Architectural Studio Lead

Description:

Architectural Studio Lead
Birmingham, West Midlands | Permanent | £60,000 - £80,000 DOE

The Opportunity

A rare chance to take the helm of an established, high-performing architecture studio embedded within one of the UK's largest multidisciplinary engineering consultancies. There is already a talented 10-person team in place, a strong pipeline of work, and a platform with genuine national reach.
The business has ambitious plans to grow the Birmingham studio to 20-30 staff over the next three to four years. The fundamentals are already there: a capable associate director, proven work-winners, and a steady flow of major infrastructure projects shared regionally and nationally. What's needed now is a senior architectural leader with the gravitas, commercial instincts, and West Midlands presence to drive that growth.

What You'll Be Doing

Studio Leadership

Take ownership of the Birmingham architecture studio and set its strategic direction
Build on an existing team of 10, with a clear roadmap to double or triple headcount
Foster a high-performance culture: technically rigorous, commercially aware, client-focused
Work alongside a strong associate director who handles much of the operational day-to-day

Business Development

Leverage your existing West Midlands network to generate new client relationships and repeat instructions
Represent the studio at client meetings, pitches, and sector events
Business development will account for roughly 10-25% of your time. Meaningful, but not your entire focus
Benefit from a ready-made referral network through co-located structural, MEP, fire, and project management teams

Design & Technical

Maintain a genuine design eye and technical input on key projects. This is not a purely managerial role
Help establish and champion design standards across the studio
Work across a broad range of sectors. The business values breadth over specialism

Commercial Oversight

Understand fees, margins, and P&L at studio level
Contribute to bids and proposals with a clear sense of commercial competitiveness

What We're Looking For

Experience & Background

ARB-registered architect with substantial post-qualification experience at senior level
Currently operating at Director or Associate Director level. You will be credible in a room with senior clients from day one
Demonstrable track record across at least two or three sectors (education, defence, local authority, commercial, rail, energy, healthcare, data centres all relevant)
Experience winning and managing work, not just delivering it
Single-sector specialists, particularly those focused exclusively on healthcare or private residential, are unlikely to be a strong fit

Geography & Network

A genuine presence in the West Midlands market. You will know the clients, the frameworks, and the ecosystem
Able to commit to regular office attendance alongside flexible working (typically 2-3 days in-office)

Security Clearance

Ability to obtain security clearance is advantageous given the studio's involvement in defence and secure government work

Why This Role?

The studio has momentum, resource, and genuine backing from the wider business. You'll have the support of a regional practice manager, monthly senior leadership forums, and weekly cross-office resourcing calls to balance capacity. This isn't a lone-wolf brief. You will be part of a collaborative, integrated structure.
The business takes a long-term view on talent. They'd rather wait for the right person than compromise. If you're a well-connected, commercially minded architectural leader with deep roots in the Midlands and the ambition to build something significant, this is the opportunity.

Calibre Search promote equality in the workplace and we welcome applications from all suitably skilled or qualified candidates regardless of their sex, race, disability, religion/beliefs, sexual orientation or age. We act as both an employment agency and employment business