Boston, MA

MASS is seeking a full-time Design Director to join our Landscape team in Boston, MA

MASS Design Group is a mission-driven design collective that aspires to great impact through interdisciplinary design. We collaborate with communities to create landscapes that promote human dignity and planetary health.  We believe that all communities should have agency in the design process and are seeking a passionate and experienced colleague to join our team and help lead the way.

land.MASS is looking for a technical innovator to accompany projects from our Boston office as they evolve from idea to built form.  We recognize that fostering curiosity, innovation, and learning is essential in generating  a strong and creative culture.This person should be able to lead by example, and be able to inspire, motivate and guide team members to achieve collective goals.  As a dynamic organization, these aspirations are fundamental in our ability to evolve and remain adaptable while building together. 

If you are interested in joining the conversation or learning more about how we do this, please apply for one of our open positions.

THE POSITION: Project Accompagnateur & Technical Design Leader

Project Accompaniment: We understand that when we expand our support beyond design, and work with communities who are accessing our expertise for the first time, the path may not be linear or concise, either for our partners nor our design team. We think of accompaniment as providing access to critical skills and experience that may be unique to each project and team.  This person will provide an understanding of how material selection, constructability, sustainability and design process can inform a project from contract to impact tracking. 

Building Integrity Leader: We believe everyone deserves great design.  Our landscape Building Integrity Leaders will play a critical role in orchestrating the realization of MASS’s mission and design ideas within the built environment. We are seeking a versatile leader with a passion for low carbon material sourcing, technical design, and construction observation.

Project Roles: Technical design leadership of complex projects similar in scope and scale to MASS’s global portfolio which include academic and health campuses, rewilding, conservation, and biodiversity projects, and public memory and memorialization work. We value candidates who have experience working with a variety of materials and construction techniques, as well as a deep understanding of sustainable design principles. But more importantly, we are looking for someone who is not afraid to take risks, to challenge the status quo, and to fight for a more just and equitable world.

Leadership: You have a commitment to applying the MASS methodology and enforcing high project standards while maintaining flexibility and humility toward the clients and communities we serve. You will help expand project documentation standards and provide high-level guidance of technical project development across the practice by collaborating with others in MASS's internal Global Design Resources team. The split between technical design leadership, QA/QC, and construction observation will vary over time based on practice and project needs. 

HOW YOU WORK

• You understand that design is a collaborative process and our partners are the true leaders in shaping the landscapes of their own communities.
• You take initiative and responsibility for your work, manage yourself with humility, and are willing to ask for help when needed.
• You are equally attentive to big picture project planning as you are to the details.
• You celebrate the input of others and know dialogue is critical to design rigor both in the studio and the field.
• You have excellent communication and organizational skills.
• You recognize the importance of learning and mentorship and are inspired to share your experience and knowledge.
• You are nimble at realizing project goals while gracefully negotiating relationships.

EXPERIENCE + SKILLS

• Ability to lead and coordinate project technical design planning and documentation, with a comprehensive approach encompassing landscape systems, code, constructability, cost analysis, permitting and fee management across phases from contract to bidding to project handover and post occupancy review. 
• Roughly 8+ years professional experience practicing landscape architecture and are located in the United States or Northeast region with ability to travel as required to oversee projects and work with teams.
• Proficiency in Revit, AutoCad Rhino and fluency with CSI specifications and project delivery  in the US. Global project delivery experience is a plus.
• Degree in landscape architecture, construction management or a related field.
• Licensure in landscape architecture is strongly encouraged, but not required.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit all application materials through the SlideRoom portal. Please, no phone calls or recruiting agencies. We will be in touch with next steps once your application has been reviewed. 

Please be prepared to include or present the following in your application/interview:

• Short Answers Questions
• Resume
• Portfolio of design work (include clear descriptions of your role and responsibilities on each project)
• References (At least 2)

At MASS Design Group we want people to be afforded the ability to do public interest work as a career and offer competitive salaries, health insurance, retirement plans as well as the opportunity to work with lighthouse organizations on seminal projects that promote justice and human dignity. 

With over 200 employees from almost a dozen countries, MASS lives our belief that only a diverse staff from widely varied cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds is properly equipped to tackle complex challenges in our communities. We aspire to create a more inclusive architecture profession and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For this role, salary determinations will be commensurate with experience.

Qualified candidates should submit all application materials through the SlideRoom portal. Please, no phone calls or recruiting agencies. We will be in touch with next steps once your application has been reviewed.

Open