Senior Architect

Senior Architect1811 4 Mile Rd NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525, USA 330 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202, USA Req #25

Monday, January 18, 2021

What is it you want out of your career?If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow, to be challenged, to work hard and to be part of a growing team, then Progressive AE may be the place for you. We work hard to surround ourselves with professionals who are more than just good at their job. We want engineers, architects, designers and support staff who have a desire to help shape our company. We need colleagues who will help us grow by thinking outside their job description. The work we do here is challenging, and sometimes the hours are long. But we’re committed to serving our clients and providing the best solutions possible.
Progressive AE is a full-service, forward-thinking design firm. With offices in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Charlotte, North Carolina, we work on projects around the country that offer a variety and challenge you won’t find at many other firms. And we don’t relegate creativity just to “creatives”—we encourage original thinking in every part of the organization–from support staff to engineering.
Since we’re an employee-owned company, you’ll be able to see the benefits of your hard work. And in return, we’ll invest in you. This includes an in-depth wellness program with fitness classes and health coaching, flexible schedules, continuing education, mentorship, volunteer opportunities and internal leadership positions. In fact, we’ve been named one of the Best & Brightest Places to Work for since 2006, named Business Leader of the Year, received the Community and Educational Partnership Awards, and are the proud winners of the Governor's Fitness Award.
We are always looking for talented individuals to advance the strategic goals of our firm. If you are a big picture thinker with unique technical skills, we’d like to consider your application.

YOUR ROLE:

As a Senior Architect, you are a highly experienced, registered architectural professional having an extensive background in generating design concepts into final solutions on a wide variety of project types.

In partnership with the Project Managers and Design Architects, you are accountable for overall project quality, financial performance, meeting project schedules, and team communication. You will help establish the standards for the technical design content of documentation in all phases of the design process, coordinate all disciplines including consultants, and ensure internal quality assurance through quality control measures while managing complexity and ambiguity. You will lead, drive results, drive engagement, instill trust, and build effective teams while collaborating.

You will provide leadership in the building systems integration process within a multi-disciplinary project team during all phases of the design process, growing our business and mentoring other architects through advanced planning and aligning and resourcefulness.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

Leadership

• Ensure the overall design intent of the project established by the Performance Based Design process is incorporated into the detailed documentation.
• Monitor and contribute to the design process from the conceptual phase through construction administration, ensuring the design intent is consistently and properly executed.
• Make determinations on the overall strategy for producing the documents and identify the drawings and related documents required for each stage of the work for the project team. This includes the level of development required for the Building Information Model (BIM).
• Promote a culture of excellence in quality and design appreciation, ensuring this culture is embraced by all team members.
• Provide extensive expertise in the technical aspects of the design including code compliance, specifications, systems integration, and constructability.
• Resolve complex technical issues, ensure integration of disciplines, and provide strategies for meeting aggressive schedules and budgets.
• Help resolve any disputes or errors and omissions that arise from contract documents.
• Attend interviews for new projects as well as interviews for potential staff as requested.

Management

• Attend site-visits to expedite construction and resolve issues encountered in the field such as unforeseen conditions, code issues and interpretation of construction documents.
• Work with authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ) to resolve code related items on projects.
• Execute document modifications, review submittals, review substitution requests, and answer requests for information during bidding and construction.
• Assist and oversee the project teams in product research and selection and attend meetings with product representatives.
• Ensure overall coordination of the contact documents including the work of other disciplines and consultants.
• Provide quality assurance/quality control measures for all projects.
• Utilize and provide leadership in the best use of design software/technology, including Revit, AutoCAD, SketchUp, BSD Spec Link and other emerging technologies, for presentation and production purposes.
• Foster and maintain a collaborative professional working relationship with all the various disciplines, including consultants and vendors.

Staff Development

• Mentor and direct the work of less experienced staff. Lead and participate in professional development sessions such as “Lessons Learned” in order to grow staff and eliminate repetition of quality issues on future projects.
• Provide technical support and project communications to team members as required.
• Demonstrate and share examples of quality documents with staff.
• Develop performance plans for developing Architectural staff.
• Coach staff on strategies for delivering high-quality work on schedule and within budget.

Project Quality

• Provide expertise in multiple project types and delivery methods.
• Provide leadership in ensuring the overall design intent of the project established by the Performance Based Design process is incorporated into the detailed documentation.
• Provide leadership in the technical resolution and coordination in response to design intent and code compliance.
• Bring design thinking to the process of producing contract documents.
• Prepare building models and detailed contract documents. Supervise preparation of technical drawings by other less experienced staff.
• Coordinate technical aspects of projects with other internal disciplines and outside consultants. Lead communication and coordination among all disciplines, consultants, vendors, and contractors to ensure adherence to the contract documents and provides support as necessary.
• Develop and provide leadership in project specifications and their coordination with drawings.
• Review completed reports, submittals, drawings, estimates and calculations for accuracy.
• Work with discipline leaders to establish best practices and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) measures.
• Coordinate and track shared electronic documentation and files with internal and external project team members including clients, contractors, and consultants.
• Regularly communicate with Project Managers, Project Designers, and Practice Leaders to understand any changes to project design, scope, schedule, and budget.
• Act as an ambassador for company-wide values and ethical standards of practice.
• Lead professional development activities including ‘Lessons Learned’ sessions.

Financial

• Inform proposals for new work by providing input on anticipated complexity and hours needed to complete work.
• Work with Practice Leaders and Project Managers to establish the internal project budget for projects and advises on strategies to meet the project schedule.
• Develop strategies for producing the contact documents that are efficient and consistent with the scope of work, schedule, and fee allotted to complete the work.

Commitment to Client Service

• Foster a commitment to external and internal client service.
• Exhibit full comfort and confidence with client representatives and leadership regarding their area of expertise.
• Maintain a positive relationship of trust with Practice Leadership regarding their area of expertise.
• Embrace the iterative nature of the design process while executing work in a timely manner.

Progressive AE is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and is committed to providing equal opportunity to all qualified individuals in its employment practices. Progressive AE strictly prohibits unlawful discrimination against employees and applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, national origin, disability, age, qualified veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Applicants with a disability, who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, may email hr@progressiveae.com for assistance. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Other details

• Job Family

  Architecture

• Job Function

  Architect

• Pay Type

  Salary

• Required Education

  Master’s Degree