Architectural 2IC - Sydney

Populous; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Populous is seeking an Architectural 2IC to support leadership across multidisciplinary packages on major projects in Sydney. You will coordinate planning, façade, bowl and MEP packages, ensuring the architectural vision aligns with programme and client expectations.

You will bring a Master’s in Architecture, at least 5 years’ experience, strong BIM expertise (Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper) and proven ability to lead teams and resolve complex coordination challenges in large-scale sports and

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Architecture from a recognised university and eligibility for professional registration.
• 5+ years of professional architectural experience on complex projects.
• Proven experience coordinating multidisciplinary design teams.
• Strong BIM/RevIt coordination and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate architectural workstreams across Planning, Facade, Bowl, and MEP packages.
• Lead multidisciplinary coordination meetings and design reviews.
• Maintain interface clarity between architecture, planning, structural and engineering.
• Mentor junior architects and support project leadership.
• Ensure compliance with NCC and Australian standards.

Skills

Architectural coordination

BIM and Revit

Rhino & Grasshopper

Strong problem-solving

Strong organisational skills

Multidisciplinary coordination

Education

Master's degree in Architecture

Tools

Revit

Rhino

Grasshopper

Job description

We design the places where people love to be together — and we can’t do it without you.

Populous is all about people — it’s in our name. Attracting and retaining talented people who are passionate about their work is what makes us thrive. As a global firm, we have established roots in cities across the world, uncovering the very best local talent. The diversity of our team is our greatest strength and one of the most powerful sources of our creativity. We believe in supporting each other, coming together as a team to make sure everyone is fulfilled professionally, creatively, and personally.

Why Work With Us

Culture

Populous is built around the core values of integrity, entrepreneurial creativity, excellence and enjoyment. There are many milestones and celebrations along the way — yours and ours — and we share in these special moments together. We also reach beyond our offices to help make our local communities stronger, from engaging with university students and taking part in urban clean-up projects, to partnering with sports charities and promoting sustainable design.

Understanding people is what Populous is all about — and that begins with the people in our team. That’s why we have designed a comprehensive benefits program to support your employee experience at Populous and your life outside of work, including flexible work environments. From CrossFit in London, to the Noosa Triathlon in Australia to mental health check-ins in the Americas, we have all kinds of initiatives to help you keep mind and body in top condition.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Belonging

With more than 1,600 colleagues in 33 offices spanning four continents, we value the incredible range of talents, beliefs, experiences and perspectives of every person that makes up our team. You bring your authentic self and we’ll set the stage for you to succeed.

Professional Development

Populous is a team of people that are emotionally connected to their work. We wouldn’t have it any other way. From mentor programs and cross-disciplinary design charettes to global conferences, you will have a wealth of opportunities to innovate and learn, shaping your career to meet your personal goals.

Our commitment to innovative design has earned us the top spot in architecture on Fast Company's list of the world's 50 most innovative companies.

“We are a team of fans, dreamers, thinkers and doers. We come together to amplify the magic of fandom and break barriers for the future of sports and entertainment.”

What happens when you provoke designers to bring to life a digital footprint?

Tapping the Power of a Global Knowledge Network

As an Architectural 2IC, you will play a key role in supporting the leadership and delivery of a complex city defining project, working closely with Package Leads across either

• Planning
• Bowl
• Structural & MEP.

These roles are focused on ensuring that the different project workstreams are effectively coordinated, integrated and aligned with the overall architectural vision, project requirements and programme. You will work across disciplines to identify issues, facilitate resolution and help maintain momentum across the project.

As a key member of the project leadership team, you will provide strong architectural, technical and coordination capability while supporting the various discipline leads in delivering their respective workstreams. You will help connect design, planning, technical and engineering requirements, ensuring that decisions and interfaces are understood and coordinated across the project.

This is a collaborative leadership role suited to an experienced graduate or architect who can operate across disciplines, understand the broader project picture and provide the coordination, challenge and support required to bring complex projects together.

About us at Populous

At Populous, our teams design the places where people love to be together. From stadiums and arenas to convention centres, airports, mixed‑use developments, and entertainment precincts, we have delivered many of the world’s most iconic and community‑defining projects.

With projects spanning Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Americas, we bring globalexpertiseand local insight to every design. OurSydneyteam is central to this network, delivering impactful projects locally and across the region with a focus on sustainability, innovation, and community.

Why Populous

Wedon’tconsider ourselves just another architecture and design practice. At Populous, we believe our strength lies in our people and their diversity of experiences. Across APAC, our team represents over 35 nationalities, and we actively celebrate and support this.

We provide our people with:

• The opportunity to contribute to projects of global significance inSydney and across APAC
• A collaborative international network of experts and design leaders
• Career development opportunities, including leadership training, mentorship, and global mobility
• A vibrant workplace culture where creativity, collaboration, and innovation are valued
• An environment where everyone can be themselves and grow their careers in any direction they want, all while being in an inclusive and supportive workplace
• Oh, andwe’rerecognised as one of the best places to work in Australia!We’vebeen recognised as a Work180 Top 101 Employer for Women two years in a row, winners of two Work180 Workplace awards and recognised as a HRD 5 Star Employer!

What will you be engaged in?

As an Architectural 2IC, you will:

• Support the relevant Project Leads in the overall coordination and delivery of complex architectural projects.
• Act as a key architectural coordination point across the project's Planning, Roof & Facade, Bowl or Structural and MEP packages and other specialist disciplines.
• Support discipline leads in coordinating their respective workstreams and ensure key interfaces, dependencies and decisions are identified and managed.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the overall project to ensure individual discipline outcomes remain aligned with the architectural vision, project objectives and programme.
• For Planning 2IC - understand planning requirements, authority matters and planning risks and ensure these are appropriately reflected in the architectural design and project programme.
• For Façade & Roof 2IC - support the development, coordination and delivery of façade and roof design solutions, documentation and package requirements throughout the project lifecycle.
• For Bowl 2IC - support the development and coordination of seating bowl layouts, sightlines, spectator experience, documentation and package delivery requirements.
• For Structural and MEP 2IC - coordinate engineering requirements and resolve interfaces between architectural and engineering systems.
• Identify potential conflicts, gaps, dependencies and coordination issues across disciplines at an early stage and facilitate their resolution.
• Support the Project Leads and discipline leads in establishing priorities, resolving issues and maintaining progress against key project milestones.
• Review architectural and multidisciplinary information to identify issues that may impact design quality, programme, constructability or project outcomes.
• Facilitate coordination between internal teams, consultants, specialist advisers, contractors and other project stakeholders.
• Lead or participate in multidisciplinary coordination meetings, design reviews, workshops and project discussions.
• Support the development and review of architectural drawings, models, documentation and project information.
• Help ensure that technical and engineering requirements are appropriately integrated without compromising the overall architectural intent.
• Maintain visibility of key project risks, issues and dependencies and elevate matters to the appropriate project leader where required.
• Provide architectural input into project planning, sequencing, resourcing and delivery strategies.
• Support the Project Lead in maintaining clear responsibilities, priorities and expectations across the project team.
• Provide guidance, mentoring and support to architects, designers and other project team members.
• Promote effective collaboration between architectural and specialist discipline teams.
• Take ownership of specific architectural workstreams or packages as required, while maintaining a broader project-wide perspective.
• Step into broader project coordination responsibilities when required to support the Project Lead and wider leadership team.
• Contribute to broader studio, design and project delivery initiatives as required.

To succeed in this role, you will bring:

• A Master's degree in Architecture from a recognised university.
• 5+ years' professional experience, or equivalent, within an architectural practice.
• Demonstrated experience working on complex architectural projects through design, documentation and delivery.
• Strong architectural design, technical and documentation capability.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multidisciplinary project teams and complex interfaces.
• A strong understanding of how architectural, planning, structural, MEP and technical requirements interact within complex projects.
• Strong BIM and Revit capability, with Rhino and Grasshopper experience desirable.
• Good understanding of the NCC and relevant Australian standards.
• Strong problem-solving and coordination skills, with the ability to identify issues and facilitate practical solutions.
• Ability to work effectively with discipline leads, consultants, clients and contractors.
• Confidence communicating complex design and technical matters to a range of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and coordinate without relying solely on formal authority.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple workstreams.
• Experience supporting project or discipline leadership teams would be highly desirable.
• Experience working on complex or large-scale sports, entertainment, aviation or major public projects would be beneficial.

At Populous, we’re not only looking for technical skills but also for people who share our passion for creating places where communities come together.

We design the places that bring people together — and we know that happens best when our own team reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage people of all identities, abilities, and lived experiences to apply and join us in shaping the future of design.