Senior Human Resources Manager - West Coast

Life At PE

Perkins Eastman is a global architectural design practice with expertise in all aspects of the built environment, working at all scales, and at every level of detail. With studios in 26 locations worldwide, we design for people, to leave a lasting and positive impact on the human experience and the world we inhabit. This is captured in our ethos "human by design".

We believe design is a collaborative art and we are structured as integrated practice of passionate professionals committed to delivering the best design for our clients.

Our team of diverse and complementary talents work together in studios, that can draw from relevant expertise and points of view from across the whole practice to analyze and solve the specific design challenges they are working on. Within the firm we have 18 practice areas, cores of expertise, that focus as centers of knowledge and analysis, that are both an essential foundation and fuel for the creative design work.

Sustainability is intrinsic to our design approach. It is an essential ingredient for the design teams throughout the process, adding valuable insights, ideas, and research to the process. For us all good design is sustainable.

The Opportunity

The Senior Human Resources Manager will serve as the primary strategic partner for the West Coast and Central Region talent population of approximately 400–500 employees. The ideal candidate is highly organized, approachable, and brings deep expertise in Employee Relations, strong business acumen, and experience supporting creative, project-based, and highly collaborative environments.

In this role, you will help drive positive employee experience, provide trusted counsel to leaders, and ensure alignment between business objectives and people strategies. A flexible, solution-oriented mindset and a polished, professional demeanor are essential for success.

You will report directly to the Director of Human Resources and work alongside a strong team of HR professionals who value communication, partnership, and consistent talent experience across the firm.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategic Partnership

• Serve as a senior strategic advisor to studio and department leaders on organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, and talent optimization.
• Translate business priorities into people strategies that drive growth, operational excellence, and a strong firm culture.
• Partner with HR Director to assist with change management initiatives, including restructurings, new studio launches, system implementations, and process redesign.
• Build trusted relationships across leadership and teams, strengthening alignment between leaders and employees.
• Maintain regular touchpoints with studio and department leaders to ensure proactive support.

Employee Relations

• Provide expert guidance on complex employee relations matters, including performance management, conflict resolution, and disciplinary actions.
• Mediate and resolve sensitive employee issues and conduct fair, thorough, and objective investigations.
• Foster a culture of transparency, inclusion, accountability, and psychological safety within creative and project teams.

Workforce Planning

• Partner with firm leadership to evaluate team structure, capacity, and resourcing across multiple project phases.
• Support strategic workforce planning for large-scale, project-driven environments including forecasting, staffing, and succession planning.
• Champion innovative HR programs that contribute to the firm’s long-term strategic goals.

Inclusion & Belonging

• Uphold and promote the firm’s values and culture across all studios, offices, and project teams.
• Collaborate with HR leadership to oversee engagement, recognition, and retention programs.
• Support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, including inclusive hiring practices, mentorship programs, and equitable growth pathways.

HR Operations

• Interpret and apply HR policies consistently across studio locations.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to attract and retain top architectural, design, and technical talent.
• Leverage HR analytics to provide leaders with insights regarding turnover, engagement, utilization, and workforce trends.

Key Skills

• Strong and current knowledge of employment law, compliance, and HR best practices across federal and state regulations.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence at all organizational levels.
• Proven ability to build effective partnerships, manage competing priorities, and lead complex HR functions.
• High level of initiative, follow-through, and adaptability in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Proficiency in MS Office and HRIS platforms; comfortable using data to inform decisions.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of advanced HR experience, including 3–5 years in a strategic HR manager role.
• Experience in architecture, engineering, design, construction, creative services, or other project-based organizations strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, or related field; advanced degree or HR certification (PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP/SCP) strongly preferred.
• Deep understanding of workforce planning and talent management in billable-hour or project-driven environments.
• Strong coaching, consulting, and leadership-influencing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to drive behavior change, develop leaders, and support high-performance cultures.

What We Offer You

• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage
• 401k Options
• PTO
• Company Paid Holidays
• Life Insurance
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Professional Development
• Competitive salary

PE has a hybrid policy that allows flexibility for our employees in managing their working days and hours to cater to their diverse needs.

Compensation may vary based on the job level and your geographical work location.

Salary Range

$90k to $120k

Perkins Eastman is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and a participant in the U.S. Federal E-Verify program. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.