Director of Architecture

Looking for a company that treats associates with respect, understanding, and appreciation? Looking for a company that is passionate about teamwork and the growth of it's associates and communities? That's WEIS!

Job Description:

The Director will assume the lead role for pre-construction activities of the Store Development, Real Estate, Legal Departments.  They will strategize the annual planned work effort for the department and are the point of accountability for outside engineers and consultants as it relates to performing due diligence, design development, and construction drawings of new stores, expansion projects, remodels, and fuel stations. They will have a thorough understanding of local, state, and federal regulatory agencies and their processes as related to the building permit reviews and approvals. They will communicate the interests of Weis Markets, Inc. to government agency officials and conduct negotiations on behalf of Weis Markets Inc.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Design Leadership & Strategy

• Define and maintain the architectural design standards, prototypes, and brand guidelines for all grocery retail and support facility locations.
• Lead design strategy for new store formats, remodels, expansions, and specialty concepts.
• Balance customer experience, operational efficiency, cost, and constructability in all design decisions.
• Drive innovation in store layout, materials, sustainability, and emerging retail trends.

Project Oversight

• Oversee architectural design from site feasibility through construction documentation and permitting.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously across varying markets and schedules.
• Review and approve drawings, specifications, and design changes to ensure alignment with brand and budget.
• Provide design leadership during value engineering and constructability reviews.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Real Estate and Land Development on site due diligence, test fits, and entitlement strategies.
• Collaborate with Construction and Purchasing Departments to ensure smooth handoff, field coordination, and issue resolution.
• Work closely with Store Operations, Merchandising, and Facilities to optimize workflows and long-term maintainability.
• Present design concepts and recommendations to Weis Senior Leadership.

Consultant & Vendor Management

• Select, manage, and evaluate external architects, engineers, and design consultants.
• Establish scopes of work, fees, schedules, and performance expectations.
• Ensure consistent application of standards across multiple design partners.

Financial & Schedule Management

• Manage architectural design budgets and timelines.
• Support cost control through standardized details, prototype optimization, and efficient documentation.
• Identify opportunities to reduce first and life-cycle costs.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure all designs comply with local building codes, zoning, ADA, life safety, and health department requirements.
• Oversee permitting strategy in coordination with local authorities having jurisdiction.
• Maintain awareness of regulatory changes affecting grocery retail design.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop internal architectural design staff.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position supervises a team of (6) associates. Currently composed of (1) Manager of Architecture, (4) Architectural Project Managers, and an (1) Administrative Assistant.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

To perform this job successfully, the associate must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required:

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor of Architecture, Interior Design, or a related and accredited design degree equivalent.
• Licensed Architect preferred. 10+ years of architectural experience, with significant focus on retail or grocery environments.
• Proven leadership experience managing design teams and consultants.
• Strong understanding of grocery retail operations, workflows, and back-of-house requirements.
• Expertise in prototype-based retail design and rollout programs.

Core Competencies

• Strategic design thinking.
• Retail and customer experience focus.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Financial and schedule discipline.
• Problem-solving in fast-paced environments.
• Ability to balance brand vision with operational realities.

Leadership Skills

• Effectively partner with functional peers and internal partners.
• Remain flexible to changing business needs and react to those needs in a professional and positive manner.
• Exhibit strong organizational, analytical, and time management skills.
• Understand and drive company-wide business initiatives.
• Provide coaching, guidance, and supervision in an environment that requires the ability to adapt and change to new market demands.

Weis Markets is an Equal Opportunity Employer:  Weis Markets is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of actual or perceived age, sex, sexual orientation, race, color, creed, religion, familial status, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. Applicants with a disability may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation under terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the ways things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on Weis Markets.