Planning Leader, Cultural + Performing Arts

DLR Group is an integrated design firm with a promise to elevate the human experience through design. This fuels the work we do around the world and inspires our mission to improve the lives of our clients, our communities, and our planet. If this sparks your interest, you’re in the right place.

DLR Group's Cultural and Performing Arts practice has an opening for an Senior Planner. We operate within a hybrid work model, supporting flexibility between office time and work from home. Considering this model, this role could be based in the following cities:

• Dallas

• Houston

• New York

• Los Angeles

• Orlando

• Other DLR Group offices may be considered

Role Summary

As a Senior Planner/Urban Designer, you will be an important part of our integrated design process and will gain exposure to all elements of the planning and design process.

As a valued member of the planning team, you will be responsible for leading and growing our planning and urban design practice within the region and nationally. The role will work closely with business development and practice leaders across sectors and disciplines.

This is an opportunity to be involved in high-impact arts and entertainment related planning and urban design projects by collaborating with interdisciplinary design teams' firm-wide to establish long range plans for clients. The ideal candidate will support planning and design projects focused on equity, community engagement, sustainability, resiliency, and innovative learning environments. This is a fantastic opportunity to grow, learn, and contribute your design voice to our brand promise of Elevating the Human Experience.

About Cultural + Performing Arts at DLR Group

DLR Group’s experience in design for the arts spans nearly five decades encompassing work on more than 300 arts and cultural facilities around the country and internationally. These include: theaters and performance venues of all types; museums and galleries; media and broadcast related projects; and instructional and studio spaces for dance, drama, music, and the visual arts. Our award-winning portfolio includes projects in new construction and renovation as well as master planning for the arts. Our multi-disciplinary practice has in-house architects, engineers, technology designers—including experts in acoustics, audiovisual systems, theatrical systems, and lighting design—and business operations and funding specialists who focus exclusively on cultural projects. These experts guide clients through every phase of a project, creating compelling solutions that are recognized for their technical, aesthetic, and operational quality.

What you will do:

• Act as a growth agent for DLR Group within the arts and entertainment, museums, planning and urban design community, visible in speaking events, writing, and other activities to amplify DLR Group’s planning and design voice

• Identify, pursue and secure new projects through building a client network for relevant planning projects amongst municipal, organizations and institutions focused on arts and entertainment

• Attend industry events, business development events, interviews, and client meetings

• Participate and provide technical support to planning and urban design pursuits including interviews, and presentations

• Lead project teams for planning, design and/or technical development of planning and urban design projects

• Write narratives and develop deliverables that explain recommendations and capital planning for facilities, open space, and infrastructure to a variety of audiences

• Possess a strong conceptual design ability, a solid professional planning acumen, and can meaningfully contribute to projects involving complex sites at a variety of scales and in widely divergent social, environmental, and geographic contexts

• Be a leader who champions equity for a wide spectrum of individuals within the region and across our planning and design practice

• Coordinate with project teams and align with QA/QC, Practice Standards, and DLR Group protocols

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in architecture or related construction industry degree

• 10+ years of professional experience in planning and/or urban design

• Experience in leading arts and entertainment related planning projects, client communications, and community engagement

• Possess excellent written, verbal, and graphic communication skills

• Ability to manage complex tasks and competing priorities

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional licensure and/or AICP, LEED AP and other sustainability related certification

• Graduate degree in urban planning and/or urban design

#LI-MIS

Our comprehensive Benefits at DLR Group include medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, and paid time off. We also offer a 401(k) plan, employee stock ownership, and bonus opportunities. Compensation considerations are based on location, experience, and skills. The suggested pay range for this position is:

Pay Range
$120,000—$150,000 USD

Our comprehensive Benefits at DLR Group include medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, and paid time off. We also offer a 401(k) plan, employee stock ownership, and bonus opportunities. Compensation considerations are based on location, experience, and skills. The suggested hourly rate for this position is:

Hourly Rate
$120,000—$150,000 USD

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new builds, renovations, and adaptive reuse projects.

We are 100% employee-owned: every employee is literally invested in our clients’ success. At the core of our firm are interdisciplinary teams engaged in every step of project lifecycles. Our teams champion true collaboration, open information sharing, shared risk and reward, value-based decision making, and proficient use of technology to deliver exceptional design. We are pursuing the goals of the 2030 Challenge, the ME2040, and the SE2050, and are an initial signatory of the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

Through our values – commitment, creativity, environmental stewardship, fun, integrity, ownership, sharing, teamwork – we elevate the human experience through design, together.

DLR Group follows a four-day in-office work model, with employees having the flexibility to work somewhere other than the office on Fridays.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/M/F/Veteran/Disabled employer.