
● Contribute to early-stage project visioning and strategic definition
● Act as day-to-day contact for regional design partner and work with real estate development leads and project executive teams during planning and schematic design
● Managing the execution of the local amenity experience strategy to align with the global frameworks
● Coordinate the holistic interface with program design, program, and operations partners.
● Working closely with the organization’s leadership team to support initiatives and enhance global/local alignment and communications
Typical Duties
● Represent our client at meetings and help to set project goals, visioning, and strategic programming in collaboration with a larger team
● Steward client, project stakeholder, and other consultant communications
● Lead collaborative workshops focused on gathering design, visioning, and programming feedback with other designers, operators, program managers, project stakeholders and clients
● Work with extended internal team to strategize and collaborate, bringing thought leadership and perspective
● Independently generate refined graphics to communicate ideas, including urban design strategies, written narratives, concept diagrams, planning/programming concepts, and design and project process/timelines,
● Create urban planning strategies in collaboration with the client, mapping analysis and creative diagrams to communicate questions and ideas within the project team
● Ideate in collaboration with the client and graphically communicate strategic planning alternatives for a range of project scales, from building planning to large scale urban districts.
● Understand a data-driven approach to planning and strategic development at scale.
Qualifications and Key Skills
Essential
We are open to receiving applications from candidates with a varied range of experience and education. If you meet most of the qualifications below, we encourage you to apply:
● Minimum 10 years of relevant design or design management work experience and/or formal qualification/degree in architecture, urban design, urban planning, or masterplanning.
● Professional experience in programming, design, and operations of hotel and hospitality projects, including urban masterplanning, entitlements, workplace, and mixed-use project experience
● Both core & shell and tenant improvement experience. Interiors experience is a plus
● Ability to think holistically about user journey and experience
● An interest in innovation, global trends, new design concepts and user experiences, technology and hybrid virtual-physical worlds is highly desired
● Ability to create and present storytelling visuals, programming approaches, and urban design strategies with charisma and passion to large stakeholder groups and executive-level leadership
Key Skills
● Skilled in the visual, written, and verbal communication of design issues with capability to think outside the box and bring creative, non-standard, and innovative solutions to the table.
● A practical understanding of the AIA design stages, and the typical level of information required at each stage.
● Competence in the presentation of imagery and drawings to convey ideas
● Experience of hospitality, workplace, and amenity-rich projects through direct experience or professional design or planning experience
● Proven vision, leadership, and strategic skills to prioritize evolving project needs; ability to turn ideas and capabilities into effective strategies to engage project team
● Experience in masterplanning, urban development, entitlements and permitting process, construction terminology and building systems, and overall project sequence/timing
● Ability and proven record of helping to steer decision making and process
● An imaginative approach to problem-solving will be a significant advantage
● A collaborative and personal approach is essential
● Ability to create and present storytelling visuals, programming approaches, and financially viable business proposals with charisma and passion to large stakeholder groups and executive-level leadership
Interpersonal Skills
● Ability to work in a collaborative and fast-paced environment with a high degree of self-motivation and initiative
● Ability to easily manage multiple projects or workstreams simultaneously
● Detail oriented with ability to think, plan, and execute on multiple projects in different phases simultaneously with little direct supervision
● Able to work calmly and effectively under pressure
● Flexibility and adaptability to changing business needs
● Ability to build relationships with colleagues, clients, vendors, stakeholders, and management
Location
We are currently working in a distributed hybrid model, meaning you will work from your home or other place of your choosing, in combination with the client’s office in Sunnyvale, CA, subject to local and federal health and safety guidelines. You will be expected to be on site about three days per week. Travel within the US and occasional travel internationally for projects and/or team building as required, with notice.
Other Requirements
- Holds all legal permits and visas required to work in the USA
- COVID-19 vaccination will be required for this position subject to legally valid exemptions
OFFICEUNTITLED is an equal opportunity employer
- Competitive compensation package
- Health Insurance, dental and vision plans, 401k plans (non-matching), and tuition/student loan reimbursement
- Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
Please email your resume, portfolio, and cover letter to Work@officeuntitled.com
