Education and Science Principal

Education and Science Principal

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected. As we work to weave diversity, equity, and inclusion into our work and foster a sense of belonging throughout the company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves : What is our impact on the world? Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

We are currently searching for a Principal to join our Philadelphia office to lead a team focused on the planning and design of exceptional spaces for colleges, universities, and commercial science. These places inspire students to learn, researchers to discover; they are spaces that promote curiosity and allow communities to thrive. The successful candidate will work with architects, engineers, and other design professionals as part of a collaborative interdisciplinary team. We are an employee-owned, expertise-driven practice that balances deep technical knowledge with the highest degree of creativity to produce award-winning design.

We design facilities that foster discovery and support life-changing scientific advances. We believe that at the root of all good design is an understanding of human behavior, and how the physical environment can affect these behaviors. We are consistently ranked #1 in Science and Technology and have been recognized by the industry's Lab of the Year program 11 times for designing facilities in which world-class scientists can discover cures for insidious diseases, create new sources of clean energy, protect our resources, and improve public health; all of which helps to enrich people's lives around the world. Seamlessly integrating our science and education expertise, we are leading the transformation of learning environments at the world's top academic institutions to better prepare the next generation's leaders.

Primary Responsibilities

In the role of Principal for our Education and Science practice, you will help establish and guide the overall direction of this sector in the local market and elsewhere in the region. The successful candidate must possess the drive and experience needed to secure a robust client base and to solidify an unrivaled reputation for the core team throughout the region. The role includes a variety of duties ranging from annual planning, proposal / business development strategies and directing project teams. Critical to this role is a proven history and commitment to developing and nurturing strong relationships with multiple clients in the academic and life science sectors. Beginning with pre-positioning activities and continuing through the life of the project, these relationships are essential for creating opportunities and positioning HDR for future work.

Responsibilities include :

• Leadership and visioning for the sector.
• Developing capture plans and initiating relationships with key clients.
• Maintaining an active and visible presence in the sector.
• Leading in the development of qualifications and proposals for Education and Science pursuits.
• Leading pursuit go / no-go and strategy discussions.
• Directing interview strategies and implementation.
• Preparing and negotiating project contracts.
• Serving as Principal-in-Charge on projects as appropriate.
• Working closely with local leadership to maintain project oversight throughout execution, including conformance to client expectations for technical / quality, financial performance, and schedule adherence.
• Providing mentorship and guidance to staff to support their career development.
• In collaboration with subject matter experts, and independently when appropriate, developing abstracts and presentations for industry conferences, seminars, workshops, and other similar events promoting program messages, research, project outcomes, lessons learned, trends, etc. related to facility design.

Project types include learning / teaching environments and research and development facilities for academic, institutional, and corporate sector clients. Projects can include buildings for the life sciences, physical sciences, biocontainment, animal research, public health, and related support facilities. Project opportunities are largely within the northeast and mid-Atlantic region but may extend to neighboring states and potentially abroad due to personal relationships, particular expertise, project needs, etc.

Preferred Qualifications

Required Qualifications

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve. As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected, and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day. Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic / Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.