Project Architect I - Retail

Progressive AE; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP ownership

Hybrid work schedule

Wellness program

Job summary

Progressive AE is seeking a Project Architect I who will independently manage models, drawings, and specs for small to moderate projects. You will coordinate with engineers, outside consultants, and ensure design integrity across disciplines. The firm supports AXP and licensure, and employees participate in ESOP ownership.

You will mentor junior staff, perform design analyses, and communicate progress with clients to drive successful outcomes.

Qualifications

• AXP and ARE licensure path supported
• Mentor staff and lead project teams
• Coordinate with engineers and consultants

Responsibilities

• Produce architectural models, contract documents, and technical specifications on assigned projects.
• Run the design and planning analyses behind those documents and occupancy studies.
• Write project specifications that align with drawings and keep documentation in step with design changes.
• Coordinate the technical design across disciplines with internal teams and outside consultants.
• Catch problems before senior review by reviewing reports and calculations for accuracy.
• Resolve field issues on site visits and communicate results to contractors.
• Become the primary client/consultant contact on projects and manage progress updates.
• Complete AXP and licensure path with firm support.
• Mentor junior staff and share project learnings.

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

Job description

As a Project Architect I, you will run the conventional architecture on projects of small to moderate size and complexity, working independently on the model, the drawings, and the specifications. You will handle design and planning analysis, occupancy studies, and design layouts, coordinate the technical design with engineers and outside consultants, and check reports, plans, estimates, and calculations against Performance Based Design before they move up for review.

This is the level where you stop working on pieces of somebody else's project and start owning your own. You will make technical calls yourself, work directly with consultants, and mentor the staff behind you, which is what the step to Project Architect II is built on. If you are still finishing AXP and the AREs, the firm supports the path to licensure. Progressive is employee owned, so the projects you deliver show up in your own ESOP stake.

In this role, you will:

• Produce architectural models, contract documents, and technical specifications on assigned projects. Work in Revit and AutoCAD on projects of small to moderate complexity, with building codes, sustainability principles, and material standards built into the documents rather than checked against them at the end.
• Run the design and planning analysis behind those documents. Perform analyses of design and planning options, occupancy studies, and design layouts, and compile the data that supports the reports and specifications you write.
• Write project specifications that agree with the drawings. Coordinate the specs and the architectural drawings so the two sets say the same thing, and keep them in step as the design changes.
• Coordinate the technical design across disciplines. Work with internal teams, engineers, and outside consultants to bring multiple disciplines into one coherent set, and manage document publishing and file transfers so everyone is building from the current documents.
• Catch problems before the work goes up for senior review. Review project reports, submittals, drawings, estimates, and calculations for technical accuracy and completeness, self-check your own work against internal QA and QC standards, and tell senior staff about design inconsistencies or scope changes while there is still room to react.
• Resolve field issues on site visits. Work through unforeseen field conditions, code compliance questions, and discrepancies in the construction documents on site, and get answers back to the contractor without stalling the work.
• Become the person clients and consultants call directly on your projects. Keep project teams current on progress, design changes, and technical requirements, and build the working relationships with clients and consultants that carry into the next project.
• Complete AXP and the Architectural Registration Exams and get licensed. If you are not licensed yet, finish the path with the firm behind you. NCARB registration, AIA membership, and LEED AP BD+C are supported the same way.
• Mentor junior staff and pass along what your projects learn. Give technical guidance to less experienced staff as questions come up, and take part in Lessons Learned sessions so the next team does not solve the same problem twice.

People Matter

Each individual's background, knowledge, ability, and experience contributes to strengthening our organization and projects. Our dedication to diversity includes company provided training and education, equitable recruitment, a grassroots employee DEI committee, and robust community partnerships.

Progressive Companies is comprised of people with a variety of abilities, races, colors, religions, genders, sexual orientations, national origins, ages, veteran statuses, and more. As an equal opportunity employer, we believe diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential elements of innovative design. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Transforming Spaces. Empowering People.

The talented professionals of Progressive Companies are designers of a bold new future, creating high-performance structures and pathways, delivering on today’s needs and preparing for what’s to come. We live by the idea that design isn’t simply about beauty, it’s about improving strategic outcomes—what we call P erformance B ased D esign. Our work spans across the nation, allowing team members to work on a variety of exciting projects and maximize impact as trusted partners to our clients and communities. Sustainable and Inclusive

We are dedicated to human-centered, sustainable, and inclusive design practices. We believe diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to building trust, respect, and truly innovative design making spaces welcoming and accessible to all. Our sustainability approach embraces the AIA 2030 Commitment, together with a range of high performance, restorative, and regenerative strategies with a focus on climate responsive results to maximize positive impact in our industry.

Employee Owned

We act like owners—because we are. From modest beginnings of four original engineering partners in 1962, to almost 300 architects, engineers, designers, and consultants across multiple regional offices today, the energy, resourcefulness, and entrepreneurial mindset you expect from a CEO come standard with every team member. Culture of Excellence

Culture of Excellence

The firm is continually ranked as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation®, with comprehensive benefits including an award-winning wellness program, hybrid work schedule, summer hours, profit-sharing, and employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). We take our work seriously, but have fun along the way, which fuels the creative spirit and supports a focus on work and life integration. Progressive Companies is committed to development and growth of team members through continuing education, mentorship, growth opportunities, and more. We are dedicated to giving back to our communities, with paid service-learning hours available to every employee and corporate sponsorship for a wide range of community organizations and activities.