Job Description
Are you an operations-minded process manager who thrives at the intersection of design, systems, and organizational alignment? We are expanding our Design Standards Studio and looking for a Governance & Publications Lead to establish the operational framework, digital workspace architecture, and governance standards that keep our physical brand consistent across every project.
Our Design Standards Studio creates forward-looking, highly scaled physical design frameworks. Operating at the core of our organization, we bring together creative vision, technical precision, and operational rigor. Working closely with both the Design Studio and Production Studio, we build unified systems, documentation, and digital asset structures that empower internal teams and project execution partners to build efficiently and consistently.
As the Governance & Publications Lead, you will lead the studio's governance pillar-defining systems, creating operational tools, and maintaining a seamless digital ecosystem.
Responsibilities:
Lead Process & System Governance: Define, optimize, and maintain the end-to-end lifecycle for updating and managing physical design standards alongside cross-functional leadership.
Develop a Unified Digital Workspace: Serve as the system owner for studio workflow structures, including folder/drive architecture, and digital asset organization in close collaboration with the BIM Manager and Documentation Manager.
Control & Publish Standards: Partner with the Documentation Manager to organize, maintain, and publish design standards, playbooks, and templates through our Content Management System (CMS).
Drive Educational & Training Programs: Coordinate with studio leaders to plan and schedule internal training modules and workshops, keeping project managers and design teams up to date on evolving standards.
Monitor Workflow Performance: Track workflow health, identify operational bottlenecks, streamline process pipelines, and escalate key performance risks to Studio Directors.
Build Compliance & QA/QC Frameworks: Develop design aesthetic quality control checklists, review guidelines, and exception-tracking workflows for external CD90 Architect of Record (AOR) aesthetic verification submittals, enabling project managers to effectively monitor compliance with Design Studio Standards.
Manage Near-Term Software Assets: Oversee software seat allocations, compliance, and licensing coordination (e.g., Autodesk Revit, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite) in the near term, preparing processes for seamless transition to the Documentation Manager.
Qualifications
5+ years of experience in Design Operations, Architectural/Engineering Project Management, Program Management, or Design Governance.
Proven track record managing complex workflows and cross-functional alignment in design-heavy or corporate rollout environments (e.g., retail, hospitality, tech, or industrial programs).
Document Control & Digital Workspace Leadership: Hands-on experience establishing document control protocols, digital asset management, file-naming conventions, and folder architecture.
Stakeholder Management: Exceptional communication skills with a history of building consensus across diverse teams (Design, Engineering, Operations, and external partners).
Quality & Process Tooling: Demonstrated experience creating operational checklists, QA/QC frameworks, and governance playbooks for project execution teams.
Software Proficiency: Fluency with project management and digital collaboration tools such as Google Workspace, Asana, Miro, Bluebeam, and Autodesk Construction Cloud / BIM 360.
Preferred Qualifications:
Relevant Certifications: PMP/CAPM, Lean Six Sigma (Green or Black Belt), Procore / Document Control credentials, or ITIL Foundation.
Ground-Up Process Building: Experience working in fast-paced, high-growth, or R&D environments establishing new operational processes.
CMS & Digital Asset Knowledge: Familiarity collaborating with CMS managers, digital asset curators, or database administrators.
Industry Background: Prior experience in professional design services, architectural production, or real estate development.
Additional Information
*On-site presence and requirements may change depending on our client's needs.
The base salary range for this role is $140K-$160K. This range reflects the company's good faith estimate of the base salary for this position at the time of the posting. Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity. In addition to base salary, employees may be eligible for bonuses and a comprehensive benefits package
Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.
We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.
