Design Manager – Architecture & Development

Overview

Our client, a luxury residential property developer, has an immediate opening for an experienced Design Manager – Architecture & Development to join their Architecture & Planning Team in Boca Raton, Florida. This is a full-time position reporting to the Senior Development Lead, Architecture & Planning.

The Design Manager – Architecture & Development will work directly with the Senior Development Lead, Architecture & Planning, supporting the design and technical development of assigned residential condo and mixed-use projects across the Florida portfolio. The role provides owner-side architectural oversight from feasibility and entitlement through design, permitting, construction documentation, and construction.

This position is intended for an experienced architect or design manager with 5–10 years of professional experience who is ready to transition from the traditional architectural practice environment into the development and ownership side of the industry. The ideal candidate combines strong design judgment, technical rigor, planning intelligence, and the ability to coordinate external consultant teams while maintaining alignment with the company’s design, schedule, and development objectives.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day owner-side architectural, engineering, and design coordination for assigned development projects.
• Review consultant drawings and BIM models through SD, DD, CD, permitting, and construction for design quality, completeness, coordination, and alignment with ownership direction.
• Coordinate with Design Architects, Architects of Record, Interior Designers, Landscape Architects, engineers, and specialty consultants on key project decisions and deliverables.
• Review unit planning, cores, elevators, stairs, circulation, amenities, parking, loading, BOH/service areas, façades, terraces, and building-envelope conditions.
• Use Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, and hand sketching to test planning alternatives and resolve design issues quickly.
• Perform QA/QC reviews in Bluebeam, organize markups, and track consultant responses through resolution.
• Maintain project schedules, milestones, consultant deliverables, and critical-path items using Smartsheet.
• Coordinate project information and BIM workflows through Autodesk Construction Cloud.
• Maintain and review development metrics in Excel, including NSF/GSF, unit counts, efficiencies, parking, amenity areas, and other key project data.
• Support entitlement and permitting submissions, including coordination with zoning attorneys, consultants, municipalities, and public agencies.
• Prepare diagrams, planning studies, executive presentations, and decision-support material for senior management and ownership.
• Assist in developing and maintaining the company’s architectural standards, QA/QC procedures, and project-delivery protocols.
• Support construction-phase design review, including RFIs, submittals, field coordination, and resolution of architectural issues.
• Manage multiple projects and consultant teams concurrently while maintaining clear communication, organization, and accountability.

Qualifications

• Professional degree in Architecture.
• 5–10 years of professional architectural experience, preferably in mid-rise and high-rise residential, luxury condominium, multifamily, hospitality, or mixed-use development.
• Strong architectural design judgment with a detailed understanding of planning, technical documentation, and consultant coordination.
• Advanced proficiency in Revit and AutoCAD.
• Strong working knowledge of Autodesk Construction Cloud, Rhino, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, Bluebeam, Smartsheet, and Microsoft Excel.
• Experience working through all major project phases, including SD, DD, CD, permitting, and construction administration.
• Ability to critically review drawings and identify design, planning, technical, coordination, and constructability issues.
• Strong understanding of unit planning, building cores, façade systems, amenity planning, building-envelope conditions, and multidisciplinary coordination.
• Management skills, exceptional organizational skills, and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and parallel priorities in a fast-paced development environment.
• Strong verbal, written, graphic, and presentation skills.
• Ability to work professionally with senior management, ownership, consultants, contractors, and municipal agencies.
• Experience with South Florida residential development and permitting is preferred.
• Architectural licensure is preferred but not required.
• Developer-side or owner-representative experience is considered a strong advantage.

Benefits

401(k); health, dental, and vision insurance; paid time off; and a generous PTO and holiday calendar.

Best Headhunters is a team-oriented search firm that takes a hands-on approach to matching your experience with the right opportunity. There is never a fee to the candidate for our representation.

Interested in this role? Book a time with us using the scheduler on this page. We will talk through the position, share more about the client, and, if it is a fit, guide you through each step of the process, including career coaching.