Senior Project Designer

HMC Architects; Ontario; Hybrid; USD 105,000 - 159,000; Full time

Job summary

HMC Architects seeks a Senior Project Designer to lead design efforts for diverse projects in Ontario. The role involves managing project phases, supervising design staff, and ensuring design integrity through all stages. Candidates should have a strong architectural background, excellent communication skills, and a minimum of ten years of experience in design.

Benefits

Discretionary bonus opportunities

Employee stock ownership grants

Paid time off

Medical insurance

Qualifications

• Minimum of ten (10) years’ experience in architectural design.
• Demonstrates leadership in design with the profession.

Responsibilities

• Manage small projects in all phases and assist in architectural problem solving.
• Lead the design efforts for various sized projects and coordinate design presentations.
• Supervise and manage design staff during design phases of project.

Skills

Communication

Leadership

Creativity

Project Management

Education

Architectural degree from an accredited university

Job description

HMC Architects is an employee-owned design firm with a desire to make a difference in our communities. As a purpose-driven firm based on values, our mission to design for good drives everything we do. And our ownership culture creates alignment and increased commitment to that mission, keeping us on track to being successful.

What We Do

Founded with the purpose of anticipating community needs, HMC aims to create designs that have a positive impact, now and into the future. We focus primarily on opportunities to have the most direct contribution to communities–through healthcare, education, and civic spaces.

Summary

Responsible for managing small projects in all phases. Assist in architectural problem solving. Assist Project Manager in preparing budget and schedules, and in monitoring adherence to work plan. Interact with consultants and agencies. Ability to work with a team on larger projects.

This position is located in Ontario, California. The position requires 3 days in the office and the ability to work from home Mondays and Fridays.

Summary

The Senior Project Designer will be a prominent creative leader for the office and company, and will plan, coordinate, and lead the design efforts for various sized projects, including large projects. Coordinate and produce design presentation material and coordinate the design intent with the production and documentation of construction documents. Coordinate with the construction administration of the project and maintain design intent during construction. Has primary responsibility for client contact. Strong ability to multi-task and prioritize. Ability to oversee two to three project designers and several junior design staff.

Position Responsibilities

Communication and Collaboration

• Listen and communicate effectively and professionally.
• Ability to communicate complex design concepts both verbally and graphically to team members and clients.
• Ability to organize and deliver complete project design presentations to client user group or public forum under the supervision of a Senior Designer, Design Principal, or Design Director.
• Coordinate project design with team members and consultants resolving conflicts and discrepancies.
• Establish productive working relationships, and deal effectively and cooperatively with team members, consultants, and government agencies.
• Display willingness to make decisions; exhibit sound and accurate judgment; support and explain reasoning for decisions; include appropriate people in decision-making process; make timely decisions.
• Ability to correspond effectively with consultants and clients.
• Apprise supervisor and client for status of work.
• Collaborate with appropriate staff to meet goals and objectives of project.
• Coach, mentor, and provide performance-enhancing feedback of assigned team members.
• Write and develop project marketing interview materials. Participate in project marketing interview.
• Ability to organize and deliver complete project design presentations to client user group or public forum.
• Ensure that coaching, mentoring, and performance-enhancing feedback of assigned team members are provided
• Direct overall verbal and graphic communication of complex project concepts to clients, public agencies, and project team members, and be a primary point of contact for the client
• Resolve "lost opportunity" issues, including staffing reduction, review of contractual obligations, and scope of service

Supervision and Delegation

• Ability to professionally communicate both verbally and in writing to give assignments to office support staff, consultants, and vendors.
• Ability to delegate assignments to support staff and always be respectful.
• Support PIC, Design Director and Project Manager in supervision and delegation of work.
• Assist and/or prepare evaluations and meet with their personnel to discuss the evaluations.
• Supervise and manage four to 7 design staff during design phases of project.
• Primary source for monitoring junior staff daily and taking the appropriate action to report both positive and negative performance.
• Primary source for monitoring designers daily and taking the appropriate action to report both positive and negative performance
• Supervise and manage the design of several projects and design teams. Ability to supervise and direct the design of projects within other offices or studios

Documentation

• Be proficient with HMC’s documentation and office practice systems.
• Write meeting minutes, professional correspondence, and lead or assist in the documentation of the design process.
• Ability to write and edit design narratives and produce compelling diagrams that clearly explain the big project ideas.
• Understand and review agreements with clients and consultants, especially pertaining to fees and deliverables.
• Write articles for professional publications of the architecture and construction industry.

Business Development

• Attend professional activities outside of office.
• Always be professional and respectful in interactions with clients and consultants.
• Be the primary contact with client, have excellent follow-through with client and maintain excellent client relationships.
• Have primary role in marketing interviews and in the graphic preparation of marketing proposals. Write and approve marketing proposals.
• Ability to market project capability through client interviews, public presentations, and professional publications
• Actively work to cultivate new clients

Management

• Demonstrate motivation in seeking new responsibilities and challenges.
• Set goals, prioritize, and plan work activities for self-management and use time efficiently.
• Work collaboratively and effectively with Design Leadership, PIC’s, Project Managers, and project team.
• Estimate hours for assigned tasks and finish tasks within agreed-upon budget hours for the task.
• Prepare work plans and schedules for the design process, and coordinate schedule with project manager.
• Lead the design efforts for projects of all sizes and work collaboratively and work collaboratively and effectively with PIC’s, Project Manager and project team.

Design

• Demonstrate creativity in architectural design on projects and clearly express ideas around our 4 core design principles: Impact, Clarity, Context & Timelessness.
• Perform environmental analysis on every project, including daylight analysis for exposure, glare, and daylight autonomy.
• Lead the Schematic and Design Development efforts of projects in collaboration with PM.
• Lead the design efforts on all sized projects and coordinate the design efforts on several projects.
• Ensure the design integrity of all studio projects through the Design Development, Construction Document, and Construction Phases.
• Demonstrate creativity in architectural design on all projects.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the appropriate use of building systems, materials, and technologies. Show initiative in the research of alternative systems and materials.
• Lead the documentation of project design, such as three-dimensional CAD modeling, physical models, and product or material research in collaboration with PM.
• Coordinate the preparation of various Design Communication and Presentation materials including sketches, rendered 2D & 3D drawings, rendered perspectives, and material selection boards in collaboration with PM.
• Lead with the PIC and participate in design awards and publications efforts.
• Take leadership role in the promotion of design quality throughout the company.
• Initiate and lead efforts to promote the design reputation of the firm.
• Lead office design charettes, team design critiques and pin-ups.
• Provide a positive design leadership example to project teams and to the studio.

Technical

• Understand the organization of the contract documents.
• Demonstrate proficiency in applications and multimedia software.
• Understand technical terminology of the architectural and construction industry.
• Understanding construction systems of walls, roofs, doors, and windows.
• Understand requirements/deliverables of all phases.
• Possess working knowledge of drawing setup, layers, plotting/publishing, dimensions, blocks, attributes, purge/audit/recover, and back up files and viewports.
• Have working knowledge and follows HMC procedures, standards, and protocols
• Participate in the development of working drawings, and help fulfill requirements/deliverables of SD, DD, and CD phases.
• Understand the process of coordination with government agencies, and the plan check approval process.
• Help select appropriate materials, systems and develop all construction details and systems.
• Coordinate the design intent in the development of specifications.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the applicable building codes for use in design.
• Lead a project’s design intent through the construction document and construction phases & coordinate cost estimating of design intent.
• Provide training and mentoring for all technical aspects of our work.
• Direct all field verification efforts and validate information for authenticity

Position Requirements

• Education: Architectural degree from an accredited university.
• Experience: Minimum of ten (10) years’ experience in architectural design, and in the production and coordination of significant design projects. Demonstrates leadership in design with the profession.

The salary range for this position is $105,682 to $158,086

The actual offered salary for this position will vary depending on multiple factors including the candidate’s qualification, education, position knowledge, work experience, skills, ability, work location, and internal incumbent compensation for similar roles. We do not anticipate individuals hired into this position will start at or near the top half of the range listed; the decision will be based on each individual case. The salary range listed above does not include other compensation elements such as discretionary bonus opportunities, employee stock ownership grants, paid time off, medical insurance, and other wage and benefit opportunities.