Perkins&Will
Director of Strategic Advisory | Portland
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Director of Strategic Advisory | Portland
About Our Work
Portland Design is a design-led consultancy that creates brands and places for people. Based in London, we are part of the Perkins & Will global architecture and design group.
We combine evidence, data, and research to uncover key insights shaping the future direction of our work. We define foresight, strategic vision, and experience drivers, translating these into lived experiences across:
- Place branding
- Experience masterplanning
- Wayfinding
- Retail, advertising, and media
- Public art
The result is a seamless customer journey, blending strategy with immersive design. We work across scales and sectors, from individual stores to city-wide regeneration, influencing retail environments, masterplans, airports, mixed-use destinations, restaurants, and leisure spaces. Our ambition is to shape experiences that reflect real human behaviour, expectations, and motivations.
We believe future value is created through people and culture. By deeply understanding these factors, we craft environments that foster stronger connections—delivering social, cultural, and commercial impact to create beloved places.
Join us: Director of Strategic Advisory
Portland is entering a phase of growth, expanding its senior advisory capabilities to meet increasing client challenges.
We are seeking a Director of Strategic Advisory—a visionary leader empowered to...
- Bring a distinct perspective that enrichs our thinking
- Complement the leadership team with strategic sophistication
- Lead seamlessly at executive and client-facing levels
- Drive commercial growth, advisory expansion, and client impact
The role demands someone who exists comfortably at the intersection of strategy, client outcomes, and business direction. You will shape our advisory offer, deepen strategic relationships, and convert everyday opportunities into transformative impact—evolving how we work while upholding our values.
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Four essential qualities for this role: We’re looking for a people-centred leader whose diverse perspective refreshes how we operate. That you:
- Broaden our strategic horizons
- Elevate our execution with sharper process and execution
- Reinforce our culture and identity as we grow
- Bring voting influence to conversations through a uniquely fresh take
Key Skills
Competitive aspirants will demonstrate an authoritative blend of strategy, capability, and leadership. Essential is:
- Proven experience in strategy, advisory, consulting, design or place leadership
- Commercial acumen that translates intuitive insights into tangible growth initiatives
- Execution expertise at executive and board level, where you tackle complex challenges with insight and influence
- Thought leadership—ideally on a global stage—backed by compelling public-speaking presence
- An energising stage presence: those whose expertise shines in conversation, who clarify with authority and positively engage diverse audiences
- Unmatched facilitation, communication and simultaneous influencing skills, structured around a collaborative leadership ethos
Key Responsibilities
This role synthesises strategic authority, client impact, and business direction, ensuring both operational excellence and strategic edge. Core duties include:
- Acting as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders and executive teams
- Challenging creative and business decisions with sharp, evidence-based thinking
- Converting opportunities from first engagement to pitch and delivery, driving revenue and client satisfaction
- Leading high-stakes executive meetings and orchestrating transformation priorities across projects
- Shaping Portland’s external profile as a thought leader—through speaking, journalism, and industry advocacy
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Success in Focus: A 12–24 Month Vision
Progress will be measured by stated influence, revenue growth, and thought leadership impact. Our ambition is that in two years, our Director of Strategic Advisory will deliver:
✔ Deepened Portland’s strategic advisory reputation through distinctive client insights and public thought leadership ✔ Stronger relationships with key and emergent accounts—broadening geographic footprint and client scale ✔ Accelerated commercial opportunities, growing Portland’s portfolio sustainably ✔ Higher quality decision-making which extends beyond individual project briefs to shape system-building strategies ✔ Enhanced external recognition as a respected industry voice, through speaking engagements and seminal publications ✔ Innovative thinking that enriches the wider leadership and team dynamics, ensuring Portland remains both adaptive and purpose-driven
Solution-Orientation
If any barrier impedes your journey during this process, please highlight it early. Our aim is to proactively insist on equitable access.
Perkins & Will is an equal-opportunity employer, seeking talent that cosmos ananti diversity of experiences. Our ambition is to enrich our work and culture through voices that expand perspectives, sparking fresh solutions for both our community and clients.
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