Design Director

At Gensler, we design for people. We leverage our global perspective and local presence to innovate at every scale. We’re not just designers. We’re tinkerers, craftspeople, visionaries, innovators and thought leaders. Fueled by passion and entrepreneurial spirit, our people bring new ideas to solve challenging problems. Whether you’re into sketching new ideas, hacking a building or growing client relationships in global markets, there’s something here for everyone.

Our depth of expertise spans disciplines—from aviation and transportation to education, hospitality, retail, technology and more. At our core we embody an entrepreneurial spirit, always looking ahead for new ways to innovate and add to our clients' success. We share the belief that design has the power to transform organizations and change lives; whether we’re refreshing a retailer’s brand, planning a new urban district or designing a super tall building.

Our work reflects an enduring commitment to sustainability, and we believe that a diversity of voices and cultures is one of the most powerful strategic tools for securing lasting competitive advantage.

As the world’s largest design firm, Gensler has a unique obligation and opportunity to focus on sustainability in the built environment. We deepened our commitment to combat the impact on climate change in the built environment when we launched Gensler Cities Climate Challenge (GC3) in 2019. This is our pledge to meet an ambitious goal: the elimination of all greenhouse gases from our work by 2030.

Your Role

As a Gensler Design Director, and a member of the studio’s leadership team, you will collaborate with talented colleagues to enhance Gensler’s culture for design excellence, elevate the quality of design, and achieve recognition for our clients and the firm. You are a mix of strategic and creative, with the ability to create great form while embracing sound business strategy. Use your unique design perspective to lead design teams, develop next-generation talent, bring new approaches to the design process, and help our clients redesign what’s possible.

Design Directors lead the design of projects, acting as stewards of Gensler’s mission. You will design for all of humanity, driving a passionately curious design culture to create solutions that are emotionally resonant and that positively impact people’s everyday experiences. You look beyond, surpassing expectations to create transformational work for our clients, our peers, and our communities.

You will act as an advocate and committed mentor for Gensler’s next generation of talent. You will advance the understanding that design resilience is a responsibility of every person at Gensler. You cultivate design expertise with the desire to always learn, grow and evolve. You will champion our diversity and inclusion goals with respect to staff, partners, and consultants. You will also build our talent pipeline through recruiting and outreach with local design communities and universities.

You display an uncommon design talent, with a personal brand and a clear point of view. You are a fearless integrator and advocate for diverse points of view and expansive thinking. You will define a project’s creative foundation through storytelling, merging goals and strategies with a clear conceptual vision. You will be the climate champion for the project, establishing an impactful design direction to meet climate goals.

You are a passionate advocate for our clients, ensuring that our designs respect cultural context and that the design vision exceeds goals and expectations. You foster a genuine, accountable relationship with the client, becoming a trusted advisor and confident voice of design throughout the entire project and beyond.

In this role, you will partner with other studio leadership and the design synergy team to guide vision, culture, process and talent development. You will collaborate with your peers in design leadership and will be actively involved in design-related initiatives. You will make design visible, creating a forum for work sharing, design dialogue and critique. You will engage studios and teams in inspirational knowledge sharing through explorations such as pin-ups and design review sessions.

As a leader in our firm, you will create work with a positive impact on local communities and will lead efforts to engage with community outreach programmes and non-profit organisations. You will participate in public speaking engagements and industry events, articulating our thought leadership. You will strive to win awards and share our stories in publications, online and in other media outlets.

What You Will Do
- Lead the creative efforts on a variety of client projects, developing overall design concepts and design presentation strategies.
- Develop and own strategic planning, conceptual designs, design development, and production.
- Review drawings, mockups, materials, and finish samples submitted