Location: Norfolk, VA

Director of Urban Design

Description
We are looking for a new addition to the WPA team. You will be working with a fun and interdisciplinary group of architects, interior designers, urban designers, graphic designers, and industrial designers in an open and collaborative environment. We have a brand-new studio at Assembly and we can’t wait to enjoy the rooftop terrace together this spring and summer. Although we love working together in-person, we also offer a hybrid work environment complete with a work-from-home setup to provide flexibility and focus.

Your role is going to be an exciting one, as WPA has an incredible portfolio of urban design work. We are a local firm working on regional projects with national attention – St. Paul’s Transformation, City of Norfolk flood protection, Downtown Norfolk Strategic Plan, the Railroad District Master Plan, and the Elizabeth River Trail. Our focus is mixed-income, mixed-use communities, coastal resilience in the face of sea level rise, and proactive changes to zoning and streetscape standards to make safe, comfortable, walkable communities. Our hope is that you can help grow our portfolio and bring the expertise we’ve built to other coastal communities. We believe in transparent community engagement, where everyone has an equal voice and people feel comfortable participating in the process.

You will be able to see your region change around you in just a few years as we design projects that positively affect our families and our neighbors. We expect you to come to the table with a love of actively participating in an urban environment and designing and detailing to improve the lives of all citizens in our community.

Preferred Qualifications

• Accredited design degree (architecture, urban design, or landscape architecture)
• 10+ years of professional experience
• Experience managing a team of designers
• Civic engagement and experience working with municipalities
• Understanding of development financing
• Understanding of grant programs for mixed-income development
• Rendering abilities and an eye for excellent composition and graphic design
• Experience with community engagement and consensus building
• Comfortable listening, presenting, and sketching out ideas in front of a crowd.

Software

• SketchUp Pro
• ArcGIS
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Revit (a plus, but we can teach this if needed)
• Enscape (we can teach you this one quickly if you already have rendering knowledge)

How to Apply
Please send resumes and portfolio samples to our hiring committee at hiring@wparch.com