Studio Principal, Higher Education

Little is seeking a passionate and highly capable Higher Education Studio Principal for the Charlotte, NC office. Specific emphasis and responsibility for this position is someone who is engaged on key projects, in front of our clients providing thought leadership and guidance, and always puts their team members first.

The Higher Education Studio Principal will lead a team of people within our Charlotte, NC office who specialize in the design and construction of higher education projects.  You will have the opportunity to mentor and build a team of individuals dedicated to community projects, while collaborating daily with your team and leaders within the office and across the firm. You will have access to a wide-range of resources as you partner on a regular basis with Community and Corporate leaders from across the firm.

Our ideal candidate possesses a keen understanding and experience in pursuing and executing high level design opportunities with public and private sector Higher Education clients across the region. Our current portfolio includes extensive experience in a multitude of project types, including academic and administrative spaces, performing arts centers, medical education & health science buildings, sports & recreation facilities, student centers, and a range of student housing projects.

Primary Objectives

• Design Expertise & Execution: Possess deep experience in the execution on higher education building buildings. Working with our design partners to continuously improve the quality of our work through thoughtful design that enhances our client’s performance, is critical to our firm’s future.
• Business Development: Initiate and develop new business opportunities through professional networks, strategically targeting new clients and existing client relationships with an ability to identify, be considered for, and win new work. Integrate a strategic Business Development plan for developing new business, creating revenue and profitable growth.
• Client Satisfaction: Possess a deep conviction for client satisfaction. Become a trusted advisor to our clients and earn client loyalty through subject matter expertise, client care, and service. We are looking for someone who focuses on “what is in it for the other person”.
• Financial Responsibility: Maintain strong studio profitability, allowing us to reward our people and continue to invest in new processes, technologies and our competitive edge. A clear understanding of market conditions that impact cost is necessary to serve our clients.
• Leadership & Team Building: Create followership with your team through clear communication, mentoring, motivation and vision. The ability to grow the National Practice by working productively toward common goals with peers in other offices, our diversified disciplines and their leadership teams. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, are critical to the success of this role.
• Thought Leadership:  Passion for public spaces, complex projects, and the environments we impact are necessary to lead our internal teams and to establish Little at the forefront of the industry in the communities we serve and beyond. It is critical to understand leading trends in higher education across public and private sectors, as well as technological innovations that are impacting the industry and the architectural design process.
• Commitment to Regenerative Outcomes: Regeneration is a step beyond sustainability. It’s about working to restore ecosystems through our projects. It’s a different way of finding solutions by expanding our thinking to how we can use design to have a positive effect on multiple things at once: economic, environmental, social and human health results - by harmonizing the design solution with those interdependent parts. Rather than focusing on singular issues, this represents a “whole systems” approach to design. Our trans-disciplinary team structure provides an ideal platform for collectively leveraging all of our expertise to address these solutions.

We believe in the power of design to transform peoples’ lives.  Our Value Proposition challenges each of us to deliver exceptional, measurable results to our clients. Our Brand Promise is aimed at designing:

• Experiences that matter
• Inspired Places that enhance communities
• Buildings that have a positive impact on our environment

Why Little:

Little is a place where you’ll surround yourself with colleagues who have different areas of expertise, are from different cultures and generations, and embody different talents, experiences, and passions. In fact, if you ask our employees what keeps them excited about coming to work each day, you’ll hear that it’s the people. It’s