Sr. Manager, Practice Resources

The American Institute of Architects (AIA)

AIA will provide you with the opportunity to advocate for the value of architecture and give architects and design professionals the resources they need to do their best work. The collective voice of architects is essential, and our work drives positive change through the power of design.

Each one of us at AIA is a leader committed to demonstrating our mission and values and designing a better future for our country and planet. Even in times of change, AIA's values remain constant:

• We stand for equity and human rights
• We stand for architecture that strengthens our communities
• We stand for a sustainable future
• We stand for protecting communities from the impacts of climate change
• We stand for economic opportunity
• We stand for investing in the future
• We speak up, and policymakers listen

The American Institute of Architects, as part of the global community, is building a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion within the profession of architecture to create a better built environment for all. Achieving this vision has a direct impact on the relevance of the profession of architecture and the world's prosperity, health, and future.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director, Professional Practice Programs, the senior manager is primarily responsible for providing guidance and project management for the development of content, tools and resources that accelerates and strengthens the business performance of architecture firms.

This role will manage and facilitate the development of resources and AIA educational content and connects members to AIA resources on professional practice. These responsibilities include managing member volunteers, consultants, internal departmental resources, and fiscal resources for development and execution of programs. The Sr. Manager will collaborate closely with member volunteers to leverage industry expertise for the development of resources.

Job Duties

• Program Development and Execution:
  • Execute and assist with the design/implementation of education, programming, collateral, products, and resources across the AIA that strengthens the business acumen of members resulting in the increased business performance of firms. Projects could include white papers, interactive tools, webinars, videos, articles, roundtables, as well as face-to-face sessions.
    • Schedule, plan, and execute educational programs and events leveraging AIA events resources.
    • Develop and contribute to new content development alongside Senior Director, Professional Practice Programs.
    • In partnership with the Research team, use data to identify barriers to business excellence that should be addressed for members
    • Repurpose existing professional practice content to address the current business challenges of a dynamic architecture profession.
    • Recruit and coordinate subject matter experts, including volunteer members, for content development. Collaborate with other members of the Professional Practice Programs team to identify volunteer experts to inform or generate content.
    • Manage product budgets, revenue, and expenses to meet established financial goals.
    • Ensure products and communications follow AIA Brand Guidelines and policies.
    • In partnership with the Marketing & Communications team, ensure developed content, tools, and resources are integrated into appropriate campaigns.
    • Develop and maintain external partnerships for content sharing.
      
      
  • Specific Program responsibilities (include but not limited to):
    • Manage and execute virtual and/or in-person summits, symposia, and/or intensives that disseminate content for members related to business acumen.
    • Manage volunteer committees relevant to the body of work and guide implementation of resulting resources to align with organizational strategy.
    • Ideate and collaborate with members of the Professional Practice team to manage and execute programming at annual Conference on Architecture and other events.
    • Collaborate with internal teams, member stakeholders, and volunteer committees to ideate, refine, and implement meaningful benchmarks of firm and workplace excellence that iterate existing resources (e.g. Framework for Design Excellence, Architect's Handbook for Professional Practice).
    • Assist Senior Director, Professional Practice Programs with scaling programs for AIA Component adoption.
  • Program Evaluation:
    • Monitor projects for effectiveness and recommend improvements based on research derived from environmental factors, metrics, usage reports, and user feedback.
  • Primary Contact:
    • Serve as a resource for business related content including: metrics, benchmarking, or industry experience.
  • General Customer Service:
    • Coordinate timely responses to member requests for information.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated, proficient project management skills, critical thinking, decision making, and ability to coordinate complex projects with multiple stakeholders.

• Skill in time management plus ability to work independently and self-assign tasks appropriate for progression of projects with minimal supervision.
• Fluency with business management practices or educational equivalent.
• Experience with resource development and research implementation.

• Strong communication and writing skills with an interest in research-driven education and practice resources.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Zoom (and other virtual meeting software) are essential.
• Commitment to organization and documentation of materials required to complete work.

• Adaptability and a team-oriented, collaborative spirit.
• Strong customer service orientation and oral/written communication skills; effective proofreading skills.
• Strong emotional intelligence and diplomacy skills in working with others.
• Ability to effectively interact with a wide variety of clientele (volunteer leadership, members, and staff).
• Familiarity with educational knowledge capture and delivery processes, including virtual media, social networking, and other applicable communication tools.
• Passion for healthy workplaces and architecture business excellence.
  Licensed to practice architecture in at least one jurisdiction.

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite software is a plus.
• Experience managing member volunteers.

• Experience with or demonstrated ability to quickly learn web-based research and information dissemination applications, content management systems, and association management systems including Fonteva, Higher Logic, or Open Water.

• Understanding trends affecting the architecture design profession.

Bachelor's and/or master's degree in the following fields: architecture or a design-related field, business with 5-7 years of experience in architectural practice and/or construction industry preferred.

Supervisory: None

What we offer:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that reflects our company values and workplace culture, including:

• Medical, vision and dental
• 401(k)
• Flexibility
• Paid time off
• Flexible spending accounts
• Income protection (Life Insurance Coverage up to 2x salary) & disability plans at no cost.
• Tuition and membership reimbursements
• AIA employees have access to a variety of other programs, including:

1. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees and their family members
2. Computer purchase program
3. Fitness club discounts
4. Prepaid legal services program
5. Identity theft protection

Travel Requirements: 15% annually, occasionally on weekends

Work Location: 100% Remote from the AIA Approved States: DC, MD, VA, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, KY, ME, MI, MN, MT, NH, NM, NY, NC, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, WI, WY.

Applicants from states not listed above are ineligible.

This position will periodically be required to be on-site at the AIA Headquarters in Washington, D.C when AIA returns to the newly renovated office at the completion of the renovation in Spring 2025.

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability, in accordance with the applicable law.