Senior Strategist

Life at PE:

Perkins Eastman is a global architectural design practice with expertise in all aspects of the built environment, working at all scales, and at every level of detail. With studios in 24 locations worldwide, we design for people, to leave a lasting and positive impact on the human experience and the world we inhabit. This is captured in our ethos "human by design".

We believe design is a collaborative art and we are structured as integrated practice of passionate professionals committed to delivering the best design for our clients. Our team of diverse and complementary talents work together in studios, that can draw from relevant expertise and points of view from across the whole practice to analyze and solve the specific design challenges they are working on. Within the firm we have 18 practice areas, cores of expertise, that focus as centers of knowledge and analysis, that are both an essential foundation and fuel for the creative design work. Sustainability is intrinsic to our design approach. It is an essential ingredient for the design teams throughout the process, adding valuable insights, ideas, and research to the process. For us all good design is sustainable.

Our Strategy team brings a consulting mindset to the design process. We are a multidisciplinary group of strategists, designers, architects, planners, and researchers who work with clients to uncover insights, engage stakeholders, and shape thoughtful strategies that inform the built environment.

Using human-centered research and design thinking, we help organizations navigate complex challenges and make better decisions about their workplaces, schools, healthcare environments, and communities.

The Opportunity:

Perkins Eastman is seeking a Senior Strategist to join our growing team. This role is ideal for an experienced professional who enjoys working directly with clients, leading strategic conversations, and translating research and insights into clear recommendations.

You will work across multiple sectors—including but not limited to workplace, healthcare, education, and cities and communities—supporting organizations as they navigate change and make strategic decisions about their environments.

This role requires someone who is comfortable wearing many hats: strategist, facilitator, researcher, and advisor. You should be equally comfortable leading a client workshop, synthesizing research into a compelling narrative, and collaborating with design teams to ensure strategic insights inform project outcomes.

Travel will be required for client engagements and workshops.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Client Engagement & Strategic Leadership
  Build trusted relationships with clients and lead client-facing engagements such as workshops, stakeholder interviews, and visioning sessions.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  Plan and facilitate stakeholder engagement activities—including such things as interviews, focus groups, and participatory workshops—to understand needs and align organizations around shared priorities.
• Strategic Thinking & Insight Development
  Conduct research, analyze qualitative and quantitative data, and translate insights into clear strategic recommendations, frameworks, and guiding principles.
• Change Management
  Develop and implement change management strategies that help organizations successfully transition to new environments, ways of working, or operating models.
• Collaboration with Design Teams
  Work closely with architects, designers, and planners to ensure strategic insights are integrated throughout the design process.
• Practice Development
  Contribute to proposals, thought leadership, and business development efforts that support the continued growth of Perkins Eastman’s Strategy practice.

Required Qualifications:

• 7–10+ years of relevant experience in consulting, strategy, design research, change management, or a related field
• Significant client-facing experience, including leading workshops and engaging senior stakeholders
• Demonstrated experience with organizational change management
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication abilities
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear insights and compelling narratives
• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Willingness to travel for client engagements

Preferred Qualifications:

• Background in Business, Design, Planning, Human Factors, Psychology or a related field.
• Experience working in sectors such as workplace, healthcare, education, or hospitality
• Familiarity with design thinking and human-centered research methodologies
• Proficiency in PowerPoint and Microsoft Office; with experience and strong skills in Adobe InDesign, Canva, and other collaboration or design platforms. We are especially interested in candidates who are deeply curious about people, organizations, and the environments we inhabit—individuals who enjoy asking thoughtful questions, exploring unfamiliar territory, and connecting ideas from different disciplines. If this sounds like you, we encourage you to apply.

This role may be based in one of our office locations: Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, or Washington, D.C.

Applicants must hold relevant work authorization for the selected location.

What we offer you:

• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage
• 401k Options
• PTO
• Company Paid Holidays
• Life Insurance
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Professional Development
• Competitive salary

PE has a hybrid policy that allows flexibility for our employees in managing their working days and hours to cater to their diverse needs.

Salary Range: $115k to $140k

Perkins Eastman is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and a participant in the U.S. Federal E-Verify program. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.