Director of Planning and Design

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Facilities Planning and Construction, the Director of Planning and Design is responsible for oversight of architectural and interior design services; campus space utilization; compliance with local land use ordinance including the LMU Master Plan documents; and overall campus design standards. In addition, this position is responsible for directing and supervising efficient and orderly operation of Facilities Management & Planning projects as assigned by the Associate Vice President for Facilities Planning and Construction.

Position Specific Accountabilities:

1. Responsible for planning and coordinating all tasks, critical dates, campus client relations, performance quality and customer satisfaction, budget and project management, and administration for each assigned project. This role coordinates completion of work by internal teams and third-party service providers such as design firms and consultants. 

2. Provide oversight for a wide range of planning activities that help guide the physical development of the campus and the utilization of campus space in support of the University’s mission and strategic plan. Provide technical planning expertise on a wide range of tasks including campus-wide planning; space, building and site programming; strategic capital project planning; and project development for academic and residential environments. 

3. Meet with campus clients and work in close collaboration and integration with other administrative departments involved in campus planning and space planning.

4. Responsible for project initiation, including review of alignment with university strategic planning, space programming, project feasibility, budget, and schedule development. This position leads the discretionary project approvals process, in the pre-design phase of projects, and in project initiation. This position may carry a select set of projects through all phases to occupancy.

5. Prepare and maintain architectural standards and specifications to assure conformance to applicable building codes and safety requirements.

6. Provide technical review of proposed plans and specifications submitted by commissioned architects, engineers and other public and private agencies.

7. Prepare and provide technical direction to the University in the preparation of sketches, conceptual renderings, architectural designs, data specifications and presentations.

8. Oversee all aspects of architectural and interior design services, including space planning, specifying and ordering all FF&E’s; oversight/management of campus moves, scheduling and interfacing with consultants and vendors.

9. Participate in the efficient and equitable development and arrangement of land use for purposes of space planning and campus Master Plan compliance utilizing knowledge and background in zoning, development regulations and capital improvement programs.

10. Supervise and direct work activities of FM Planning and Design unit including day-to-day supervision of LMU staff and external architectural/engineering consultants.

11. Review of bulletins; RFI’s; change orders; proposals and project budget reports. Ensure plans are updated and that as-built drawings are obtained and archived; review of design plans and specifications for LMU-designed projects; preparation of documents for use during bid process; and job walks with design teams /vendors on projects.

12. Represent LMU within the architectural and physical/campus planning community and at professional organizations or associations, serve on committees as required.

13. Perform other duties as assigned or requested.

Requisite Qualifications:

• Typically a Bachelor’s Degree in architecture, physical planning, or other closely related field or equivalent professional experience.  Advanced degree in related field is strongly preferred. Incumbent will be expected to continue upgrading knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to keep abreast of regulation/policy changes.

• Minimum five (5) years of experience in managing planning and/or major capital projects, including facilities planning, programming, pre-design, comprehensive campus planning, and/or space planning, preferably higher-ed institutional or large-scale projects. Minimum of One (1) year of supervisory experience is preferred.

• Experience in project budgeting is strongly preferred. Knowledge of sustainability, physical design, and land use is a plus.

• One or more of the following certifications or licenses is preferred: Architect License, NCARB registration, LEED AP, completion of SCUP Planning Institute Workshops, AICP, and/or Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification.

• Knowledge of local (LADBS) building codes, ADA Accessibility Guidelines, zoning and entitlements, and related regulations.

• Understanding of municipality institutional master planning preferred.

• Experience and ability to develop and apply space planning guidelines and standards.

• Proficiency in a variety of computer aided design software tools including Autocad, Bluebeam, Revit, or equivalent.

• Demonstrated knowledge in the areas of construction, facilities, maintenance and engineering. 

• Strong verbal, written, and graphic communication skills with experience in preparing comprehensive reports and executive summaries involving complex, highly technical information. 

• Possess instructional, training, and team-building skills to strengthen and cultivate relationships.

• Demonstrated computer competency and preferably knowledgeable of computer aided software systems.

Anticipated Hiring Range:

$100,000.00 $150,000.00 annually. Salary commensurate with education, experience and qualifications.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of this position.

#HERC# #HEJ#

Staff Regular

Salary range

$102,600.00 - $138,500.00 Salary commensurate with education and experience.

Please note that this position may not be eligible for visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Loyola Marymount University, a Carnegie classified R2 institution in the mainstream of American Catholic higher education, seeks outstanding applicants who value its mission and share its commitment to inclusive excellence, the education of the whole person, and the building of a just society. LMU is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing an environment free from discrimination and harassment as defined by federal, state and local law. We invite all persons in the full diversity of their being, life experience, and beliefs to apply. (Visit www.lmu.edu for more information.)

LMU is committed to providing equal access to employment opportunities and ensuring a comprehensive recruitment and selection process for all applicants.

Individuals who require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any stage of the application, interview, or selection process may contact Human Resources at [email protected] or by phone at (310) 338-2723. Applicants who use relay services or other assistive communication technologies are welcome to utilize those services when contacting Human Resources.

When contacting Human Resources, please include the job posting number, title of the position and department for which you are applying. Applicants are not required to disclose the nature of a disability or provide medical information when requesting an accommodation during the recruitment process.

LMU will work with applicants in a timely and interactive process to identify and provide reasonable accommodations consistent with applicable federal and state law.