Lionakis
Associate Principal or Principal Architect – Civic
20371 Irvine Ave Ste 120, Santa Ana, CA 92660
Hybrid · Full-time · $169k–$231k (as posted)
First seen by offpeak October 6, 2026
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This role blends executive leadership, business development, and project oversight, offering the opportunity to influence firmwide strategy while building meaningful, long-term client partnerships. You’ll play a key role in advancing our mission, vision, and standards of excellence within the Civic market.
As an Associate Principal or Principal, you will…
Lead (or Help Lead) and Grow the Civic Project Practice
- Serve as a leader of the Civic market, building and maintaining strong client relationships throughout Southern California while providing leadership in planning, programming, design, and project management across a portfolio of complex projects.
- Collaborate with Market and Firm leadership to develop and execute long-term market and practice strategies, including participation in firmwide leadership initiatives, strategic planning, and management committees.
- Lead marketing and business development efforts aligned with the Firm’s strategic plan and identify and pursue new market opportunities, including team formation, proposal development, and participation in interviews.
- Represent the Firm at industry events and within professional and client networks.
- Meet or exceed performance metrics related to business development, contracts secured, and client satisfaction.
Provide Project Oversight and Financial Leadership
- Serve as Principal-in-Charge for assigned projects, overseeing quality, profitability, staffing, and revenue performance.
- Review and develop fee proposals, service scopes, and staffing plans to support project success while supporting project managers with contract negotiations, additional services, and financial performance monitoring
- Lead Quality Control/Quality Assurance efforts and champion Firm standards and lessons learned.
Mentor and Develop Talent
- Foster a collaborative, respectful, and high-performing work environment, collaborating across studios, markets, and disciplines to support Firm-wide initiatives and shared goals.
- Act as a mentor and coach to support professional growth, leadership development, and succession planning.
The Must-Haves
- Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, or interior design (or equivalent) and a minimum of 16 years of relevant professional experience.
- Established Southern California professional network within justice, government and other public sector project markets.
- Strong leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
- California Licensed Architect
The Like-to-Haves
- LEED accreditation.
Why You’ll Love Lionakis…
At Lionakis, people and design come first. You’ll find:
- A collaborative, design-forward culture that values creativity, mentorship, and shared success.
- The chance to shape stories that impact real communities.
- Hybrid work flexibility, every-other-Friday off options, and a comprehensive benefits package (bonus plan, 401(k) with match, health/dental/vision, generous PTO).
- A workplace deeply committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion – in our projects, our people, and our culture.
Salary Range: $169,100-$230,500 annually. Compensation and level DOE.
Studies have shown that underrepresented individuals like women; LGBTQIA+; and BIPOC, among others, are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications in a job description or posting. Because we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, we understand the best candidate may come from a non-traditional background to our field of work. We strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described above. Diversity makes us better.