Director of Architecture

Wolverine Construction, formerly Wolverine Building Group is recognized nationally as a leader in the construction industry. We specialize in industrial, multi-unit residential, healthcare, office, retail, and restaurant construction. We provide quality building solutions through integrity, value and craftsmanship and are a growing company of nearly 200 employees headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan with locations in Brighton and Lansing, Michigan. 

As an organization, we existto positively impact people and communities.

We’re proud to be consistently recognized as one of the“Best and Brightest Companies to Work For,” a testament to our commitment not only to excellence in construction, but to fostering a workplace where our people can succeed and grow.

This position will head our in-house Architecture team and carry out its five-year vision: growing from a single-market Industrial design capability into a broader practice serving Healthcare, Multi-Unit, Community & Cultural, and Restaurant & Retail — all vertically integrated into Wolverine's construction operation.

Manufacturing is the foundation of this practice. Industrial and Advanced Manufacturing clients are where our design-build model is proven today, and they remain the anchor for everything we expand into. This leader must be fluent in how manufacturers build, equip, and operate their facilities, and able to carry that credibility into new markets.

The ideal candidate carries both halves of the model at once: deep manufacturing and Advanced Manufacturing experience, the technical depth to run Healthcare- and Community & Cultural-grade work, and the relationship and selling instincts to grow the practice inside Wolverine and alongside our Business Development (BD) team.

Essential Responsibilities:

Industrial & Advanced Manufacturing Leadership:

• Own the design approach for Industrial and Advanced Manufacturing facilities, translating owner process, production flow, and equipment requirements into buildable, efficient facility designs.
• Coordinate early with owners' process and operations teams on equipment layout, utilities, structural loads, clearances, and installation sequencing, including specialized environments such as cleanrooms, high-bay, and automation-intensive spaces.
• Apply working knowledge of pre-engineered metal buildings (PEMB), the building type that supports much of our Industrial market segment, to early design, budgeting, and coordination with metal building systems.
• Represent Wolverine's design capability with manufacturers and Economic Development Organizations (EDO), helping win and retain Industrial and Advanced Manufacturing clients.
• Apply lessons from manufacturing work to the firm's other markets, using Industrial as the proof point for the integrated model.

Design Leadership & Technical Delivery:

• Lead design from concept through construction administration, with Industrial and Advanced Manufacturing projects as the core of the portfolio and serve as architect of record with authority to sign and seal permit drawings.
• Ensure design decisions reflect real-time constructability and cost feedback from estimating, supporting reliable early pricing.
• Build and oversee internal BIM/VDC capability, growing it from entry-level to estimating-grade so models feed estimating and takeoffs directly.

Market Expansion:

• Develop and manage local architect partnerships in Healthcare and Community & Cultural, backed by in-house BIM/VDC, interior design, and code/specialty-market expertise.
• Grow Multi-Unit and Restaurant & Retail toward repeatable, prototype-driven design-build delivery.
• Deepen the firm's licensed-architect bench so sealing authority scales alongside market count.

Business Development & Selling:

• Sell architectural services internally, building relationships with Wolverine's market segment leaders so in-house design is utilized company-wide, not just in Industrial.
• Partner directly with Business Development Directors (BD) on pursuits where design is the entry point, leading with Architectural Services and bringing construction services in behind it.
• Work alongside — not behind — Construction Services' BD team on pursuits where a construction relationship opens the door, as is done today.

Team Leadership:

• Manage and mentor the team of Architectural Designers, staffing projects and balancing workload against the active pipeline.
• Recruit and develop additional licensed architects and design talent as new markets activate.

Brand & Portfolio:

• Champion a clearly tagged, browsable portfolio of in-house-designed work on Wolverine's website, organized by market, so the team's design capability is visible to clients, EDOs, and internal stakeholders alike.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Minimum ten (10) years of progressive architecture experience, including full project leadership from concept through construction administration.
• Licensed Architect in the State of Michigan is a must.
• Significant experience designing manufacturing facilities, with direct Advanced Manufacturing exposure strongly preferred (automation, precision or high-tech production, cleanroom, hazardous materials, and other specialized process environments).
• Able to work fluently with owners' process engineers and operations teams on space programming, equipment layout, utilities, and production flow.
• Knowledge of pre-engineered metal buildings (PEMB) highly recommended, including how metal building systems are designed, priced, and coordinated.
• Direct experience in design-build or another integrated delivery environment, ideally embedded within or closely partnered with a general contractor.
• Experience in at least one of our expansion markets, Healthcare, Multi-Unit, Community & Cultural, or Restaurant & Retail, in addition to manufacturing.
• Experience supporting BIM/VDC workflows and understanding how design models contribute to estimating and takeoffs.
• Proven experience leading and mentoring design teams, including designers, associates, and other staff.
• Comfortable as the design voice in pursuit of, building relationships with internal market leaders and external BD partners alike, not just executing after a deal is under contract. 
• Must have a valid driver’s license.

Preferred:

• Licensed in other states in the Midwest is a plus.
• National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARD) Certified is a plus.