Sustainable Design Architect — Carbon & Energy Focus

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM); Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and Wellness

401K matching

Work/Life Balance

Professional Development

Job summary

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) in Chicago seeks a Sustainable Design Specialist to lead integration of high-performance strategies across design phases. You will perform energy simulations, thermal analyses, and CFD, supporting research on embodied and operational carbon.

The role requires a professional degree in a relevant field, LEED/WELL knowledge, and hands-on BIM/CFD experience. Excellent communication and mentorship skills are essential.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in Architecture, Building Science or related fields.
• Proficiency with LEED/WELL and other green building rating programs.
• Knowledge of renewable energy and low-carbon technologies.
• Experience with energy modeling and CFD analyses.
• Familiarity with BIM and building envelope analysis tools.

Responsibilities

• Act as point of contact for design teams to integrate sustainable design strategies.
• Perform environmental analysis including energy simulations, thermal comfort, and CFD.
• Contribute to firm-wide whole life carbon research and reporting formats.
• Establish SES standard analysis reporting and visualization formats.
• Review energy models and provide clear feedback to design teams.

Skills

Communication skills

Education

Professional degree in Architecture/Engineering/Building Science

LEED AP / Passive House certification preferred

Tools

Rhinoceros

IES Virtual Environment

EnergyPlus/OpenStudio

ClimateStudio

Ladybug Tools

Photoshop

Illustrator

InDesign

Revit

THERM

WINDOW

CFD

Job description

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) in Chicago seeks a Sustainable Design Specialist to lead integration of high-performance strategies across design phases. You will perform energy simulations, thermal analyses, and CFD, supporting research on embodied and operational carbon.

The role requires a professional degree in a relevant field, LEED/WELL knowledge, and hands-on BIM/CFD experience. Excellent communication and mentorship skills are essential.