Senior Project Architect - Core & Shell

Our SF studio is a 100-person team inside a 3,000-person global firm, which means you get the resourcing and technical bench of a major practice with the accountability and visibility of a small one. We're growing, we're busy, and we need a Senior Project Architect who can hold design authorship and technical execution in the same hand on complex Core & Shell projects, without needing the plan explained twice.

This role is for someone who treats quality control as a discipline, not a checkbox, and who still thinks like a designer while doing it. Someone who can sit across from a client's development team, a structural engineer, and a code official in the same afternoon and speak all three languages fluently, then go back to the drawing and make the call. Someone who mentors without ego and delivers without drama.

What You'll Own

• Lead all phases of design and delivery on complex Core & Shell projects, holding the line on firm standards, contractual commitments, and design intent simultaneously (not sequentially, when they conflict).
• Translate technical implications and design decisions into real financial consequences for the project and the client.
• Direct project documentation and drawing production, and lead QC reviews at every phase for accuracy, constructability, and completeness. This is the job, not a task within the job.
• Own QA adherence to Perkins&Will standards across the project lifecycle.
• Coordinate architecture, interior design, landscape, and external consultants into one functioning team, even when their priorities don't naturally align.
• Serve as the technical voice to the client. Translate jargon in both directions.
• Manage regulatory review and AHJ submissions for building code, accessibility, and zoning, particularly the jurisdictional quirks specific to complex urban work.
• Run construction contract administration effectively, which means your team doesn't just show up to meetings, they close loops.
• Stay current on building technology and systems relevant to high-rise and mixed-use delivery.
• Contribute to pursuits, proposals, and interviews when the work calls for it.
• Lead charettes, pin-ups, and design reviews that produce decisions, not just discussion.
• Mentor staff and manage assignments in a way that grows their judgment, not just their task list.

What You'll Bring

Technical range: Building, zoning, and energy code fluency. Site analysis. Preliminary design studies through contract documents and specifications. Construction contract administration. Consultant coordination. Client communication that doesn't require a translator.

Software:

• Advanced Revit
• Rhino/Grasshopper for conceptual and computational modeling
• Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Photoshop)
• Enscape, Lumion, or V-Ray for visualization
• Physical modeling: 3D printing, laser cutting
• Environmental analysis tools such as Ladybug/Climate Studio a plus

Credentials:

• Bachelor's degree in architecture or a related discipline, required
• Architectural license
• LEED GA within 6 months of hire
• One Living Design accreditation of your choosing: LEED AP with Specialty, BREEAM AP, WELL AP, SITES AP, CPHC/CPHD, or ILFI Living Future Accreditation

What You'll Get
Salary range: $128,800–$189,300, commensurate with experience, education and skillset.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan and paid time off
• Professional development stipend and dedicated continuing education time
• Performance-based bonuses
• Access to firmwide affinity groups and leadership development programs
• Studio initiatives and events; a team that actually likes each other

Our Commitment
Our culture is grounded in a firmwide commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) — not as a tagline, but as how we hire, promote, and build teams. We conduct annual pay equity audits and train all managers on pay practices. We believe inclusion drives creativity.
How To Apply
Submit a resume and a compact, representative portfolio (no larger than 4MB). Show us what you've led, not just what you've touched.
 

Perkins&Will is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, genetic information, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
 

Pay Transparency: We are committed to pay equity. Compensation decisions are based on qualifications, skillset, and experience. Employees may discuss their own compensation without fear of retaliation. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.