Design Manager – Sports & Entertainment - Senior

Your Role You will direct multidisciplinary design teams and specialist consultants on the industry's most influential projects. From world-class stadiums to immersive live entertainment venues, you will oversee the intersection of complex architecture and the electric energy of a live crowd. As a Senior Design Manager at Gensler, you will lead the delivery of sports and entertainment projects, working hands‑on across all project phases from concept through completion. You act as the central point of coordination between clients and multidisciplinary teams, helping shape project strategy while maintaining momentum, quality, and alignment with client objectives. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, you are responsible for overall project execution, including managing client relationships, coordinating consultants, contractors, and authorities, and ensuring successful outcomes. As the primary client contact, you drive communication, mentor junior team members, and uphold Gensler’s design excellence and standards throughout the life of each project. This position will be based in Melbourne.

What You Will Do

• Lead design and project management, ensuing alignment with client goals and firm standards.
• Drive the project delivery during all phases of the project ensuring milestones and deliverables are met
• Develop and maintain project schedules, budgets, and work plans to guide successful delivery
• Lead relationships with the client, contractor, agencies, as well as engineering and specialty consultants
• Prepare and review proposals, contracts, and consultant agreements to establish clear scope and expectations.
• Track internal project financial metrics and coordinate with the accounting team on invoicing
• Participate in marketing and business development including, proposal development, and project interviews
• Manage mid-size to large project teams, assign and monitor completion of tasks
• Support mentorship of junior staff
• Oversee the coordination and document preparation for the project and provide quality assurance via review of project documentation

Your Qualifications

• 12+ years of project/design management experience in an architecture firm
• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Architecture
• Extensive experience in all phases of architectural projects, preferrably for sport stadium, training facilities, and entertainment venues
• Ability to provide excellent client service and assure project profitability
• Desire to lead teams and to mentor junior staff
• High level of architecture competence and expertise in mixed-use developments
• High level of knowledge of state and local building codes, including accessibility
• Sustainable design experience, with a preference for hands-on LEED project participation and accreditation
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex design concepts into compelling narratives for client presentations, consultant coordination, and internal team alignment
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and Project), AutoCAD and/or Revit

Life at Gensler As a people-first organization, we are as committed to enjoying life as we are to delivering best-in-class design. From internal design competitions to research grants to “Well-being Week,” our offices reflect our people’s diverse interests. We encourage every person at Gensler to lead a healthy and balanced life. We offer profit sharing and twice annual bonus opportunities. As part of the firm’s commitment to licensure and professional development, Gensler offers reimbursement for certain professional licenses and associated renewals and exam fees. In addition, we reimburse tuition for certain eligible programs or classes. We view our professional development programs as strategic investments in our future.