Strategist

We are strategists, designers, sociologists, researchers, facilitators, visionaries, storytellers and solvers working collaboratively as a collective studio across geographies, creating transformative places using experience-led and human-centered design thinking. We work together to facilitate a more sustainable and inclusive experience, inspiring meaningful change for clients that harmonizes people and place.

We are looking for a Strategist at an intermediate level with experience in design strategy, experience master planning, change engagement and consultancy services to join our Strategy Studio. Your role would be to support the team and key client projects across a wide variety of sectors by helping shape strategic content, insights, recommendations and programs. You will be joining an integrated and diverse team from various industry backgrounds, where we expect you to have an understanding of client interaction, analyzing, problem solving, strategic design thinking and visual communication. You will work under the general supervision of a Senior Strategist primarily in supporting role but may take the lead on certain activities and initiatives. This includes supporting practice development and new business development.

JOB DUTIES

• Supporting project setup, mobilization and coordination.
• Designing tools and methods for engagement activities.
• Helping to facilitate engagement activities and capture feedback.
• Producing relevant insights from research and analysis.
• Working with various datasets to glean metrics and findings.
• Creating data visualizations, illustrations and graphics.
• Developing strategic recommendations.
• Building final deliverables such as strategic briefs.
• Reviewing work for quality control.
• Presenting to different audiences as part of delivery and business development.
• Taking part in project retrospectives to continuously improve and refine.
• Collecting and maintaining project benchmarking data.
• Carrying out administrative tasks to help the senior team.

EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE

• Graduate of architecture, design, psychology or business school.
• Equivalent experience may be substituted.
• 2-3 years experience within the architecture or design industry.
• At least 1 year doing design strategy, experience design, or consultancy services.
• Works under the leadership of a senior team member. Leads some aspects of projects.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Design / Technical / Consulting Abilities

• Technical Skill - Place strategy (analytics and problem solving).
• Experience master planning (human-centered design thinking).
• Change management (communications and engagements).
• Design guides (densities and space planning).
• Business development (proactive leads and pitches).
• Thought leadership (learning independently and sharing).

Methodology Skill

• Spatial benchmarking.
• Desk-based research.
• Observation studies.
• Experience and performance surveys.
• Workshops activities.
• User focus groups.
• Stakeholder interviews.

Engagement Skill

• Client engagements (timely and professional).
• Facilitation (individuals and groups).
• Active listening (sympathetic and responsive).

Deliverable Skill

• Quality assurance (checking work for errors).
• Presentation and graphics (professional and polished).
• New ideas and innovation (templates and approaches).

Systems Knowledge

• Adobe InDesign.
• Adobe Illustrator.
• Microsoft Word.
• Microsoft Excel.
• Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Autodesk Revit (beneficial).

Communication Skills

• Confidence and clarity (pace and space).
• Positivity and energy (passion or enthusiasm).
• Storytelling ability (simplifying the complex).

Managerial Skills

• Project leadership (expectations and delegations).
• Time management (planning and monitoring).
• Supporting others (teaching and mentoring).

For the majority of the time all staff will be working sitting in a studio with limited physical requirements. On occasion individuals will be required to visit a client site to perform engagement activities. This may require individuals to bend, stretch, twist and reach. The position is not subject to occupational and safety risks.

Interior Architects, Inc. (IA) provides equal opportunity in all aspects of recruitment and employment to all persons without regard to their race, color, creed, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marital status, nationality, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, uniformed service member and to promote the full realization of equal employment opportunities.