Studio Design Leader, Education

dlrgroup

Denver, Colorado, United States · Denver · United States

Posted Jan 8, 2026

Other
Hybrid
Architecture

Job description

DLR Group is an integrated design firm with a promise to elevate the human experience through design. This fuels the work we do around the world and inspires our mission to improve the lives of our clients, our communities, and our planet. If this sparks your interest, you’re in the right place.

We have an opening for a Studio Design Leader, K-12. We operate within a hybrid work model, supporting flexibility between office time and work from home.
Considering this model, this role could be based in the following cities:

Denver

About the K-12 Education at DLR Group

As a Studio Design Leader, you will be responsible for leading and collaborating on all aspects of the design process. While excelling as a strong communicator with a passion for solving both design and business challenges, you will ensure the design is aligned with client goals, budgets and schedules. You will generally be engaged in multiple projects, in various phases of development, at any one time and support a work environment that fosters innovation while providing a positive responsiveness to client goals and objectives. You will oversee design excellence, design value, and design recognition within the work of the K-12 and Higher Education sectors.

Position Summary

As a Senior Architectural Designer at DLR Group, you will be responsible for developing designs from conception through design development, preparing construction documents, specifications, and team coordination, and supporting the project team through construction administration for a variety of project types and sizes. As part of our integrated design teams, you create buildings that elevate the human experience through design.

What you will do:

Have the ability to craft and test conceptual ideas quickly and to facilitate collaborative review of the work.
Promote design excellence through design charettes, critiques, sharing of projects, and design award submissions.
Work collaboratively with Sector Leaders and staff to lead the pursuit, award, design and resolution of work.
Be a recognized and respected as a design expert within the education market
Provide thought leadership and innovation within the firm as well as with clients and the educational industry.
Have an appreciation and passion for leading an integrated design team.
Have excellent presentational, written, and verbal communication skills coupled with strong organizational skills
Attend industry events and improve DLR Group brand recognition through publications, conferences, and speaking engagements.
Ability to work both independently and effectively in a cross-disciplinary team atmosphere and across multiple offices.
Have a comprehensive understanding of the coordination aspects and related requirements of all design disciplines.
Ability to travel as project needs demand.

Required Qualifications:

10+ years of relevant experience as a Designer on educational projects.
Demonstrated experience in a client facing role for multiple education projects (K-12 and/or Higher Education).
Sketch-up and other 3D Rendering Software (Revit, Enscape, Lumion).

Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s Degree in Architecture or B.Arch professional degree
Licensed Architect or ability to become registered
NCARB certified

Our comprehensive Benefits at DLR Group include medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, and paid time off. We also offer a 401(k) plan, employee stock ownership, and bonus opportunities. Compensation considerations are based on location, experience, and skills. The suggested pay range for this position is:

Pay Range

$90,000—$130,000 USD

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new builds, renovations, and adaptive reuse projects.

We are 100% employee-owned: every employee is literally invested in our clients’ success. At the core of our firm are interdisciplinary teams engaged in every step of project lifecycles. Our teams champion true collaboration, open information sharing, shared risk and reward, value-based decision making, and proficient use of technology to deliver exceptional design. We are pursuing the goals of the 2030 Challenge, the ME2040, and the SE2050, and are an initial signatory of the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

Through our values – commitment, creativity, environmental stewardship, fun, integrity, ownership, sharing, teamwork – we elevate the human experience through design, together.

DLR Group follows a four-day in-office work model, with employees having the flexibility to work somewhere other than the office on Fridays.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/M/F/Veteran/Disabled employer.