Senior Urban Designer

Zohorecruit; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Job summary

dhk Architects in Cape Town is seeking a Senior Urban Designer to lead diverse urban design projects locally and internationally. You will collaborate with internal architecture and landscape teams and external consultants to shape public spaces and master plans.

The role values strong conceptual design, spatial understanding, and a passion for how cities function. Applicants should have a postgraduate urban design qualification and a robust portfolio; SACAP/UDISA registration is advantageous.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification in Urban Design or Architecture with urban design focus.
• Minimum 5 years’ post-graduate experience in urban design.
• Robust portfolio of urban frameworks, master plans, and design reports.

Responsibilities

• Lead urban design projects from inception to report production and concept development.
• Integrate landscape and public realm thinking into urban frameworks and master plans.
• Collaborate across disciplines to deliver sustainable, people-centered environments.
• Contribute to the strategic vision of urban interventions aligned with the firm’s ethos.
• Engage with clients, municipalities and stakeholders on spatial plans.
• Translate complex urban challenges into practical design responses.
• Prepare design reports, visualisations, and presentations.
• Champion design excellence, sustainability, and contextual responsiveness.

Skills

Graphic + drawing skills

Illustrative communication

Report writing

Strategic thinking

Visual narratives

Mapping / GIS awareness

Interpersonal skills

Leadership

Mentoring juniors

Detail-oriented

Education

Postgraduate qualification in Urban Design or Architecture (urban design focus)

Tools

AutoCAD

SketchUp

Adobe Suite

Microsoft Office

Rhino

GIS

Job description

Cape Town, South Africa

We’re looking for a Senior Urban Designer to join our Cape Town-based team.

You’ll engage in avariety of urban projects locally and internationally, collaborating withinternal architecture and landscape teams as well as external consultants. Thisrole is ideal for highly motivated urban designers, including those with abackground or strong interest in landscape design who possess strong conceptualdesign abilities, an understanding of spatial and ecological systems, and apassion for how cities and public spaces function and evolve.

What You’ll Do

• Lead urban design projects from inceptionthrough to report production and concept development.
• Integrate landscape and public realm designthinking into urban frameworks and master plans.
• Collaborate across disciplines to delivercohesive, sustainable, and people-centered urban environments.
• Contribute to the strategic vision of urbaninterventions that align with dhk’s architectural and landscape ethos.
• Engage with clients, municipalities, andstakeholders on spatial development plans.
• Translate complex urban and environmentalchallenges into practical, innovative design responses.
• Prepare compelling design reports,visualisations, and presentations.
• Champion design excellence, sustainability,and contextual responsiveness across both built and natural systems.

Requirements

• A postgraduate qualification in UrbanDesign or Architecture with urban design focus.
• Minimum 5 years’ post-graduate experiencespecifically in urban design.
• A robust portfolio showcasing urbanframeworks, master plans, and design reports.
• Registration with SACAP or UDISA(advantageous).
• South African citizenship (mandatory).

Technical Skills

• Strong graphic, drawing and illustrativecommunication skills.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD, SketchUp, AdobeSuite, and Microsoft Office.
• Report writing and strategic thinkingcapabilities.
• Competence in producing visual narrativesand analytical mapping.
• Advantageous: GIS proficiency, Rhino orother parametric tools.

Key Attributes

• Self-driven, organised, anddetail-oriented.
• Strong interpersonal and leadershipskills.
• A passion for place-making, spatialjustice, and sustainable urbanism.
• Ability to mentor junior team members andfoster a collaborative design environment.
• A competitive salary commensurate withexperience and expertise.
• Exposure to iconic urban and architecturalprojects across the continent.
• Career development opportunities in aprogressive, design-led environment.
• A studio culture grounded in innovation,excellence, and collaboration.

About dhkArchitects

dhk Architects is oneof the largest and leading design-led architectural studios in Africa. Ourstrength comes from a unique blend of creative design thinking, technicalcapability, implementation expertise and strategic vision.

Our reputation isbuilt not only on landmark architecture but also on our longstanding commitmentto designing integrated environments. We believe architecture should enhanceand shape its context – a philosophy rooted in urban design. At dhk, we foster aculture of progressive design, high-performance, and collaboration, where urbanthinking drives innovation in built form.

We support personaland professional growth through mentorship, development initiatives, and astudio environment that encourages experimentation, leadership, and ambition.