Director of Design Technology London, UK Digital Technology

About Us

Join a globally fluent studio where diverse perspectives, rigorous thinking and partner-led collaboration shape work that responds to a changing world. Our approach is context-driven and focused on long-term performance and meaningful change, supported by our in-house research and strategy consultancy, PLP Labs. We believe architecture should connect people, place and purpose, guided by a clear understanding of climate, culture and patterns of use. From our headquarters in London, and studios in Singapore and Tokyo, we shape outcomes through informed decisions grounded in behaviour and lasting value.

Position

We are seeking a Director of Design Technology to provide clear leadership, structure, and vision across design technology, AI adoption, and digital workflows. This is a senior, practice‐shaping role. The successful candidate will bridge architecture, technology, and business, working alongside Partners, Design Directors, IT, and Operations to ensure technology meaningfully improves how PLP designs, delivers, and operates — not as isolated innovation, but as standard practice. This role is based in our London studio and will play a key part in shaping PLP’s global digital strategy.

You will be accountable for:

• Design Technology strategy across the practice
• Firmwide AI and automation adoption
• Integration between design teams, IT, and business systems
• Ensuring technology investment delivers measurable value
• Lead sustainability and environmental software adoption
• Generate and manage the IT budget

You will not be a support role or technical specialist working in isolation — this role is about leadership, scaling, and adoption. Integration of business systems may be less pertinent for this role.

Key Responsibilities

1. Design Technology Leadership & Strategy
   • Define and communicate a clear firmwide design technology strategy
   • Establish standards, priorities, and roadmaps for BIM, computational design, AI, and digital workflows
   • Act as the senior point of authority for design‐related technology decisions
   • Ensure consistency and quality across projects and studios
2. AI & Automation (Design and Operations)
   • Lead structured, responsible adoption of AI across:
   • Concept and competition work
   • Design development and documentation
   • Visualisation and storytelling
   • Business operations (bids, reporting, forecasting)
   • Move AI from experimental silos to scalable capability
   • Define AI usage policies, governance, and approved platforms
   • Ensure security, ethics, and compliance are embedded from the outset
3. Integration with IT & Cloud‐First Systems
   • Work closely with IT to align design needs with PLP’s cloud‐first technology strategy
   • Help shape how design tools, data, and workflows sit within modern cloud infrastructure
   • Ensure technology decisions support:
   • Mobility and flexibility
   • Security and resilience
   • Integration with finance, HR, and CRM systems
   • Act as a bridge between creative teams and technical infrastructure
4. Design Delivery, Skills & Adoption
   • Embed design technologists and hybrid architect‐technologists into project teams
   • Reduce dependence on individual “experts” and hero knowledge
   • Strengthen Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper and any new related software core delivery competency across the practice
   • Support consistent onboarding, upskilling, and mentoring
   • Build adoption plans that translate new tools and workflows into consistent project delivery
   • Develop consistent training and upskilling strategies
5. Knowledge Sharing & Communication
   • Create mechanisms to capture and share:
   • Successful workflows
   • Lessons learned
   • Reusable tools and approaches
   • Ensure technology innovation is visible, understood, and accessible to the whole practice
   • Support PLP Labs by connecting research, experimentation, and live project delivery
6. Measurement & Value
   • Define KPIs to measure the impact of technology on:
   • Design quality
   • Speed and efficiency
   • Risk reduction
   • Business performance
   • Help leadership understand where technology investment creates real value
   • Develop and manage the DT annual budget (software, external resources, training, conferences, etc.)

Attitude & Culture Fit

You are likely an architect‐technologist or design technology leader with:

• Architectural project delivery experience
• Proven leadership in design technology or computational design
• Strong understanding of tools such as Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, and emerging AI workflows
• Experience scaling technology adoption across teams — not just developing tools
• The ability to speak credibly with Partners, architects, and IT professionals
• A strategic mindset paired with pragmatic delivery

You are comfortable operating at both:

• Board / Partner level, and
• Project / studio level

What This Role Is (and Is Not)

Is:

• A leadership role with authority and influence
• Focused on scaling, adoption, and value
• Central to PLP’s future practice

Is Not:

• A pure AI research role
• A BIM coordinator position
• An IT support function

Details

Shape the digital future of a globally respected design practice. Work directly with senior leadership on practice‐wide strategy. Influence how architecture is designed and delivered in the AI era. Combine design excellence, sustainability, and technology at scale. Competitive salary and benefits package.