If you're an experienced leader ready for a refreshing culture change — with the reward, autonomy and a team behind you — then this role may be for you.

You'll be given plenty of opportunity to drive the direction of the education and community portfolio end to end: the design direction, the client relationships, the pipeline and the team that delivers it. It's a part of the business that is yours to shape, grow and be known for — with people and systems around you who are genuinely invested in you doing it well.

You'll work alongside founder and Managing Director Michael Bailey, and Mark Burrowes, formerly Principal in the Brisbane studio of Architectus and a design leader at Cox Architecture. Between them, close to fifty years on some of Queensland's most significant public projects — and a shared conviction that our nimble, collaborative and design focused studio can deliver high calibre work with freedom and fun.

Exciting projects that you will be working on include a new school campus in Regional Queensland, Special Schools across South East Queensland, along with other exciting opportunities including a chocolate factory and Health Science Academy. Queensland's education, community and social housing pipeline over the next decade is the strongest it has been in a generation, and we are positioned right across it.

Your energy, 'can-do' attitude passion for design will mean that you mesh well with our team who take great pride in delivering well considered, inventive and joyful projects that have real impact in our community.

What you get

The freedom to run it. You set the design direction and the delivery approach. Decisions are made in the room by the people closest to the work, so you'll make the calls you were hired to make and get straight on with them. Your calendar is yours to run — what matters here is the work, the clients and the team.

Trust that runs both ways. You'll be one of a small group of directors in a studio where your judgement carries. When you make a call, it stands — and it's backed publicly, in front of clients and in front of the team. In return you'll inherit a team you can hand work to and trust it will come back well considered.

Directors who back each other. Michael and Mark are two experienced sounding boards, available when you want to test an idea and content to stay out of the way when you don't. Design reviews here are generous and rigorous in equal measure — the point is to make the work better.

A team that runs with it. Talented, ambitious architects and designers who take real pride in what they produce, want to be pushed, and will tell you honestly when they see it differently. You'll shape who joins next, and you'll have a say in how they're developed.

Support so you can lead rather than administrate. Dedicated marketing and bid support, a business manager who owns finance and studio operations, and internal systems we invest in properly. Your hours go to design, clients and people — the things only you can do.

Work that means something. We design schools where children thrive, sports precincts where communities gather, and public places that give neighbourhoods their identity. It has to be beautiful, and it has to be cost-effective to build, run and maintain — with public money, we treat that as a design discipline in its own right.

To be Considered for the role you must demonstrate:

Master of Architecture and registration with the Board of Architects Queensland (or immediate eligibility)

15+ years' post-graduate experience, with a strong track record on education and/or community projects delivered in Australia

Proven ability to lead projects from concept through documentation and contract administration

Experience developing and leading a team of architects to high-quality outcomes

Established client relationships in the Queensland public, education or community sectors

Confidence presenting to school leadership, council officers, government clients and selection panels

Solid grasp of regulatory requirements including the NCC, Australian Standards and Queensland education facility design standards

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Good initiative and self-motivation

A positive, 'can-do' attitude

Energy and passion for architecture that has meaning and impact

The right to work in Australia

Your Responsibilities include:

Leading the design direction and delivery of the education and community portfolio

Growing the client base and converting opportunities into work

Leading, mentoring and growing the team around the portfolio, and backing them the way you'd want to be backed

Managing resourcing, programme and profitability across your projects

Contributing to studio strategy and key decisions alongside the Managing Director

How to apply

Start with a conversation, not a CV.

If this sounds like you, DO NOT APPLY VIA SEEK - PLEASE EMAIL US on ••••@openarchitecture.studio and we will be in touch.

Please, no CV's or portfolios at this stage - this is very important.