Reporting to: Associate Director / Practice Director
Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Role Summary:
For over 65 years, Donald Insall Associates has been working with the past to unlock opportunities within the historic environment. We set the standard for what heritage can be.
In our growing Oxford studio, you’ll be leading architectural projects with responsibility for quality, financial performance, and delivery. Whilst managing project teams you’ll actively develop colleagues' capabilities, and cultivate key client relationships. This role requires strategic thinking, strong commercial acumen, and a focus on achieving results through effective project and team management within our expert conservation practice.
We offer competitive industry-benchmarked salaries, a profit-share bonus, private healthcare, pension, holiday starting at 25 days (plus bank holidays) which increases with tenure, paid professional fees, relevant accreditations, payment of a further journal subscription, numerous annual training days, an individual CPD allowance, an internal CPD programme, and other benefits.
What you’ll be doing:
- Act as project lead through all RIBA stages, managing projects day-to-day to programme and fee budget, ensuring alignment with practice quality standards and achieving agreed project gross margin targets.
- Prepare and coordinate high-quality project documentation, ensuring clarity and technical accuracy.
- Manage project teams effectively: mentor, delegate tasks, oversee work, and actively develop the capabilities and potential of assistants, architects, and senior architects, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment.
- Coordinate project team outputs seamlessly with the wider consultant team.
- Act as the primary client contact, building strong relationships leading to high levels of client satisfaction and repeat business/referrals.
- Manage monthly project invoicing rigorously to achieve personal/team targets proactively manage project debtors to achieve targets
- Maintains competency in CDM Principal Designer and Building Regulations Principal Designer role, ideally completed RIBA Principal Designer course
- Maintains up-to-date H&S competency such as through RIBA H&S test or CSCS card
- Identify and implement project efficiencies and service level adjustments while maintaining quality and profitability.
- Develop and nurture key client contacts strategically to generate repeat business and new leads.
- Mentor and potentially line manage colleagues, supporting skills development, career progression, and enabling team succession.
- Contribute to achieving the Studio's net profit margin target through effective project and resource management.
- Contribute proactively to wider practice management (team/Associate meetings, SLT input).
- Represent the practice professionally (talks, events, publications, award submissions).
What we think you need:
- ARB Registered Architect with significant post-qualification experience (typically 6+ years), including demonstrated experience (e.g., 2-3+ years) successfully leading and managing architectural project teams.
- AABC or RIBA (SCA) accredited, preferred but not essential.
- Proven experience successfully managing complex architectural projects, delivering client satisfaction and profitability.
- Strong ability to lead, manage, mentor, and develop individuals and teams.
- Excellent client-facing communication, negotiation, and presentation skills (visual, written, spoken).
- Strong commercial acumen and aptitude for business management, including project financial control and fee negotiation.
- Strategic and conceptual thinking ability related to projects, teams, and client development.
- Developed networking and relationship-building skills.
- Strong organisational, planning, and analytical skills.
- Ability to deliver high-quality bids and successfully interpret client briefs.
Key behaviours we seek:
- Client-Focused & Results-Oriented Leader.
- Commercially Astute & Financially Accountable.
- Developer of People & Collaborative Team Player.
- Proactive & Strategic Thinker.
- Resilient & Driven for Continuous Improvement.
Equal Opportunities:
Donald Insall Associates is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.
