Job Details

About the Role

The Laboratory Project Director is a highly experienced professional responsible for providing advanced expertise in laboratory and vivarium environments. The Laboratory Project Director will serve as a key leader in client management and stakeholder engagement, facilitating Lab and Vivarium User Group Meetings with client teams, and integrating planning and design efforts across cross‑functional teams including laboratory planning, architecture, and interiors coordination. This includes mentoring people, advancing the quality of our work, integrating our range of design services, managing processes, and delivering solid financial performance. The Laboratory Project Director will be instrumental in bridging scientific requirements with architectural and interior solutions, ensuring that stakeholder needs are met and that project outcomes support world‑class laboratory and vivarium environments.

What You'll Do

• Lead the laboratory and vivarium planning teams including the facilitation of stakeholder Lab and Vivarium User Group Meetings with client teams, ensuring productive dialogue and actionable outcomes.
• Oversee the integration of laboratory and vivarium requirements into planning documents, architectural designs, and interior coordination efforts.
• Serve as a primary liaison between laboratory/vivarium planning teams, architecture, and interiors coordination teams.
• Provide expertise in laboratory and vivarium workflows, equipment selection, space programming, and compliance standards.
• Advise on best practices for laboratory and vivarium operations, safety, and sustainability.
• Review and validate design documents, specifications, and project deliverables for alignment with scientific and operational needs.
• Lead collaborative meetings, manage stakeholder expectations, and drive consensus among diverse groups.
• Synthesize laboratory/vivarium requirements with architectural and interior design elements.
• Anticipate challenges and propose innovative solutions in laboratory and vivarium design and operations. In conjunction with the client and other projects and firm leadership, lead the development of project goals and work plans to achieve design excellence, quality, budget, schedule, innovation and profitability objectives.
• Develop a partnering relationship with the client early in an engagement to establish shared expectations and provide clarity on how we will work together, the involvement of key stakeholders, identify decision‑making authority and the timing of key decisions.
• Implement CannonDesign process expectations, best practices, reference standards, tools, templates, and technology to achieve competitive advantage, quality service delivery and enhanced team productivity and profitability. Responsible for ensuring that the team meets statutory requirements for the project.
• Leverage experience and judgement to anticipate potential issues and ensure appropriate client and internal communication including written project documentation regarding design, construction, and other issues to clients in a clear and compelling way.
• Actively participate in the QA/QC process.
• Manage and coordinate workload of team and provide leadership of team activities.
• Communicate client objectives to team members in a clear and compelling way. Provide constructive feedback and mentoring to team members. Identify and share lessons learned with teams.
• Collaborate effectively with all team members. Generate and support a positive team environment: participation, empowerment, and accomplishment.
• Facilitate key meetings and presentations as required, including regular status/progress updates with clients, internal project teams, and firm leadership.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What You'll Need

• Experience: Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in laboratory and vivarium environments in general, and 10 years minimum with specific experience on Bio/Pharma laboratories and vivarium, with proven subject matter expertise, required.
• Education: Minimum Bachelor's or advanced degree (master's preferred) in a relevant scientific, engineering, or architectural field required.
• Technical Knowledge: Comprehensive understanding of laboratory and vivarium design, operations, and regulatory requirements.
• Project Leadership: Demonstrated experience leading large multi‑disciplinary teams in complex laboratory and vivarium planning projects.
• Current Licensure or registration in the United States preferred.
• LEED accreditation is preferred.
• PMP Certification preferred.
• Demonstrated strong client and team leadership skills.
• Familiarity with MS Project, Deltek Project Planning, Microsoft Office, Bluebeam as well as other data management software is required.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex scientific and technical concepts to non‑experts.
• Advanced proficiency in laboratory and vivarium space planning, programming, and workflow optimization.
• Strong business acumen, technical knowledge, coordination and communication skills and the ability to build a rapport with the project team and client is essential.
• Ability to travel to work in South San Francisco office full‑time.

Salary & Benefits

The salary range for this position is $166,400 to $208,000. This salary range is the range we believe is the anticipated range of possible base compensation at the timing of the posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the anticipated salary range for the position. Employees may be eligible for discretionary bonuses. We offer a full benefit package including medical, dental and vision coverage and flexible spending account options and voluntary insurances. We have paid time off, flex‑time schedules, remote work options and a 401(k) plan and employee perk programs. For a general overview of our benefits, please visit our careers page at Actual compensation may vary from posting based on geographic location, work experience, education and/or skill level.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

CannonDesign is an Equal Opportunity Employer. CannonDesign is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free from any and all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. It is therefore the firm's policy to prohibit discrimination and harassment against any applicant, CannonDesign employee, vendor, contractor, or client on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. CannonDesign's policy also prohibits any and all forms of retaliation against any individual who has complained of harassing or discriminatory conduct, or participated in a firm or agency investigation into such complaints.