Senior Architect Institutional Lead
Metro Vancouver, BC
Architecture & Design Firm
Salary: $110,000 to $130,000
Lead a Growing Sector. Influence the Practice. Accelerate into Senior Leadership.

About the Firm

Our client is a well established architectural and design practice with more than 60 years of experience delivering meaningful projects across Western Canada. The firm has developed longstanding relationships with public institutions throughout British Columbia, Alberta, and the Yukon and is known for thoughtful design, technical excellence, and highly collaborative project delivery.

Their integrated team works across architecture, planning, interior design, and technical delivery, with a strong portfolio spanning post secondary education, K to 12, healthcare, commercial, civic, and community projects.

Post secondary education is a core and growing sector of the practice. With an established portfolio and continued pipeline of work, the firm is looking for a Senior Architect who can take on a significant role within this area of the business and grow into a higher level leadership position as the practice continues to expand.

About the Role

This is not simply another Senior Architect position.

The firm is looking for someone who has already established themselves as a strong project and client leader and is ready for the next stage of their career. The successful candidate will initially take a senior role across the firm's post secondary portfolio, with the prospect to assume greater sector, team, client, and practice leadership over the short term.

There is meaningful room for progression here. As you establish yourself within the firm and take greater ownership of the post secondary practice, there is an chance to advance into increasingly senior leadership responsibilities and titles, rather than remaining solely focused on individual project delivery.

You will lead complex higher education projects while working directly with colleges and universities across Western Canada.



Projects range from academic and applied learning facilities to student housing, renovations, campus improvements, and long range planning initiatives.

What You'll Be Doing

- Lead complex post secondary projects from early planning through construction
- Act as a senior point of contact for college and university clients
- Lead internal project teams and multidisciplinary consultant groups
- Oversee design development, documentation, coordination, approvals, and construction delivery
- Navigate post secondary funding, governance, planning, and procurement requirements
- Manage project priorities, schedules, quality, and client expectations
- Mentor and develop architects, intern architects, and technical staff
- Build and strengthen long term institutional client relationships
- Contribute to the strategic growth of the firm's post secondary portfolio
- Work closely with senior leadership on client strategy, sector planning, and future opportunities
- Take on increasing responsibility for the direction and leadership of the post secondary practice

What They're Looking For

- Registered Architect with the AIBC
- 8+ years of professional architectural experience
- Strong post secondary and institutional project experience
- Proven experience leading complex projects and multidisciplinary teams
- Experience managing sophisticated public sector or institutional clients
- Understanding of post secondary funding models, governance structures, and project delivery
- Strong knowledge of design, technical documentation, consultant coordination, and construction




- Proficiency in Revit and contemporary architectural delivery tools
- Strong communication, leadership, and relationship building skills
- Experience mentoring and providing direction to developing team members
- Ambition to progress beyond project leadership into broader sector and firm leadership

Why Join?

For a Senior Architect who feels ready for more, this role offers a particularly strong career trajectory.

The firm is actively looking for its next generation of leaders, and the person joining this team will have the opportunity to establish themselves quickly within an important and growing area of the practice.

Rather than waiting years for the next step, the right individual will have the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities, expand their mandate, and progress toward higher level leadership responsibilities and titles over the short term.

You will also benefit from:

- Competitive compensation up to $130,000, depending on experience
- Strong short term trajectory into higher level leadership
- Opportunity to help shape a growing post secondary practice
- Established institutional clients and a strong pipeline of work
- Direct exposure to senior firm leadership
- Significant influence across projects, clients, teams, and sector strategy
- Hybrid work schedule and flexible working hours
- Professional development and continuing education support
- Comprehensive health and dental benefits
- Life and disability coverage
- Health and lifestyle spending accounts
- Collaborative and supportive studio culture
- Free parking and regular team events

If you are an experienced Senior Architect with post secondary expertise who has reached the point where you want more influence, greater responsibility, and a faster path into higher level leadership, this is an opportunity to make that next step.

Apply directly or reach out to Dara Chita at [email protected] for immediate consideration.

Job # 16817825

📌 Senior Architect Institutional Lead (Abbotsford)
🏢 CareerBeacon
📍 Abbotsford