Senior Design Manager, Project Architect

Suffolkconstruction; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Suffolk Design in Boston is seeking a Massachusetts-licensed architect to join the Central Operations team as Project Architect. This role focuses on project leadership, directing the integrated design product, and guiding multidisciplinary teams from early planning through construction and closeout.

You will provide architectural and technical leadership, frame decisions, establish standards, and ensure design intent across complex projects while coordinating with the Project Manager and

Qualifications

• Professional degree in Architecture from an accredited program.
• Current license to practice architecture in Massachusetts; NCARB certification preferred.
• Approximately 12-18 years of progressively responsible architectural experience, including leadership of complex projects through design, documentation, permitting, and construction.
• Demonstrated success serving as Project Architect, Senior Project Architect, Technical Architect.

Responsibilities

• Provide architectural and technical direction for assigned projects, translating design intent, client requirements, contractual obligations, cost, schedule, and construction needs into a coordinated path to delivery.
• Partner with the Project Manager as a peer project leader: the Project Manager leads fee, contract, schedule, staffing, change, risk, client management, and financial performance, while the Project Architect directs the integrated product and technical execution system.
• Establish the project's deliverable strategy, information architecture, milestone requirements, and documentation plan before substantial production begins.
• Direct the architectural team and coordinate discipline leads, consultants, design-assist partners, trade partners, Digital Delivery, and construction personnel around clear responsibilities, decision dates, and interfaces.
• Lead major technical and design decisions, including building-code strategy, envelope and system integration, material and assembly selection, accessibility, life safety, and resolution of interdisciplinary conflicts.
• Plan and lead design and technical workshops that result in documented decisions, accountable owners, and resolved follow-up actions.
• Maintain the quality and coherence of the complete document set; direct progress reviews, interdisciplinary coordination, technical reviews, and closure of findings.
• Approve the milestone deliverable brief and controlled package baseline, and apply disciplined change control to sheets, views, details, and deliverable scope.
• Direct permitting and regulatory coordination in Massachusetts and, where applicable, other jurisdictions; maintain visibility into submission requirements, agency comments, and approval status.
• Integrate estimating, scheduling, procurement, constructability, logistics, and supply-chain information into design decisions without relinquishing professional design authority.
• Lead architectural construction-phase services, including response strategy for RFIs, submittals, design changes, field observations, and resolution of questions affecting design intent or technical compliance.
• Confirm that significant design and technical decisions are traceable, communicated, incorporated into affected documents and models, and released through the appropriate approval path.
• Provide architectural leadership across multiple projects or workstreams when appropriate, concentrating attention where complexity, risk, or critical decisions require senior direction.
• Mentor emerging project architects and design professionals by delegating meaningful work, reviewing outcomes, and building judgment rather than retaining all critical tasks personally.
• Contribute to reusable standards, milestone planning tools, quality practices, lessons learned, and practical applications of digital and AI-enabled workflows across Suffolk Design

Skills

Project leadership

Architectural design

Documentation

Team mentoring

Regulatory coordination

Construction administration

Education

Massachusetts license

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

BIM

Job description

Overview

The Role

Suffolk Design is Suffolk's integrated design practice, bringing architectural expertise together with Suffolk's construction capabilities, data, and technology. We work at the intersection of design and construction to deliver high-quality buildings with greater clarity, speed, and cost and schedule predictability.

We are seeking a Massachusetts-licensed architect to join our Boston Central Operations team as Project Architect. This is not primarily a production role. It is a project-leadership role for an architect who can direct the integrated design product, establish the technical and documentation strategy, and guide multidisciplinary teams from early planning through construction and closeout.

The Project Architect will provide overall architectural and technical leadership for assigned projects, working in partnership with the Project Manager, who leads the project's commercial and operational delivery. The successful candidate will frame decisions, establish standards, direct the work of others, and maintain accountability for design intent, technical integration, consultant coordination, document quality, and milestone readiness.

Why This Role Matters

Central Operations supports projects and teams across Suffolk Design's regions and market sectors. This role offers the opportunity to influence not only individual projects, but also how a growing national design practice plans, coordinates, reviews, and delivers its work. You will help build a more consistent and scalable AOR delivery model while remaining close to the consequential design and technical decisions that determine project success.

Responsibilities

• Provide architectural and technical direction for assigned projects, translating design intent, client requirements, contractual obligations, cost, schedule, and construction needs into a coordinated path to delivery
• Partner with the Project Manager as a peer project leader: the Project Manager leads fee, contract, schedule, staffing, change, risk, client management, and financial performance, while the Project Architect directs the integrated product and technical execution system
• Establish the project's deliverable strategy, information architecture, milestone requirements, and documentation plan before substantial production begins
• Direct the architectural team and coordinate discipline leads, consultants, design-assist partners, trade partners, Digital Delivery, and construction personnel around clear responsibilities, decision dates, and interfaces
• Lead major technical and design decisions, including building-code strategy, envelope and system integration, material and assembly selection, accessibility, life safety, and resolution of interdisciplinary conflicts
• Plan and lead design and technical workshops that result in documented decisions, accountable owners, and resolved follow-up actions
• Maintain the quality and coherence of the complete document set; direct progress reviews, interdisciplinary coordination, technical reviews, and closure of findings
• Approve the milestone deliverable brief and controlled package baseline, and apply disciplined change control to sheets, views, details, and deliverable scope
• Direct permitting and regulatory coordination in Massachusetts and, where applicable, other jurisdictions; maintain visibility into submission requirements, agency comments, and approval status
• Integrate estimating, scheduling, procurement, constructability, logistics, and supply-chain information into design decisions without relinquishing professional design authority
• Lead architectural construction-phase services, including response strategy for RFIs, submittals, design changes, field observations, and resolution of questions affecting design intent or technical compliance
• Confirm that significant design and technical decisions are traceable, communicated, incorporated into affected documents and models, and released through the appropriate approval path
• Provide architectural leadership across multiple projects or workstreams when appropriate, concentrating attention where complexity, risk, or critical decisions require senior direction
• Mentor emerging project architects and design professionals by delegating meaningful work, reviewing outcomes, and building judgment rather than retaining all critical tasks personally
• Contribute to reusable standards, milestone planning tools, quality practices, lessons learned, and practical applications of digital and AI-enabled workflows across Suffolk Design

Qualifications

• Professional degree in Architecture from an accredited program
• Current license to practice architecture in Massachusetts; NCARB certification is preferred
• Approximately 12-18 years of progressively responsible architectural experience, including leadership of complex projects through design, documentation, permitting, and construction
• Demonstrated success serving as Project Architect, Senior Project Architect, Technical Architec