Director of Design Job at Progressive Companies in Charlotte

Overview As the Director of Design, you will lead and illuminate Progressive Companies' national design reputation while driving our design vision and client engagement approach. You will inspire teams across the firm through collaboration, create clarity from complexity, and cultivate innovation through Performance-Based Design. In this leadership role reporting to the President and CEO, you'll balance external thought leadership with internal excellence, setting the tone for design energy, rigor, and integration across all practices. This is your opportunity to shape the future of design at a 63+ year employee-owned firm committed to inclusive and regenerative solutions.

Responsibilities Evolve Progressive Companies' design vision and translate it into actionable strategies across practices and disciplines, aligned with our regenerative and inclusive solutions

Engage with strategic clients and partners to understand market trends, speaking at conferences and publishing thought leadership that advances our national practice goals

Champion Performance-Based Design framework and regenerative mindset across projects, including post-occupancy validation of impact

Collaborate with Directors of Architecture, Engineering, Strategy and Transformation and Talent to develop integrated design solutions and cultivate a culture of transparency and shared success

Mentor and develop design talent, establishing successful paths for those pursuing design craft expertise and broader leadership roles

Research and leverage new technologies, ideas, and best practices to cultivate design excellence and win national design awards

Qualifications Licensed Architect

Minimum 15 years of industry experience, including at least 7 years leading consultative professional engagements in a Design capacity

Established network and reputation in the industry

Experience leading professional services practice with demonstrated growth

Recognized thought leader through speaking, writing engagements, and award-winning projects

Knowledge of business strategy and ability to inspire integrated project teams toward common goals

People Matter Each individual’s background, knowledge, ability, and experience contributes to strengthening our organization and projects. Our dedication to diversity includes company provided training and education, equitable recruitment, a grassroots employee DEI committee, and robust community partnerships.

Progressive Companies is comprised of people with a variety of abilities, races, colors, religions, genders, sexual orientations, national origins, ages, veteran statuses, and more. As an equal opportunity employer, we believe diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential elements of innovative design. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Transforming Spaces. Empowering People.

The talented professionals of Progressive Companies are designers of a bold new future, creating high-performance structures and pathways, delivering on today’s needs and preparing for what’s to come. We live by the idea that design isn’t simply about beauty, it’s about improving strategic outcomes—what we call Performance Based Design. Our work spans across the nation, allowing team members to work on a variety of exciting projects and maximize impact as trusted partners to our clients and communities.

Sustainable and Inclusive

We are dedicated to human-centered, sustainable, and inclusive design practices. We believe diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to building trust, respect, and truly innovative design making spaces welcoming and accessible to all. Our sustainability approach embraces the AIA 2030 Commitment, together with a range of high performance, restorative, and regenerative strategies with a focus on climate responsive results to maximize positive impact in our industry.

Employee Owned

We act like owners—because we are. From modest beginnings of four original engineering partners in 1962, to almost 300 architects, engineers, designers, and consultants across multiple regional offices today, the energy, resourcefulness, and entrepreneurial mindset you expect from a CEO come standard with every team member.

Culture of Excellence

The firm is continually ranked as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation, with comprehensive benefits including an award-winning wellness program, hybrid work schedule, summer hours, profit-sharing, and employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). We take our work seriously, but have fun along the way, which fuels the creative spirit and supports a focus on work and life integration.

Progressive Companies is committed to development and growth of team members through continuing education, mentorship, growth opportunities, and more. We are dedicated to giving back to our communities, with paid service-learning hours available to every employee and corporate sponsorship for a wide range of community organizations and activities.

Seniorities and Roles Director

Employment Type Full-time

Job Function Design, Art / Creative, and Information Technology

Industries : Architecture and Planning

Raleigh, NC

$65,000 - $165,000

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