Senior Project Manager- Creative Development Lead

Senior Project Manager- Creative Development Lead

Role Description: Huitt-Zollars, Inc. is seeking a Senior Project Manager/Creative Development Lead. The successful candidate will bring 20+ years of relevant creative development experience and will be located in-office either at the firm's Orlando, FL or Los Angeles, CA office.

This role in themed entertainment leads the translation of intellectual property (IP) into immersive built environments. They bridge the gap between creative storytelling and structural execution, overseeing master planning, environmental design, and construction.

This role is responsible for establishing and executing the creative vision across themed entertainment, experiential environments, hospitality, and destination-based mixed-use projects within our Commercial Architecture Practice. This position serves as the lead creative oversight within the Creative Development Division team to ensure storytelling, guest experience, and environmental design are fully integrated into the architectural delivery process.

This full-time role includes creative leadership, team management, project integration, and scope development. Duties include but are not limited to, development of creative concepts and story frameworks, oversight of design quality and standards, coordination with architectural and engineering teams, leadership of creative staff, collaboration with specialty vendors and fabricators, and support of project delivery from concept through implementation. This role works in direct alignment with the VP - Creative Development to translate creative intent into executable design direction while maintaining design integrity throughout all phases.

Location: Orlando, FL or Los Angeles, CA, in-office (no relocation provided)

Employment Type: 40 FT Hours

Title: Senior Associate (must meet the requirement of more than 20 years of relevant professional years of experience)

Reports to: Vice President, Creative Development

Compensation Type: Salary/Exempt

Wage Range: $165,000-$180,000 Orlando, FL or Los Angeles, CA

Registration(s): N/A

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Design, Architecture, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Creative Development Lead Duties:

• Serve as the lead creative authority across all Creative Development projects, establishing vision, storytelling frameworks, and experiential strategies.
• Lead the development of creative concepts, thematic direction, and guest experience design across multiple project types.
• Establish and maintain creative standards, review processes, and quality benchmarks for all design output.
• Oversee and mentor creative staff including show set designers, art directors, illustrators, graphic designers, and environmental designers.
• Develop team structure, workflows, and cross-disciplinary collaboration models.
• Collaborate with architectural and engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of creative intent into the built environment.
• Provide creative oversight during all phases of design including concept, schematic design, design development, and documentation.
• Lead interdisciplinary design coordination to ensure all creative and technical systems are fully integrated and aligned within the design documentation.
• Support recruitment, staffing strategies, and professional development of creative personnel.
• Identify opportunities to expand scope of services and support development of pricing for additional work and change orders.
• Ensure creative deliverables align with project schedule, budget, and operational requirements.
• Communicate creative direction clearly across internal teams, clients, and external partners.
• Serve as final decision authority on design documentation, coordination, and creative standards.
• Translate creative intent into coordinated, documentable, and executable design packages.
• Lead coordination of design deliverables across disciplines through all documentation phases.
• Ensure integration of architectural systems, show systems, and technical infrastructure within design documentation.

Senior Project Manager Role Key Responsibilities:

• Leads Major Projects: Undertakes Project Manager responsibilities for major projects ($1.5 million+ annual billing) Ensures creative intent is clearly defined, documented, and maintained throughout project delivery.
• HZ Work Planning: Prepares and follows comprehensive Project Framework Instructions and proper work planning for a project. Ensures proper staff is assigned and utilized on their projects.
• Actively Monitors & Leads Projects: Reviews project reports and performance metrics to track project progress and budget. Leads successful projects (profit, on-schedule, quality, satisfied client). Verifies client satisfaction routinely and shares feedback with team.
• Project Performance: Contributes to successful delivery and performance of projects Actively participates in mentoring, coaching, and development of creative staff.
• Client Relationships: Cultivates relationships with new clients and holds strong relationships with existing clients .
• Business Processes: Understands, follows, and enforces Huitt-Zollars' business process including weekly rhythm.
• Business Development: Takes active steps in the pursuit of winning new business or additional opportunities with existing clients and may be responsible for assigned portion of office sales goal. Assists and/or leads team in pursuit of new work (repeat work, SOQ and Proposals). Develops and/or executes project Win strategy.
• Quality: Understands and follows HZ QMS and Quality initiatives. Ensures quality control measures are being adhered to on projects and daily operations.
• Staff Development: Actively engages and participates in the training, coaching, and mentoring of junior staff.
• Job Knowledge: Understands duties and responsibilities, possesses necessary job knowledge and technical skills, maintains job knowledge current.

Senior Project Manager (SPM) Role Annual Performance Goals & Expectations:

• Having a deep understanding of how your work and contributions add to Huitt-Zollars' mission and core values.
• Maintaining a strong Effective Labor Multiplier (ELM) on sum of all associated projects.
• Consistently upholds business processes including timely monthly A/R's, invoicing, timekeeping, resource forecasting, percent completes etc.
• Achieve personal sales goal.
• Achieves stated target personal utilization goal for SPM.
• Understands, follows and ensures quality control measures and risk management measures are being applied and adhered to projects and daily operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Prepares and follows comprehensive Project Framework Instructions and proper work planning for a project. Ensures proper staff is assigned and utilized on their projects.
• Reviews project reports and performance metrics to track project progress and budget. Leads successful projects (profit, on-schedule, quality, satisfied client).
• Contributes to successful delivery and performance of projects.
• Cultivates relationships with clients and holds strong relationships with clients.
• Understands, follows, and enforces Huitt-Zollars' business process including weekly rhythm.
• Takes active steps in the pursuit of winning new business or additional opportunities with existing clients and may be responsible for a stated portion of office sales goal. Assists and/or leads team in pursuit of new work (repeat work, SOQ and Proposals). Develops and/or executes project Win strategy.
• Understands and follows HZ QMS and Quality initiatives. Ensures quality control measures are being adhered to on projects and daily operations.
• Actively engages and participates in the training, coaching, and mentoring of junior staff.
• Understands duties and responsibilities, possesses necessary job knowledge and technical skills, maintains job knowledge current.

Role Competencies:

• Adaptable: Adjusting behaviors and plans to new circumstances while maintaining a positive attitude.
• Manages Time and Priorities: Maintaining focus on high-priority work through thoughtful management of time and utilization of systems, tools and processes.
• Organizes Resources: Fostering thoughtful utilization of human and material resources to optimize success.
• Sharing Information: Conveying up-to-date information in the most efficient and useful manner to the appropriate stakeholders.
• Plans Effectively: Making plans for work to be accomplished in a timely manner and utilizing resources sparingly.
• Builds Relationships: Showing deep interest in others and intentionally developing rapport.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Design, Architecture, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum of 20 years of relevant experience in themed entertainment, experiential design, hospitality, or related industries.
• Demonstrated leadership of multi-disciplinary creative teams.
• Proven experience developing story-driven spatial design and experiential environments.
• Strong portfolio showcasing thematic integration, placemaking, and guest experience design.
• Ability to translate conceptual ideas into clear, executable design direction.
• Experience working with architectural teams and integrated project delivery environments.
• Familiarity with show systems, AV/media integration, fabrication, and installation processes.
• Excellent verbal, visual, and written communication skills.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities with limited supervision.
• Highly collaborative, detail-oriented, and proactive in approach.

This position is also required to adhere to Huitt-Zollars' Core Value and Leadership Competencies

About Huitt-Zollars:

• Huitt-Zollars, Inc. is a privately held, 100% employee-owned leading Architectural and Engineering (A/E) firm since being established in 1975. Since then, our firm has been providing innovative planning, engineering, architectural and interior design, construction and program management, and design-build services to our clients.
• Located in more than 20 locations throughout 10 different US states, Huitt-Zollars holds a vision to improve the environment in which we live, work, and play. Employees/co-owners can expect to collaborate with their team, listen to client and community needs, and deliver world-class professional services. Learn more about a career with #teamHZ by viewing our LinkedIN Life age.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds on occasion
• The employee must be able to concentrate on details, work under deadline pressures, apply sound logic and judgment, and prioritize tasks and responsibilities

Applicants must be legally authorized to work for Huitt-Zollars in the U.S. without employer sponsorship. Currently, Huitt-Zollars does not sponsor H1-B or any other work visa petitions.

Huitt-Zollars does not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters without a previously signed third-party agreement. Any unsolicited third-party resumes forwarded by recruiters to any Huitt-Zollars hiring manager or employee will be considered public information, may be treated as a direct application from the person identified in the resume, and will not be eligible for placement fee payment to the agency submitting the unsolicited resume. Huitt-Zollars will not pay a fee to a third-party recruiter or agency that has not coordinated their recruiting activity with the appropriate member of the Human Resources team and without an active, fully executed service agreement.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. Huitt-Zollars is a federal contractor and subcontractor and abides by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a), which prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on protected veteran status or disability and require affirmative action to employ and advance qualified protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.