Senior Design Manager (Planning)

About Us

Triangle DeCon Services Inc. is a boutique full service real estate advisory firm with a focus on project development and construction management for our valued private developers and public organizations in Southern California. We are a young, energetic, ethical, professional, knowledgeable, customer-centric and multilingual team looking to deliver the most value to our clients and build/promote trust with them. Our team consists of licensed Professional Engineers (PE), certified Project Management Professionals (PMP), certified professional with Design Build Institute of America (DBIA), licensed General Building Contractor and other industry designations. We can provide entitlement, development, design, procurement, construction management, project management, expert witness and litigation support services on a variety of building types. Our experienced team have provided these services to successfully deliver various facilities for public school districts, college districts, universities, commercial developers, hospitality owners, multinational CM/PM consultants and other valued clients.

Job Summary

Are you looking to apply your skills and utilize your experience to make a difference in our community? Are you motivated to collaborate with a diverse team of professionals to deliver new projects for our clients? Triangle is waiting for you to join our team!

This is a full-time position with Los Angeles Unified School District. The ideal candidate for this position is an experienced and licensed architect or professional engineer with a strong background in educational facilities planning, design, and construction. With a minimum of 15 years of relevant experience at least five of which involve K12 educational environments they bring deep expertise in managing complex capital projects, including design oversight, cost estimating, contract administration, and scheduling. This individual is highly skilled in developing and maintaining design standards and educational specifications that align with instructional needs, and has a proven ability to collaborate with educators, architects, and regulatory agencies such as the California Department of Education and the Division of the State Architect. The ideal candidate holds a bachelors degree in architecture, urban planning, or a related field (with a masters degree preferred), is a registered architect or professional engineer in California, and ideally holds the Accredited Learning Environments Planner (ALEP) designation. They possess strong leadership, analytical, and communication skills, with a commitment to creating innovative, student-centered learning environments that meet both educational goals and regulatory requirements.

Job Responsibilities and Duties

• Develops, coordinates and updates LAUSDs standards and guidelines, including Educational Specifications, School Design Guide and space program templates.
• Supports leadership with prioritizing capital projects and programs including data driven analysis, managing complicated prioritization methodologies, and preparing and presenting recommendations.
• Meets with instructional staff, school sites, and architects to define facility attributes that will support and enhance the instructional programs.
• Develops standards and guidelines to ensure that both new and modernized facilities meet educational requirements.
• Coordinates with Furniture and Interiors Group to develop furniture and equipment solutions to meet educational needs.
• Conducts post-occupancy assessments with instructional staff to determine necessary improvements or adjustments to District Standards.
• Reviews and supports development of project space programs that align with District standard education specifications and respond to each schools instructional needs.
• Review project design deliverables and provide comments regarding the appropriateness of the space planning and the physical adjacencies.
• Coordinates with California Department of Education (CDE) requirements. Supports review and submittal for CDE plan approval.
• Plans, organizes, and directs the design activities for the School Upgrade Program and critical repair projects. Functions as the lead design professional in the Design Department providing quality review, implementation of policy and procedures and interface and coordinates with the Division of State Architects (DSA).
• Manages, develops, and coordinates the Districts design process for the Facilities Planning and Development Division to ensure that plans are within functional program, budgetary, environmental and legal requirements.
• Establishes and follows a process to identify and select the architectural firm best suited for each project based on the firms qualifications and ability to meet performance standards.
• Provides Architects with clear and consistent direction with regard to goals and objectives, standards, site, schedule, and budget for each project.

• Ensures that all steps within the project are documented and that the documentation meets legal requirements.
• Reviews design changes submitted to ensure project remains within budget.
• Recommends architectural firm assignment from an established list of pre-qualified architectural firms.
• Develops continuing education opportunities, i.e., seminars and workshops, to learn and share updated information on working with architects and contractors.
• Coordinates project activities with other District organizational branches and departments such as the Office of the Environmental Health and Safety, A/E Design Services, Maintenance and Operations, School Occupancy Transitional Unit, Asbestos Technical Unit and Local Districts.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Required Experience:

• Fifteen (15) years full time paid professional experience managing the facilities design, or the planning and coordination of capital projects that includes the overall design, contract administration, cost estimating, and scheduling activities
• 5 years of this experience must be with the design, planning and construction of K-12 educational facilities

Licenses and Certificates:

• A valid Certificate of Registration as an Architect by the California State Architectural Board or Professional Engineer by the State Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
• Accredited Learning Environments Planner (ALEP) designation

Required Education:

• Graduation from a recognized college or university with a bachelors degree in architecture, urban planning, or a related field.
• A masters degree in architecture is preferred
• Continuing education and training specific to educational facilities planning preferred