Intermediate Designer

Valid8 Financial, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with employer match

Licensure support and continuing education

Collaborative studio culture

Job summary

S9 Architecture is seeking an Intermediate Designer in New York City to play a central role in advancing architectural ideas across diverse projects. This position demands a design-driven architect with 5-10 years of experience, capable of nurturing junior designers and engaging in collaborative design processes. The role offers a salary range of $85,000–$125,000+, along with a supportive studio culture, mentorship opportunities, and a focus on design excellence. Join a mission-driven, award-winning team committed to impactful architecture.

Qualifications

• 5‑10 years of experience in design-forward architecture studios.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strong architectural concepts.
• Clear verbal, graphic, and visual communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead design exploration across multiple scales and project types.
• Guide multiple projects alongside junior designers with Design Principals.
• Mentor and support junior designers through critique and guidance.

Skills

Design-driven approach

Collaboration

Architectural concepts

Communication skills

Mentorship

Job description

S9 Architecture is a 55+ person design practice grounded in modern contextualism—believing that architecture must engage its cultural, social, and environmental surroundings with intelligence and care. Our work spans a broad range of project types throughout New York City and across North America, including multifamily residential (100% affordable, market-rate rental, and luxury condominium), mixed-use developments, office and workplace design, adaptive reuse and repositioning, and cultural and institutional projects.

We are an open studio that encourages conversation, curiosity, and shared growth. Design direction is led collaboratively by our leadership but evolves through meaningful input and disciplined contributions from all levels. We value teaching, mentorship, and supportive critique, and we operate as a meritocracy where thoughtful ideas and strong performance are recognized.

At our core, we believe architecture carries a profound responsibility to improve neighborhoods and enhance the daily lives of the people who live in, work in, and use our buildings. Many of our projects have been recognized for design excellence and for enriching the human experience.

We work in person, side by side, because design is a dialogue—and the studio is our shared classroom, workshop, and laboratory.

INTERMEDIATE DESIGNER

New York City | In-Studio

Position Overview

S9 Architecture is seeking an Intermediate Designer to play a central role in shaping and advancing architectural ideas across a diverse range of project types and scales. This position is ideal for a design-driven architect with strong judgment, conceptual rigor, and a deep interest in architecture as a contextual, collaborative, and iterative practice.

Intermediate Designers at S9 work closely with Design Principals and project teams in an open, dialogue-driven studio environment. The role involves generating and refining ideas from early concept through execution, while helping guide junior designers through shared authorship, critique, and mentorship. This is a long‑term opportunity for a designer who wants to grow design leadership within a thoughtful, design‑intensive studio culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead design exploration across multiple scales and project types, including massing, urban response, spatial organization, design narrative, and architectural detail.
• Guide multiple projects alongside junior designers, in close collaboration with Design Principals and technical teams.
• Coordinate with the team to ensure design intent is thoughtfully carried through design development.
• Mentor and support junior designers through critique, guidance, and example.
• Actively participate in studio pin‑ups, reviews, and ongoing design dialogue.
• Contribute to a studio culture that values design excellence, clear communication, and realistic project planning.

Qualifications

• 5‑10 years of experience in design‑forward architecture studios.
• Experience in design‑oriented offices with a strong culture of critique, collaboration, and craft.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strong architectural concepts and carry them through multiple project phases.
• Strong understanding of urban context, zoning, massing, spatial sequencing, and architectural systems.
• Clear verbal, graphic, and visual communication skills.
• Comfort working within regulatory, structural, and programmatic constraints as part of a collaborative process.
• Interest in mentorship, collaboration, and long‑term growth within a studio environment.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States.

What We Offer

• Salary range: $85,000–$125,000+, commensurate with experience
• 401(k) with employer match
• Licensure support and continuing education
• A collaborative, in‑studio culture with direct access to leadership and meaningful design dialogue
• A studio environment that values design rigor alongside sustainable work practices
• Opportunities for meaningful design responsibility and professional growth

Why Join S9

• Contribute to mission‑driven, award‑winning work rooted in urban context and architectural craft
• Work in an engaged open studio where dialogue, mentorship, and collaboration fuel design
• Grow as a designer and leader while helping shape the studio’s future

To Apply

Please submit a resume and portfolio demonstrating strong conceptual work, design development, and collaborative project experience. Submissions without a work sample will not be reviewed.

S9 Architecture is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, status as a protected veteran or status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable Federal, State or Local law.