About the opportunity
We are retained by a highly regarded boutique landscape architecture studio to find their inaugural Miami Principal. This is a confidential search.
The firm is opening its Miami office as the first step in a multi-city expansion. The Principal will be the founding leader of that office — responsible for winning work, leading design, building the team, and shaping the culture. For the right person, this role carries a genuine, structured path to firm partnership directly tied to the growth they drive.
Key responsibilities
- Generate and win new work across the Miami and broader South Florida market
- Bring existing client relationships and cultivate new ones with developers, architects, municipalities, and referral partners
- Lead proposals, fee negotiations, and contract scoping
- Set and uphold design vision and quality across all Miami projects, from concept through construction documentation
- Oversee day-to-day office operations — workload, staffing, and resourcing
- Mentor and develop junior designers, building a high-performance team as the office scales
- Partner with firm leadership on hiring, strategy, and future expansion
Required qualifications
- Licensed Landscape Architect (PLA) — Florida licensure or ability to obtain promptly
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Landscape Architecture from an accredited programme
- Demonstrated success in business development with an existing book of clients and relationships
- Portfolio strength in luxury residential and/or hospitality
- Proven experience leading design across the full project lifecycle
- Track record of mentoring and developing staff
- Deep knowledge of South Florida's market, climate, plant palettes, and regulatory environment
- Strong command of grading, drainage, hardscape, planting design, and construction documentation
- Proficiency in AutoCAD and Adobe Creative Suite
Preferred qualifications
- Established network across South Florida, East Coast, Caribbean, or Latin America
- Experience building or leading a studio or office
- Exposure to multifamily, commercial, or institutional sectors
- Proficiency in SketchUp, Rhino, or GIS
- Financial acumen around project profitability and office operations
What's on offer
- $180,000–$200,000 base salary depending on experience
- Performance bonus tied to business development
- A genuine, structured path to firm partnership
- Full autonomy to lead, hire, and shape the Miami office from day one
- The agility and culture of a boutique studio — with the ambition of a firm on the rise
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