Project Design Manager - Architectural Background

Intelligent City is an urban housing technology company that takes a product and platform-based approach to buildings. We combine exceptional design with mass timber construction, robotic manufacturing, and parametric software. Our mission is to build smarter and to empower people to live better. We create a new value paradigm for housing and workplace solutions that are more affordable, faster to build, consistently carbon neutral and socially resilient. 

Our motto is ‘Build Smarter. Live Better. Think Change.’ If this resonates with you, we encourage you to apply to join our team and help us build a better world!

The Project Design Manager leads the design and planning of housing projects at Intelligent City, ranging from feasibility studies to design efficiency and execution, ensuring alignment with Intelligent City’s building platform and business objectives. This role involves collaborating with external architects, engineers, and consultants to refine designs, enhance marketability, and implement cost-effective and product-aligned solutions. Responsible for leading projects from early client interactions to project planning and execution, the Project Design Manager plays a critical role in the development of the company’s product platform and project portfolio, its standards and variability, as well as optimizing project execution and efficiency.

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Open Positions:

1 open position

Location:

At one of our locations with the option to work at home. Must be willing to work/visit our Delta, BC manufacturing facility on occasion to gain a deeper understanding of our core business.

Work Hours

Monday to Friday

We are accepting applications from within the lower mainland, BC, only.

• Oversee project designs from early analysis through to planning, engineering, and execution, as the main contact point between customers and consultants.
• Develop and refine Intelligent City’s product platform design guidelines, collaborating with company leadership to shape product development strategy.
• Provide hands-on preconstruction oversight, guiding design from concept to execution with a focus on constructability, efficiency, and innovation.
• Oversee constructability reviews and assess site conditions to ensure projects are development-ready and aligned with business objectives.
• Finalize and document project specifications, materials, and systems, ensuring alignment with company standards and regulatory requirements.
• Review and approve shop drawings, ensuring accuracy, manufacturability, and compliance with project needs.
• Clearly define project scope and responsibilities across disciplines to improve coordination and execution.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality, performance, or design integrity.
• Establish and enforce high design quality standards to minimize errors, rework, and inefficiencies.
• Develop design timelines and coordinate with stakeholders to ensure timely project delivery.
• Leverage BIM modelling tools to optimize layouts, structural systems, and material usage.
• Standardize Industrialized Construction components, implementing engineering solutions that drive efficiency, quality, and repeatability.
• Develop internal design guides, establishing best practices for integrating manufacturing and construction processes.
• Ensure sustainability and compliance with green building principles and environmental regulations.
• Collaborate with architects, engineers, and consultants to balance design feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and technical performance.
• Work closely with architects, engineers, and consultants to align design intent with execution feasibility, promoting practical and forward-thinking solutions.
• Review and refine project designs to enhance constructability, marketability, and cost efficiency while maintaining alignment with industry best practices.
• Provide expert guidance on construction methodologies, prefabrication, and modular building techniques to streamline execution and improve scalability.
• Develop and analyze massing studies to validate feasibility, maximize land use, and optimize construction impact.
• Lead feasibility assessments for potential development sites, evaluating risks, environmental impact, and construction constraints.
• Define and refine apartment mix strategies based on market research, space efficiency, and constructability considerations.
• Conduct project yield analysis to ensure financial and construction feasibility aligns with business goals.
• Work closely with CM/GC teams to refine cost estimates, ensuring financial viability and alignment with project objectives.
• Represent the company in meetings with building departments, addressing permitting, technical reviews, and regulatory challenges.
• Facilitate weekly coordination meetings with architects, engineers, consultants, and CM/GC teams to align objectives and address challenges proactively.
• Develop comprehensive project proposals, integrating feasibility analysis, cost estimates, and risk assessments to support executive decision-making.
• Assess zoning regulations and municipal requirements, working with city officials to secure approvals and ensure compliance.
• Develop and implement design standards and construction guidelines to improve consistency, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness across projects.
• Establish high-level budget expectations and validate preliminary cost estimates based on scope, design, and market trends.
• Resolve design-related conflicts across teams, ensuring alignment and streamlined execution.
• Adhere to company policies, administrative procedures, and industry regulations.
• Promote and enforce health and safety standards, ensuring a safe working environment for all employees.
• Identify and implement creative and efficient design solutions to enhance project outcomes and operational effectiveness.
• Continuously seek learning opportunities in sales, marketing, and business development.
• Engage in industry events, training, and networking to stay informed on best practices.
• Approach challenges as opportunities for learning and improvement.
• Contribute to a culture of collaboration by sharing knowledge and best practices.
• Mentor and support junior team members in developing their sales skills.
• Assist in onboarding new employees, ensuring they understand expectations and processes.

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field

• Master’s Degree in Architecture 
• Architect with AIBC or eligibility to become registered
• LEED AP 
• Passive House Certified

• 5 – 7+ years of experience in architectural design, construction management, or industrialized construction.
• Strong design skills with expertise in design development and clear presentation of ideas.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration to align design feasibility, marketability, and technical execution.
• Analytical skills to assess site conditions, guide design development, and ensure constructability.
• In-depth knowledge of the BC Building Code and regulatory requirements.
• Proven ability to identify cost-saving opportunities while maintaining quality, performance, and compliance.
• Experience navigating municipal regulations, zoning requirements, and permitting processes.
• Leadership experience in managing small project teams, mentoring junior staff, and fostering knowledge-sharing.
• Proficiency in BIM modelling (Revit, AutoCAD) and parametric design software (Grasshopper, Rhino, Dynamo).

• Experience with cost estimation, scheduling, and procurement strategies.
• Experience constructing parametric models for design decision-making and data visualization.
• Familiarity with prefabrication, modular construction, and integrated construction techniques

• Must provide your own CSA approved 6” safety footwear, required.
• Ability to provide proof of the right to work for the Company in Canada.
• Successful candidates may be required to submit to a background check
• Willingness to work between our office and manufacturing facilities.

Intelligent City (ICI) is a technology-enabled and platform-based urban housing systems company providing transformational innovation to the housing, architecture, building and construction industry.  Through the convergence of design, software technology and advanced prefabrication, we combine three highly innovative paradigms that will change the value equation in architecture and urban design.

Our team is on a mission to empower people to live better, to build smarter, and to address climate change and urban housing challenges.  We think change – and we are looking for doers, integrators, professional hybrids, thinkers, and innovators who can help us achieve our objectives.

We take a product and platform-based approach, we vertically integrate high-rise mass timber building systems, advanced design engineering, automated manufacturing, and parametric software. Through this, we offer breakthrough end-to-end building solutions that can be built faster with better quality while being more affordable and consistently carbon neutral.

We are broadly recognized for our leadership in bringing together climate tech and construction tech solutions, including by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), Breakthrough Energy Solutions Canada (BESC) and the Solar Impulse Foundation. We have been named as Foresight50, one of Canada’s most investible clean tech companies, and investors include BDC, Greesoil Proptech Ventures, UIT, and Fulmer, among others.

Intelligent City was co-founded in 2008 by entrepreneurs Oliver Lang and Cindy Wilson and is the sister company to Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture (LWPAC). The two companies work closely together to deliver the vision of productized and platform-based buildings. The LWPAC team has executed award-winning institutional and residential projects both nationally and internationally, with professional experience in  Berlin, New York, Barcelona, and Vancouver.

Please note: Architectural employees will be employed by LWPAC.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an equal-opportunity employer committed to building a culture of innovation, diversity, and inclusivity, striving for open discussions, best hiring, and operational practices.  We are also committed to providing a comfortable and accessible interview process; please let us know if we can support you throughout the process with accommodations.

Land Acknowledgement

Intelligent City acknowledges that its work takes place in Vancouver on the unceded, traditional, and ancestral territories of the  xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples and on the unceded, traditional, and ancestral territories of the scəw̓aθən (Tsawwassen), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and other Coast Salish peoples at its Delta location.