This is not a replacement role. It is a next-chapter role.

As Studio Lead, provide day-to-day leadership for our Ottawa-based team of architects and designers while remaining actively engaged in project work at a senior level leading some of our larger and more complex files. You will be a visible, trusted presence for the team, a collaborative partner across the firm, and an ambassador for Figurr in the broader professional community.

This role balances people leadership, project leadership, and operational oversight.

Why this role exists

Our practice has grown in scale, complexity, and ambition. With that growth comes the need for a dedicated leader who can strengthen the studio from within and who can:

• Be a go-to person and mentor for the team
• Strengthen how we care for our people and our projects
• Provide thoughtful oversight of resources, workloads, and project health
• Represent Figurr with clarity, credibility, and purpose
• Provide Architectural Project leadership on some of Figurr’s larger project files

This role is about leadership through presence, not hierarchy. About support before control. About long-term sustainability: for people, projects, and the firm.

Why this role is for you

This role is likely a strong fit if you:

Have 10+ years of leadership experience within an architectural practice and with leading complex architectural projects

• Enjoy mentoring senior staff and acting as a trusted advisor
• Are comfortable balancing people leadership with hands-on project involvement
• Take pride in well-run projects and healthy teams
• Prefer influence and collaboration over authority tied to title
• Want to help shape culture while contributing directly to the work

If you are energized by helping teams thrive—not just deliver—this role was designed with you in mind.

What you will focus on

Supporting Our People

• Act as a mentor, sounding board, and trusted leader for the Ottawa studio
• Foster a culture of respect, collaboration, accountability, and care
• Support professional growth, engagement, and retention of team members
• Lead by example in alignment with Figurr’s values and design ethos
• Help build a strong studio identity and sense of belonging

Caring for Our Projects

• Remain actively involved in leading project work at a senior level
  • Act as a reference point and leader for the Ottawa office, working closely with clients, consultants, and multidisciplinary partners on some of our larger files;
  • Mentor, inspire, and support technical and design team members, fostering growth and knowledge sharing;
  • Oversee budgets, schedules, and quality control throughout the projects and provide guidance to the other Project Managers with meeting their internal project responsibilities;
• Provide oversight of project health, with a focus:
  • Sustainable resourcing
  • Budget awareness and tracking
  • Team composition and workload balance
  • Early identification of risks and opportunities
• Promote realistic planning and healthy delivery practices
• Reinforce a culture where design quality and operational clarity coexist

Leading the Ottawa Office

• Oversee day-to-day operations of the Ottawa office
• Coordinate staffing, utilization, and forecasting in close collaboration with both our Ottawa and Montreal staffing leadership teams
• Contribute to firm-wide resource sharing and cross-office collaboration
• Support recruitment, onboarding, recognition, and long-term team planning
• Work closely with firm wide leadership to align local needs with overall strategy

Being an Ambassador for Figurr

• Represent Figurr within the local professional and architectural community
• Participate in client meetings, presentations, and external events as a senior presence
• Strengthen relationships through credibility, thoughtfulness, and consistency
• Support practice growth through visibility and leadership - not sales targets

Our Work

Figurr’s portfolio is intentionally diverse. Our projects include:

• Mixed-use developments & Large-scale urban planning
• Affordable housing
• Office and commercial projects
• Institutional and educational buildings
• Industrial facilities

This diversity keeps our teams challenged, engaged, and continuously learning.

What you bring

Required

• Professional degree in Architecture
• Registered Architect with the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA)
• Minimum of 10 years of leadership experience within an architectural firm
• Demonstrated experience leading and mentoring architectural teams
• Minimum of 10 years of experience leading large scale architectural projects
• Strong judgment, communication, and relationship-building skills
• A people-first, thoughtful leadership approach

Compensation

Salary range: starting at $100,000

Why Figurr

At Figurr, we believe strong design starts with healthy teams. We value clarity, trust, curiosity, and care, both in how we design and how we work together.

This role is an opportunity to shape the future of a studio, support talented people, and leave a lasting impact on a growing firm.