Job Description

Senior Design Architect – K-12 Facilities

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Compensation: $200,000 – $220,000 annually Position Summary

Pen Pioneer is seeking an accomplished Senior Design Architect tolead and support K-12 facilities planning and capital design programs . This role serves as the architectural authority and owner's representative , guiding design standards, space planning, consultant teams, and regulatory coordination to ensure educational facilities meet instructional, functional, and compliance requirements.

The ideal candidate is a licensed California Architect with deep experience in K-12 educational facilities , capital programs, and managing architectural design from early planning through approvals and construction documentation.

Required Education

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture or closely related field (required)

• Master's degree in Architecture (preferred)

• Continuing education in educational facilities planning or school design (preferred)

Required Licenses / Certifications

• Active California Architect License (required)
  (Professional Engineer license may be considered if paired with significant K-12 design leadership experience)

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of professional experience in architectural design, facilities planning, or capital project delivery

• Minimum 5 years of direct experience designing, planning, or managing K-12 educational facilities

• Demonstrated experience overseeing space programming, educational specifications, and design standards

• Strong working knowledge of CDE and DSA requirements

• Proven ability to lead architectural teams and manage external consultants

• Experience reviewing design deliverables for functional, budgetary, and regulatory compliance

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and update Educational Specifications, School Design Guidelines, and space program standards

• Partner with instructional staff, school leadership, and architects to define facility attributes that support academic programs

• Lead space planning and programming efforts aligned with district standards and educational goals

• Review architectural design deliverables for space planning, adjacencies, functionality, and compliance

• Coordinate design activities to ensure alignment with CDE, DSA, and other regulatory requirements

• Serve as the lead architectural reviewer for modernization, upgrade, and critical repair projects

• Manage the architectural design process to ensure compliance with program, budget, environmental, legal, and regulatory constraints

• Support selection and assignment of architectural firms based on qualifications and performance criteria

• Provide clear direction to architectural teams regarding standards, schedules, budgets, and site requirements

• Review design changes to confirm continued budget alignment

• Conduct post-occupancy evaluations and recommend improvements to design standards

Screener Questions

1. Describe your experience serving as the lead architect or design authority on K-12 facilities projects.

2. What types of K-12 projects have you worked on, and what was your role in space programming and educational specifications?

3. How have you coordinated with CDE and DSA during design and approval phases?

4. Tell us about a time you identified a design issue that impacted functionality, budget, or compliance—how did you resolve it?

5. How do you provide direction and maintain accountability with external architectural consultant teams?

Senior Design Architect – K-12 Facilities

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Compensation: $200,000 – $220,000 annually

Position Summary

Pen Pioneer is seeking an accomplished Senior Design Architect to lead and support K-12 facilities planning and capital design programs . This role serves as the architectural authority and owner's representative , guiding design standards, space planning, consultant teams, and regulatory coordination to ensure educational facilities meet instructional, functional, and compliance requirements.

The ideal candidate is a licensed California Architect with deep experience in K-12 educational facilities , capital programs, and managing architectural design from early planning through approvals and construction documentation.

Required Education

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture or closely related field (required)

• Master's degree in Architecture (preferred)

• Continuing education in educational facilities planning or school design (preferred)

Required Licenses / Certifications

• Active California Architect License (required)
  (Professional Engineer license may be considered if paired with significant K-12 design leadership experience)

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of professional experience in architectural design, facilities planning, or capital project delivery

• Minimum 5 years of direct experience designing, planning, or managing K-12 educational facilities

• Demonstrated experience overseeing space programming, educational specifications, and design standards

• Strong working knowledge of CDE and DSA requirements

• Proven ability to lead architectural teams and manage external consultants

• Experience reviewing design deliverables for functional, budgetary, and regulatory compliance

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and update Educational Specifications, School Design Guidelines, and space program standards

• Partner with instructional staff, school leadership, and architects to define facility attributes that support academic programs

• Lead space planning and programming efforts aligned with district standards and educational goals

• Review architectural design deliverables for space planning, adjacencies, functionality, and compliance

• Coordinate design activities to ensure alignment with CDE, DSA, and other regulatory requirements

• Serve as the lead architectural reviewer for modernization, upgrade, and critical repair projects

• Manage the architectural design process to ensure compliance with program, budget, environmental, legal, and regulatory constraints

• Support selection and assignment of architectural firms based on qualifications and performance criteria

• Provide clear direction to architectural teams regarding standards, schedules, budgets, and site requirements

• Review design changes to confirm continued budget alignment

• Conduct post-occupancy evaluations and recommend improvements to design standards

Screener Questions

1. Describe your experience serving as the lead architect or design authority on K-12 facilities projects.

2. What types of K-12 projects have you worked on, and what was your role in space programming and educational specifications?

3. How have you coordinated with CDE and DSA during design and approval phases?

4. Tell us about a time you identified a design issue that impacted functionality, budget, or compliance—how did you resolve it?

5. How do you provide direction and maintain accountability with external architectural consultant teams?

Job Tags

Similar Jobs