JOB DESCRIPTION

The Head of Design is a critical, technical leadership role responsible for translating a client's deepest emotional and relational goals into breathtaking physical realities. Our client's core focus is to help their clients build stronger human connections through the design and stewardship of a more meaningful life. Aimed at ultra-high-net-worth clients in the United States, they create and steward a life vision, managing the events, experiences, and home design that assure family legacy, as well as deeper and enduring connection with friends and business colleagues. Driven by this vision, this individual designs intentionally for human collision, community, and world-class entertaining within $50M+ environments rather than for static aesthetics alone.

Our client is creating an entirely new professional discipline—Human Connection Design™—and building an enduring company. Through a formalized workflow of Discovery™, Design™, and Stewardship™, they help clients intentionally shape their homes, relationships, hospitality, traditions, and experiences so they can live richer, more meaningful lives.

This individual will serve as both:

• The Conceptual Design Authority: Leading the upfront, high-level collaborative discovery with the client, ensuring that alignment precedes design and protecting the absolute integrity of the proprietary Human Connection Design™ Blueprint.
• A Technical & Spatial Visionary: Acting as a client-facing conceptual partner during the limited, high-impact design phase. Note: The Head of Design does not own the long-term client relationship; they anchor the spatial vision before sub-contracting out the hard build and construction phases.

We are seeking a master residential architect who is tired of the constraints of corporate firm life, possesses proven technical mastery, and wants to leverage their skills to help the leadership team shape the development and outcomes of an entirely new field.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Leadership, Management, & Accountability (LMA): Partner with the leadership team to shape the design doctrine, excellence standards, and foundational systems of the company.
• Design Strategy and Process: Define, govern, and continuously scale the front-end conceptualization window of the proprietary multi-step process for high-value mega-properties.
• Protect Blueprint Integrity: Champion the human-centered Discovery™ and Design™ phases. Ensure that the architectural layout strictly honors the client's designated lifestyle vision, helping them value relationships over possessions and meaning over status.
• Sub-Contractor and Partner Governance: Oversee the strategic vetting and selection of world-class structural engineering, local architecture, and construction firms, maintaining strict creative control while outsourcing the build phases.
• Advance Spatial Connection: Innovate and experiment with how physical space, structural flow, acoustics, and aesthetics can maximize trust, family traditions, and human flourishing.

REQUIREMENTS

• Proven Institutional & Operational Stability: Must demonstrate strong career tenure and a history of long-term commitment with previous firms (e.g., managing long-term institutional relationships rather than moving from firm to firm every 12–18 months). Our client is looking to build a multi-decade relationship with this leader.
• 10+ years of high-end architectural design experience, specifically within world-class US architecture firms including significant exposure to ultra-high-end residential projects and luxury custom homes.
• Human Connection First: High emotional intelligence coupled with a demonstrated ability to design spaces around human interaction, hospitality, gathering, and relationship-building rather than aesthetics alone.
• Elite Client Discovery: Proven experience leading sensitive discovery conversations with affluent clients and translating emotional, lifestyle, and relationship goals into physical spaces.
• Scale Validation: Extensive, proven track record of designing $30M+ luxury residential properties completely from the ground up. Must have substantial experience navigating ground-up builds rather than just additions and renovations.
• Strong technical background in architecture coupled with an elite, client-facing consultative skill set.
• Living the Core Values: Must explicitly embody the company’s non-negotiable core values:
• Be Humbly Confident: A masterful professional who remains a constant learner, managing shifting design priorities under difficult circumstances with absolute calm.
• Grow or Die: Hungry for personal and professional development; constantly curious and adaptable.
• Help First & Do the Right Thing: Deeply protective of client privacy and driven by long-term stewardship over transactional projects.
• Do What You Say: Impeccable execution, personal accountability, and reliability.

NICE TO HAVE

• Direct experience working at renowned, design-forward firms (e.g., Olson Kundig, Aidlin Darling Design, IR Architects tier).
• Commercial luxury hospitality experience (boutique resorts/hotels) is a major plus, provided it is backed by extensive ground-up high-end residential work.
• Prior experience operating within an EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) structure.

EDUCATION

• Formal school degree and structural background in Architecture is required.
• Registered Architect (RA) license in good standing is highly preferred.

COMPENSATION PACKAGE

• Total Target Compensation: $175,000 – $300,000

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Model: Remote / Virtual workplace.
• Geography: East Coast focus (New York/South Florida corridor preferred).
• Travel: Expected travel of 10% – 25% to visit project sites, lead intensive client alignment sessions, and evaluate structural partners.

BENEFITS

• Ground-floor, category-defining opportunity with a founding leadership seat.
• The rare freedom to step away from firm operational gridlock or corporate real estate constraints to execute pure, high-impact designs.
• Opportunity to directly shape the foundational doctrine and flagship outcomes of an entirely new professional discipline (Human Connection Design™).
• Professional development, conference access, and generous PTO.

INTERVIEW PROCESS

• Interview 1: The "Right Person" Assessment: Focuses 100% on behavioral alignment, authentic warmth, the ability to build trust rapidly, and a deep resonance with the 5 Core Values.
• Interview 2: The "Right Seat" Assessment: Focuses on GWC (Get it, Want it, Capacity), technical portfolio execution, scale verification, and subcontractor governance.