Architectural Department Manager

SSOE is seeking an experienced Architectural Department Manager to lead our Architectural Department in India. This role supports a large and dynamic U.S.-based client portfolio, including industrial and manufacturing facilities, semiconductor, battery, pharmaceutical, data center, healthcare, institutional, and commercial projects.

As the Architectural Department Manager, you will be responsible for leading architectural teams, staff, and projects across various locations while contributing to account management and business-development activities. You will serve as a coach, leader, and mentor for department staff, ensuring the delivery of high-quality architectural design solutions on schedule and within budget.

The successful candidate is a proven leader who communicates effectively across disciplines and cultures. You will serve as a technical liaison for the architectural design of complex, large-scale industrial facilities and fast-paced, team-oriented projects supporting a variety of market needs.

At SSOE, we don’t just talk about the future, we build it. As a leader in industry AI adoption, we empower our team to work smarter by providing responsible access to the industry leading AI Large Language Models, vibe-coding platforms, and securely integrating advanced tools into every role. From day one, you’ll receive the training and support needed to leverage AI as a core tool for enhancing productivity, sparking creativity, and streamlining complex workflows.

We are looking for a leader with a clear vision and thoughtful plan to:

• Take care of and develop our people.
• Advance the Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) paradigm within architecture.
• Continue the Visual Planning component of SSOE’s Lean Operating Strategy and implement additional Lean practices.
• Build and develop teams of architectural professionals and future leaders in India.
• Evolve architectural deliverables beyond traditional Instruments of Service, upskilling talent as needed.
• Drive technical excellence, design quality, innovation, consistency, and continuous improvement across the department.

The ideal leader will demonstrate:

• Change Agility: Actively seeks new and first-time situations; tests and pilots improvements before implementation; leads teams confidently through new approaches.
• Mental Agility: Is comfortable with complex design problems, technical challenges, and ambiguous environments; uses critical thinking and curiosity to develop effective solutions.
• People Agility: Demonstrates emotional intelligence, strong communication, and active listening; builds trust across diverse teams and provides a calming influence during challenging situations.

The following duties are typical of the position but are not all-encompassing. Responsibilities include those required to deliver quality architectural services on schedule and within budget in a collaborative team environment.

Leadership & Supervision

• Implement the Architectural Practice Leader’s vision within the department.
• Coach, direct, coordinate, facilitate, and supervise Section Manager(s), Master Architect(s), architectural designers, BIM/VDC professionals, and department staff.
• Manage all evaluation and employee-relations responsibilities, including resource planning, staffing, hiring, development, promotion, performance management, and succession planning.
• Provide leadership for a department of 20+ FTEs supporting architectural design for U.S. projects.
• Demonstrate strategic thinking for long-term team development, including technical, project-delivery, digital, design, and leadership skills.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, accountable, and high-performing department culture.
• Demonstrate multi-market experience in at least two of SSOE’s primary markets, including semiconductor, battery, pharmaceutical, data center, manufacturing, healthcare, institutional, commercial, and general building projects.

Technical Oversight

• Ensure the technical competency, quality, and consistency of work performed by architectural department staff.
• Provide technical leadership for architectural systems and project deliverables, including building planning, programming support, building envelopes, exterior wall assemblies, roofing, interiors, code analysis, life-safety planning, accessibility, and construction documentation.
• Maintain working knowledge of applicable U.S. building codes, life-safety codes, accessibility standards, jurisdictional requirements, client standards, and industry best practices.
• Verify that Architectural Discipline Captains define appropriate discipline work plans and monitor project progress to ensure Quality, Budget, and Schedule (QBS) measures are achieved.
• Review and guide architectural design concepts, BIM models, drawings, specifications, code analyses, material selections, and interdisciplinary coordination.
• Support technical problem-solving and provide escalation support for complex architectural and building-envelope challenges.
• Coordinate closely with structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, process, fire protection, construction, and project-management teams.
• Ensure design solutions appropriately balance functionality, safety, constructability, maintainability, sustainability, schedule, cost, and client expectations.

Standards & Process Improvement

• In coordination with the Architectural Practice Group Lead, develop, organize, implement, and maintain architectural standards, procedures, recordkeeping, and continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Drive consistent use of standard design tools, documentation practices, quality-control processes, design standards, and deliverable templates.
• Ensure teams have appropriate staffing, software, technology, tools, and technical reference materials to support project requirements.
• Champion the effective use of BIM, VDC, model-based coordination, automation, AI, and other digital technologies in architectural project delivery.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce rework, enhance design quality, and strengthen interdisciplinary coordination.

Project & Resource Management

• Prepare and monitor department work schedules, staffing plans, and projected workload forecasts.
• Coordinate staffing and resource allocation across multiple projects, locations, and time zones.
• Collaborate with Project Managers to establish, monitor, and adhere to project budgets, adjusting as necessary to meet financial objectives.
• Collaborate with Strategic Business Unit leadership to develop and maintain financial KPIs for the department.
• Ensure architectural deliverables are completed in accordance with project scope, schedule, budget, quality requirements, and client expectations.
• Manage department capacity and coordinate with other SSOE offices and disciplines to meet workload needs.

Strategic & Business Development

• Implement departmental strategic activities that support operational, practice, and corporate business objectives.
• Support client account maintenance, relationship-building, and business-development activities.
• Assist Project Managers and business-development teams with proposals, scope development, fee estimates, qualifications packages, and client presentations.
• Identify opportunities to expand architectural capabilities, market presence, and service offerings.
• Represent the department’s capabilities in internal and external discussions as needed.

Training & Development

• Identify the strengths, development opportunities, and career goals of department personnel to prioritize training needs.
• Develop and implement architectural department training programs with assistance from the Training and Development Department.
• Mentor architectural staff and emerging leaders, supporting succession planning and career development.
• Promote knowledge sharing, technical presentations, design reviews, lessons learned, and best practices throughout the department.
• Support continuing education related to building codes, design technology, sustainability, construction methods, and evolving industry standards.

Technology

• Experience working within a virtual design environment with knowledge of architectural-specific software, including Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks, and document-management and collaboration platforms.
• Experience with BIM authoring, coordination, clash-detection, visualization, and model-based documentation workflows is preferred.
• This role will require the use of AI or similar digital technologies to perform job functions.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Architecture.
• Minimum of twenty (20) years of related architectural experience, including at least five (5) years of leadership or people-management experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading architectural teams delivering projects for U.S.-based clients.
• Experience supporting large, complex industrial, manufacturing, semiconductor, battery, pharmaceutical, data center, healthcare, institutional, commercial, or general building projects.
• Strong knowledge of architectural design, construction documentation, building codes, life-safety requirements, accessibility standards, and building-envelope design practices.
• Professional architecture registration, or the ability to support projects under the direction of licensed U.S. architectural professionals, is preferred.

  Leadership Experience

  • Ability to develop strategic plans that support company goals and the growth of the Architectural Practice.
  • Experience leading diverse teams; experience with remote or geographically distributed teams is preferred.
  • Required experience working with an international workforce and across multiple cultures and time zones.
  • Proven ability to recruit, develop, retain, and motivate high-performing architectural teams.

  Communication

  • Demonstrated skill in cross-discipline and multinational coordination and collaboration.
  • Strong verbal and written English communication skills.
  • Ability to clearly communicate design intent, technical requirements, project expectations, strategic priorities, and performance feedback.
  • Ability to lead and support multiple teams across locations.