Building Performance Specialist

Archinect; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical plan

Dental and vision care

Disability and life insurance

Paid family leave

401(k) with ESOP

Job summary

KieranTimberlake in Philadelphia seeks a Building Performance Specialist to advance sustainable, high-performing building design. You will lead energy, daylight, and comfort analyses, inform early design decisions, and co-develop automated workflows with Design Computation researchers.

The role balances hands-on modeling with strategic guidance across projects. You will collaborate with architects and clients to set performance targets, translate analyses into design direction, and drive

Qualifications

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to advise design teams and advocate for performance goals with clients.
• Interest in scripting for analysis automation and AI workflows.
• Experience guiding projects through performance and certification frameworks.
• Experience working within architectural design teams.

Responsibilities

• Advance office-wide performance literacy and sustainable design ambition.
• Advise project teams on performance strategies across all project phases.
• Collaborate with architects to shape design from the start.
• Advocate to clients for evidence-based sustainability goals.
• Guide consultants toward integrated, high-performing designs.
• Execute energy, daylight, and comfort modeling to inform early design.
• Translate analysis into visual feedback supporting iterative design.
• Steward performance targets, benchmarking, and reporting across projects.
• Co-develop automated analysis workflows with Design Computation peers.
• Evaluate emerging simulation tools, certification frameworks, and regulations.
• Lead office-wide sustainability initiatives with Research Group colleagues.
• Engage in interdisciplinary brainstorming across building performance, health, and POST-occupancy topics.

Skills

Communication skills

Advising design teams

Scripting for analysis automation

Collaborative work with architectural

Education

Architecture/Engineering degree

Job description

KieranTimberlake

Philadelphia, PA, US

Full-time

KieranTimberlake is seeking a Building Performance Specialist to join our Philadelphia studio. Our projects span civic, academic, cultural, and institutional work, and you’ll work alongside colleagues who engage deeply across all phases, from early design through construction administration, and who are invested equally in design excellence and environmental performance.

Founded in 1984, KieranTimberlake unites the expertise and talents of professionals from diverse backgrounds in a practice that is recognized globally. In 2025, after 40 years as a founder-led firm, we transitioned to 100% employee ownership, a milestone that reflects a deep commitment to our staff.

Your Role

The Building Performance Specialist will be a member of KieranTimberlake’s Research Group and will work to advance sustainable, high-performing building design across the practice. They will be responsible for applying their experience in building performance analysis and sustainable design to advise project teams, advocate with clients, and guide consultants and colleagues toward measurable environmental outcomes. While the role includes hands-on energy, carbon, daylight, and comfort modeling, its emphasis is strategic: setting performance targets, shaping design decisions, and translating analysis into design direction. Working with Design Computation researchers, they will co-develop digital workflows that automate analysis and make performance methods accessible to peers.

What You’ll Do

• Advance office-wide performance literacy and sustainable design ambition
• Advise project teams on performance strategies across all project phases
• Collaborate closely with architects so performance thinking shapes design from the start
• Advocate to clients for ambitious, evidence-based sustainability goals
• Guide consultants and colleagues toward integrated, high-performing designs
• Execute energy, carbon, daylight, and comfort modeling to inform early design
• Translate analysis into clear visual feedback that supports an iterative design process
• Steward performance targets, benchmarking, and reporting across projects
• Co-develop automated analysis workflows with Design Computation peers
• Evaluate emerging simulation tools, certification frameworks, and regulations
• Lead office-wide sustainability initiatives with Research Group colleagues
• Engage in interdisciplinary brainstorming sessions across a wide range of topics, including building performance, environmental justice, human health, post-occupancy evaluation, and many others

Your Qualifications

• A degree in architecture, engineering, or other design- or building science-related field
• At least 5 years of experience in building performance analysis and sustainable design
• Expertise in energy, daylight, thermal comfort, and embodied carbon modeling
• Experience guiding projects through performance and certification frameworks
• Experience working collaboratively within architectural design teams
• Sensitivity to the pace and realities of the design process
• Ability to advise design teams and advocate for performance goals with clients
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Capacity to ask questions, draw out insight, and synthesize ideas
• Eagerness to learn and share new methods and skills

We’ll Give Additional Consideration To Candidates With

• Professional licensure or credentials (RA, PE, LEED AP, LFA, CPHC, WELL AP, and/or BEMP)
• Proficiency in or desire to learn scripting for analysis automation
• Experience with or eagerness to explore applied AI workflows (LLM-assisted research and synthesis, automated reporting, and AI-assisted coding)
• Familiarity with post-occupancy evaluation, measurement and verification, and building operations data
• Working knowledge of material health, environmental product declarations, and whole-building life cycle assessment

Working Here

We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Medical and prescription plan with an employer-funded health reimbursement arrangement
• Dental and vision care coverage
• Short and long term disability and life insurance
• Paid family leave
• Our retirement package includes a 401(k) plan with employer contribution and an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)

We work out of our Philadelphia studio, with a policy that provides for one remote day per week.

About KieranTimberlake

Based in a former bottling factory in Philadelphia's Northern Liberties neighborhood, KieranTimberlake unites professionals from diverse backgrounds in a practice recognized globally for design excellence and research innovation. Our work includes programming, planning, and design of new buildings, building renewals, adaptive reuse, and urban and campus planning, as well as developing performance analysis and prediction tools; building and environmental monitoring; and novel building technologies.

Every project begins with a question. A seed, from which a cycle of inquiry unfolds—each answer sparking the next question, so that any one finished design solution brims with insight and empathy. We work within a culture of continuous discovery, where architecture is not a fixed outcome but an evolving dialogue. Our commitment extends beyond delivering exceptional work; we push the boundaries of practice itself, shaping the future of the built environment with clarity, curiosity, and purpose.

We are a signatory of the American Institute of Architects 2030 Commitment and US Architects Declare.

KieranTimberlake is an Equal Opportunity and affirmative Action employer committed to a workplace free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. Protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require reasonable accommodation to apply, please contact Human Resources at hrmanager @ kierantimberlake. com.