The Director of Planning will lead the S&T design practice, mentor team members, drive innovation, and oversee business development efforts, focusing on laboratory planning and building a top-tier team.
If you think your skills, experience and aspirations make you a good match for this position, we encourage you to apply. This position may be filled anywhere in the United States
ABOUT THE ROLE
We are seeking a visionary, strategic, and highly creative individual for the position of Director of Planning for the S&T design practice, to lead and grow our international planning team within the S&T Practice. This role is pivotal in shaping the future of S&T planning at CannonDesign—building a best-in-class team, mentoring talent, aligning resources to projects, and driving innovation for our clients.
HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL DO
The ideal candidate will be a dynamic leader with deep expertise in laboratory planning, a passion for mentoring and team development, and a track record of winning and delivering groundbreaking work. Creativity is essential—this person will bring fresh ideas, challenge conventional thinking, and inspire new approaches to planning that elevate our work and impact. This is both an inward- and outward-facing role, requiring strong leadership, collaboration, and thought leadership.
Team Leadership & Development
- Build, lead, and inspire a high-performing team of planners across the firm.
- Mentor and coach team members to elevate planning expertise and career growth.
- Foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and collaboration.
Strategic Resourcing & Operations
- Maintain a clear understanding of team capacity, project needs, and individual strengths in partnership with the Regional Directors.
- Align planning resources to the right projects to ensure quality and efficiency in partnership with the Regional Directors.
- Collaborate with practice and project leaders to optimize team performance.
Innovation & Vision
- Advance CannonDesign’s vision for innovative laboratory planning.
- Champion new approaches, tools, and methodologies that redefine planning excellence.
- Stay ahead of industry trends and integrate emerging ideas into practice.
Recruitment & Retention
- Lead recruitment efforts to attract top planning talent.
- Develop strategies to retain and engage team members.
- Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in team building.
Business Development & Thought Leadership
- Partner with S&T Practice and Business Development teams to win transformative projects.
- Be responsible for generating top-line revenue, with a target of $1.25M in personal net signed fees (NSF) annually, and participating in $3M in NSF annually.
- Represent CannonDesign in client engagements, conferences, and industry forums.
- Contribute to thought leadership through writing, speaking, and advocacy with at least one published paper and two conference presentation per year
- Be a recognized thought leader in the S&T industry—known by peers and clients alike for advancing innovation through published work, speaking engagements, and professional leadership.
Time Commitments
- 20% – Internal strategy and coordination across regions.
- 20% – Business development, brand building, and speaking/writing.
- 50% - Billable work.
Targets and performance metrics for this role are subject to change as CannonDesign periodically evaluates our performance metrics.
HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Engineering or a related degree required.
- Proven experience in S&T planning, preferred 15 years experience.
- Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities.
- Deep understanding of healthcare systems, planning methodologies, and design integration.
- Excellent communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.
- Experience in business development and client engagement.
- Demonstrated ability to generate revenue and meet financial goals.
- Passion for innovation and continuous improvement.
- Demonstrated thought leadership through writing, speaking, and industry engagement.
The salary range for this position is $143,800 to $179,800 annually. This salary range is the range we believe is the anticipated range of possible base compensation at the timing of the posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the anticipated salary range for the position. Employees may be eligible for discretionary bonuses. We offer a full benefit package including medical, dental and vision coverage and flexible spending account options and voluntary insurances. We have paid time off, flex-time schedules, remote work options and a 401k plan and employee perk programs. For a general overview of our benefits, please visit our careers page at https://www.cannondesign.com/careers/benefits. Actual compensation may vary from posting based on geographic location, work experience, education and/or skill level.
ABOUT OUR FIRM
CannonDesign is a design practice where strategy, experience, architecture, engineering, and social impact converge. We don’t just dream up solutions — we create and bring them to life in ways to solve some of the biggest challenges facing our clients and the society. At the heart of everything we do is Living-Centered Design, a bold commitment to using our talents to not just improve the world but to truly reshape it for the better. It’s more than a philosophy — it’s who we are, and it drives us to make a meaningful, lasting difference every day.
ABOUT WORKING HERE
- We are relentless in our pursuit of client adoration (not simply satisfaction). Consistent delivery of the best service is what we are about.
- We are committed to ensuring our practice provides equal opportunities for all employees, as we strive to connect with communities around us and focus on the future of design. We support equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts that benefit all employees through the leadership of our DEI Council, our Employee Resource Groups which are open to everyone, and other community initiatives.
- We’re about communication and transparency here. If you want to talk to someone about an idea you have, or a challenge that needs addressing, we’re ready for you.
Please note that candidates can only apply to our positions on our company Careers site. It's not uncommon for scammers to create positions that look legitimate on other sites; never enter your information or apply for CannonDesign positions on any platform. Should an issue arise that you feel we should be aware of, please contact us. Please provide your resume and portfolio when applying.
As a condition of employment, all employees are expected to complete mandatory training, including compliance training, within required timeframes and adhere to our internal policies and our Code of Conduct.
CannonDesign is an Equal Opportunity Employer. CannonDesign is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free from any and all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. It is therefore the firm’s policy to prohibit discrimination and harassment against any applicant, CannonDesign employee, vendor, contractor, or client on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. It is also CannonDesign’s policy to prohibit any and all forms of retaliation against any individual who has complained of harassing or discriminatory conduct, or participated in a firm or agency investigation into such complaints.
CannonDesign Irvine, California, USA Office
2875 Michelle Dr., Irvine, United States, 92606
CannonDesign Los Angeles, California, USA Office
444 S. Flower St., Los Angeles, United States, 90071
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