Firmwide Director of DiversityKey Responsibilities:Strategic Leadership & Vision- Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on firmwide J.E.D.I. priorities, culture, and organizational impact.
- Advance a cohesive J.E.D.I. vision aligned with the firm's values, business strategy, and design ethos.
- Embed equity, inclusion, and accessibility into leadership practices, talent systems, business operations, and studio culture in partnership with other firmwide leaders. Identify emerging trends, opportunities, and barriers impacting representation, belonging, and engagement across the firm.
Project Work - Maintain an active practitioner perspective that connects J.E.D.I. strategy to interdisciplinary design practice and studio culture.
- Educate and guide teams in bridging the craft of design with the identities, histories, languages, lived experiences, and cultural values of the communities we serve, scaling this philosophy to shape firmwide design thinking.
- Contribute to key projects across the firm that advance J.E.D.I. strategic priorities.
- Partner with practice leaders to strengthen inclusive and equitable design leadership across disciplines.
- Deepen the connection between J.E.D.I., design excellence, community impact, sustainability, and social responsibility.
- Champion inclusive and accessible design practices that reflect the diverse abilities, experiences, and needs of clients, communities, users, users, and stakeholders across cultural and geographic contexts.
Talent, Culture & Leadership Development- Coach and support leaders in building inclusive leadership capability and accountability.
- Foster a culture where diverse perspectives drive innovation, creativity, and design excellence.
- Promote environments where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute and grow.
Measurement, Accountability & Organizational Impact- Establish metrics and accountability frameworks to measure organizational progress and impact.
- Analyze qualitative and quantitative insights to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
- Drive continuous improvement through transparency, learning, and measurable outcomes.
Collaboration & Communication- Build strong partnerships across studios, disciplines, regions, and corporate teams, with cultural fluency and respect for local norms and practices.
- Lead firmwide conversations and learning initiatives that strengthen engagement and shared understanding.
- Serve as a connector across leadership, employee resource groups, and practice communities.
- Communicate with clarity, credibility, empathy, and influence.
External Engagement & Industry Leadership- Represent Perkins&Will as an advocate and thought leader in J.E.D.I. and inclusive design practice.
- Build partnerships with organizations advancing inclusion across race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, neurodiversity, and other historically excluded identities and experiences, including community organizations, universities, and professional associations.
- Support initiatives that expand access, mentorship, and pathways into the profession.
- Strengthen the firm's reputation as a leader in equitable, sustainable, and human-centered design.
- Strategically grow external partnerships beyond existing networks to advance broader representation across the design profession, cultivating long-term relationships with underrepresented and historically excluded communities through shared learning, mentorship, and pathway-building initiatives.
Qualifications | Required Experience & Capabilities- Demonstrated success as a practitioner within one or more core design disciplines relevant to Perkins&Will's practice.
- Experience leading J.E.D.I., culture, or organizational change initiatives within a complex professional services or multidisciplinary environment.
- Proven ability to influence leadership and drive enterprise-wide change through collaboration and trust.
- Strong understanding of organizational culture, leadership development, and inclusive workplace practices.
- Excellent communication, facilitation, strategic planning, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to navigate complexity and sensitive issues with integrity, empathy, and sound judgment.
- Demonstrated commitment to advancing equity and inclusion within the design profession and built environment.
- Proven ability to lead change management efforts with empathy and influence, meeting leaders where they are and encouraging a growth mindset.
Education & Credentials- Professional degree in architecture, interior design, planning, landscape architecture, organizational leadership, human resources, or a related field required.
- Licensure or professional credentials within a relevant discipline strongly preferred.
- Advanced degree and/or certifications in organizational development, equity and inclusion, leadership, or change management preferred.
- Ongoing engagement in professional learning, industry leadership, and emerging J.E.D.I. practices expected.
Compensation:We foster a culture that is diverse and inclusive and strive for pay practices that are fair, competitive and reflect our commitment to pay equity. Our compensation decisions include but are not limited to a candidate's qualifications including skill sets, education, experience and training, licensure and certifications credentials if applicable, and business-related factors. This practice extends to all employees, including performance considerations for merit increases, job promotions, and transfer opportunities. We additionally review our pay practices, conduct pay equity audits, and ensure our managers are trained in our pay practices on an annual basis. At the time of posting this job advertisement, the annual pay salary range for this position is between $160,000 to $225,000, commensurate with qualifications and dependent on geographic location.
This role can be located in any of our major US office locations.
