Project Manager

ESI Design, an NBBJ Studio, transforms places into experiences that drive excitement and create a unique invitation for personal interaction and empathy. We experiment and collaborate to develop new ideas for high-profile, visionary clients. We are a community of makers that design, develop and construct large-scale, novel ideas. As a studio within the highly regarded NBBJ Design firm, we are uniquely positioned within the experience industry. We partner with pioneers like Barclays, eBay, Beacon Capital Partners, the Statue of Liberty Museum, and WarnerMedia to create solutions for tomorrow guided by our vision: we design for life.

ESI Design’s approach to experience design combines the physical, digital and behavioral to create memorable moments. We believe the most compelling experiences are born from interdisciplinary collaboration. As a result, our eclectic team and user-first approach allows us to provide a range of experience solutions and a depth of service that’s unique in the world of design. We don’t do off-the-rack solutions – we create custom experiences that are tailor made for every individual client’s needs.

The role at a glance:

ESI Design is seeking an Experience Design Project Manager. The studio is seeking someone who can work independently and collaboratively with a team to manage experiential projects of varying sizes and lead work efforts of others, oversee the production of project deliverables, and interpret client needs. The successful candidate will have excellent communication and teamwork skills, and the motivation to engage with the array of ESI’s resources in achieving high-performance outcomes.

In your new role you will:

• Manage the design process to meet the budget & schedule parameters
• Direct and manage project development from beginning to end
• Define project scope, goals, team resources and deliverables in conjunction with senior management for new and existing projects.
• Effectively communicate project expectations to team members and stakeholders in a timely and clear fashion.
• Estimate the resources and participants needed to achieve project goals
• Collaborate with NBBJ Architectural teams
• Oversee the internal multi-disciplinary design team including 3D/physical designers, technical systems designers, interactive designers, writers and graphic designers, animators
• Oversee subcontracted design specialists such as Lighting designers
• Set and continually manage project expectations with team members, project partners and other stakeholders
• Identify and manage design project schedule; identify dependencies, clarify critical path, track project milestones and deliverables
• Proactively manage changes in project scope, identify potential escalation issues, and devise contingency plans
• Collaborate with Production Manager to ensure designs hit budget and timeframe parameters
• Act as point of contact for all client and collaborator communications
• Participate in marketing and business development ventures, with an ability to convey information on ESI process and deliverables

What you will need to succeed:

• Strong project management experience in architecture, media and/or exhibitions fields
• At least 5-8 years of demonstrated management experience for an experiential design firm
• Must have excellent communication (verbal/written) skills with respect to team members, peers, and management
• Demonstrated experience developing project strategy and analytical problem solving
• Comfortable interacting with senior executives both within firm and to external partners and clients
• Proven ability to work in cross-functional environments including corporate, retail, communication design and public space design
• Working knowledge of Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Keynote, Acrobat, Smartsheet
• Recommended basic knowledge of FastTrack, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and online collaboration tools (Basecamp, Google apps suite, 10kft)
• This position requires frequent travel to client locations for meetings

The annual base pay range for this role is anticipated to be between $120,000 and $140,000. Actual compensation for successful candidates will be carefully determined based on a number of factors, including their skills, qualifications and experience.

We believe that all NBBJ employees should love their work. This means not only loving what you do but having pride in your workplace. We strive to be that irresistible place to work by enhancing your employee experience with customized programs and comprehensive benefits. In addition to 100% covered employee healthcare costs and 401k contributions, we offer unique professional development opportunities, volunteer opportunities and access to leading technology and resources to further help you love your work and advance your career.

• NBBJ has been named three times by Fast Company as one of the most innovative architecture firms.
• Founded in 1943, our first office opened over 75 years ago in Seattle, Washington. We now have over 10 office locations around the globe.
• We are a transdisciplinary, cross-practice focused firm with a deep portfolio of Civic & Cultural, Commercial, Corporate, Healthcare, Higher Education, Science and Technology, Sports, and Urban Environment projects. We also have several areas of service expertise including: Architecture, Environmental Graphic Design, Interior Design, Lighting Design, Workplace Consulting and more.
• In the past decade, NBBJ has received more than 300 awards from leading global, national and regional award programs across the business, real estate and design communities.
• We work with 5 of the top global high-tech companies, 14 of the U.S. News and World Report Top Hospitals, and 4 of the top 10 highest-ranked learning institutions.
• Our clients include institutional leaders such as Cambridge University, Google, Samsung, Cleveland Clinic, Tencent, and Stanford University.