Urban Designer

Perkins&Will; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 104,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401k with employer match

PTO & paid holidays

Short/long-term disability

Commuter benefits

Life insurance

Learning & development

Job summary

Perkins&Will San Francisco Studio is looking for an Urban Designer with 8-10+ years of experience who combines strategic thinking with exceptional design skills to shape transformative places and experiences. The role requires a hybrid, full-time arrangement in San Francisco, CA.

A Bachelor’s degree is required; LEED GA within 6 months and a Living Design accreditation are highly desirable. Please include a portfolio with your resume for full consideration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in urban design, landscape, architecture, or related discipline required
• LEED GA within 6 months of hire
• Professional Accreditation in one area of Living Design (e.g., LEED AP with Specialty, BREEAM AP, WELL AP, SITES AP, or ILFI Living Future Accreditation)

Responsibilities

• Understands and consistently executes all aspects of the design process and project complexities to proactively contribute to the overall success of the team while adhering to firm and project goals and standards of excellence in design, execution, and living design.
• Assists in directing project teams, fosters collaboration, and demonstrates strong and effective communication and direction which inspires high team performance, design ideas, and successful project delivery.
• Supports marketing opportunities and begins to develop successful client experiences.
• Interprets gathered data and research.
• Analyzes sites, programs, and other key project elements through quantitative and qualitative means.
• Develops analytical and design drawings throughout the design process using analog (sketching and physical modeling) and digital means (digital analyses, sketching, and modeling).
• Collaborates with client and/or public to create strategic planning options.
• Strategizes, outlines, mockups, and develops design documentation, including maps/diagrams, master plan reports, design guidelines, and client-ready presentation materials.
• Coordinates all aspects of project deliverables.
• Reviews, evaluates, and integrates zoning and policy requirements into project design.

Skills

Experience

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in urban design/architecture/landscape

LEED GA within 6 months

Professional accreditation in Living Design (e.g., LEED AP, WELL AP, SITES AP, ILFI)

Tools

Revit

Rhino

Illustrator

ArcGIS

Grasshopper

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

InDesign

Job description

If you are a job seeker with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, you will find the contact information to request the appropriate accommodation by visiting the following our Accessibility Accomodation for Applicants page.

• Posted on October 12, 2026

Locations

Showing 1 location

San Francisco
San Francisco, CA 94105, USA

• Hybrid
• Full-Time
• Requisition #: URBAN006045

Description

Perkins&Will San Francisco Studio is looking for an Urban Designer who combines strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and exceptional design skills to bring transformative places and experiences to life. Help shape the future of cities and communities!

Years of Experience: 8-10+ years

Professional Licensure: Not Required

For full consideration, please include a portfolio with your resume, either as a link or a PDF of work samples. Applications without a portfolio may not be fully considered.

Responsibilities:

• Understands and consistently executes all aspects of the design process and project complexities to proactively contribute to the overall success of the team while adhering to firm and project goals and standards of excellence in design, execution, and living design.
• Assists in directing project teams, fosters collaboration, and demonstrates strong and effective communication and direction which inspires high team performance, design ideas, and successful project delivery.
• Supports marketing opportunities and begins to develop successful client experiences.
• Interprets gathered data and research.
• Analyzes sites, programs, and other key project elements through quantitative and qualitative means.
• Develops analytical and design drawings throughout the design process using analog (through sketching and physical modeling) and digital means (through digital analyses, sketching, and modeling).
• Collaborates with client and/or public to create strategic planning options.
• Strategizes, outlines, mockups, and develops design documentation, including creating and interpreting maps and diagrams, master plan reports, design guidelines, and client-ready presentation materials.
• Coordinates all aspects of project deliverables.
• Reviews, evaluates, and integrates zoning and policy requirements into project design.
• Develops strategies for key urban frameworks and systems including but not limited to circulation, open space, buildings, and infrastructure.
• Performs advanced development calculations according to specified standards and proposed development controls.
• Contributes to project-related public discussions and presentations.
• Monitors the performance of the project team and approach to ensure our quality standards and design goals are being met.
• Exercises creative judgment in all aspects of the design process.
• Participates actively within collaborative team settings such as: casual team interactions, design charettes, reviews, and pin-ups.
• Keeps open communication within the team and with designated team leader.
• Communicates ideas and thoughts in a way that inspires others.
• Effectively coordinates with other design partners and consultants.
• Site and design research
• Site analytics
• Planning and zoning code analytics
• Concept and detailed design studies
• Production of drawings and deliverables
• Hand-drawn and digital sketching
• Computational analysis

Software Skills:

• Functional knowledge of 2D/3D production software (Revit, Rhino)
• Functional knowledge of digital sketching/diagramming software (Illustrator)
• Functional knowledge of analytical tools (ArcGIS, Grasshopper)
• Functional knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
• Functional knowledge of presentation tools (InDesign, PowerPoint)

Licensure/Certifications/Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in urban design, landscape, architecture, or related discipline required
• LEED GA within 6 months of hire
• Professional Accreditation in one area of Living Design that interests you: LEED AP with Specialty, BREEAM AP, WELL AP, SITES AP, Passive House Institute Certified Passive House Consultant/Designer CPHC/CPHD, or ILFI Living Future Accreditation

At Perkins&Will, we foster a culture that is diverse and inclusive and strive for pay practices that are fair, and competitive and reflect our commitment to pay equity. Our compensation decisions include but are not limited to a candidate’s qualifications including skill sets, education, experience and training, licensure and certifications credentials if applicable, and business-related factors. This practice extends to all employees, including performance considerations for merit increases, job promotions, and transfer opportunities. We additionally review our pay practices, conduct pay equity audits and ensure our managers are trained in our pay practices on an annual basis. At the time of posting this job advertisement, the annual pay range for this position is between $103,500 and $138,000 commensurate with qualifications. In addition, we provide a comprehensive benefits package for full time employees including, medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA accounts, 401k with employer match, PTO and paid holidays, short-term and long-term disability, paid parental leave, commuter benefits, life insurance, and learning and development opportunities.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Perkins&Will has established and adopted an Equal Employment Opportunity Employment policy (“EEO”), which is part of the Company’s Human Resources Policy. The purpose of this EEO policy is to ensure that all employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis, and without regard to sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, gender reassignment, citizenship, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state, or local law. In some cases, local laws and regulations may provide greater protections than those outlined here and employees will be covered by the laws of their local jurisdiction.

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination ProvisionPerkins&Will will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.