Building Energy Simulation Phd Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Overview:

A recognized leader, building energy performance expert, and trusted change agent who helps HKS project teams translate ambition into measurable outcomes: healthy, resilient, low-carbon buildings that improve people's lives. Leads the Building Performance Analysis team and brings deep fluency in simulation tools and performance strategies to shape decisions from early concept through delivery, ensuring design intent becomes real-world results for HKS clients and stakeholders.
Serves as a collaborative partner with designers and firmwide technical experts to co-create ideas that accelerate innovation, reduce risk, and elevate quality. Builds durable client relationships through credibility, curiosity, and practical problem-solving. Champions the firm's values by advancing integrated, high-performance design as a standard of excellence across projects, practices, and regions.

Responsibilities:

• Leads whole-building dynamic thermal and energy simulations, along with detailed engineering analysis, to inform design, construction, and operations by optimizing energy use, delivering all-electric solutions, deploying distributed energy resources for resilience, reliability and lower OpEx, increasing grid interactivity, integrating renewables, and reducing GHG emissions
• Guides design decisions across the lifecycle using analysis of energy efficiency, passive and active strategies, massing, daylighting, glare and shading, thermal comfort, natural ventilation, mechanical system alternatives, and load conditions
• Partners with the Chief Sustainability Officer and Director of Sustainability to expand and integrate design-performance, energy-modeling, and operations-modeling practices across firmwide project delivery, strengthening early-stage modeling impact on outcomes
• Prepares and delivers client-facing presentations, technical narratives, and persuasive visualizations; presents design concepts and drawings; and supports pursuits with performance-based differentiation
• Predicts building energy use and savings versus baseline using whole-building simulations with clear assumptions, and verifies performance through post-occupancy evaluation using industry-standard calibration procedures
• Performs Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for alternatives, applying appropriate economic parameters and accounting for decisions by architects, engineers, contractors, operators, and utilities
• Identifies, evaluates, and advances innovations through professional literature review, research, and publication to improve outcomes in energy efficiency, reduce carbon impacts, and enhance building performance using both new and existing technologies
• Develops market-transforming ideas and implementation strategies, and mentors project teams to strengthen building-systems capability and deliver healthier, more resilient, low-carbon outcomes
• Leads strategic process and technical improvements that elevate project quality, strengthen client value, reduce risk, and resolve critical issues through effective persuasion and negotiation, and partners with PIC/PM on risk management
• Manages the Building Performance Analysis team's workload to meet revenue and enterprise goals, coordinates resourcing with Regional Leaders, and collaborates with Enterprise Research, Design, and Process leadership to leverage complex datasets for design decisions and research initiatives

Qualifications:

• Accredited professional degree in Architecture, Engineering, Sustainable Design or related field
• Professional licensure in architecture or engineering preferred
• Typically 15+ years of experience
• Modeling credentials such as ASHRAE Building Energy Modeling Professional (BEMP), Building Energy Simulation Analyst (BESA), or equivalent preferred
• Sustainable design accreditation preferred
• Familiarity with design and energy modeling applications such as Rhino, Grasshopper, Radiance, DIVA, REVIT, AutoCAD, Sketchup, IES VE, Sefaira, Insight360, Energy Plus, EnergyPro
• Experience with Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketchup and InDesign graphic software
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite
• Experience in LEED submission and regulatory compliance energy modeling
• Experience in applying green building frameworks such as LEED, WELL, Living Buildings, and/or BREEAM
• Familiarity with global ESG protocols preferred
• Familiarity with computational design and parametric modeling preferred
• Knowledge of sustainability and integrated design guidelines
• Strong knowledge in interpreting and applying high-performance building standards such as ANSI, ASHRAE, IESNA and ASTM as well as building energy codes such as IECC and T24
• Strong integrative knowledge of architectural, mechanical and electrical building systems
• Working knowledge of building physics, energy transfer, mechanical design, system control strategies and economics
• Knowledge of QA/QC and specification process
• Knowledge of building codes and ability to research and apply/incorporate into technical documents
• Strong organizational and communication skills, with the ability to present ideas clearly and professionally while managing multiple projects at the same time
• Ability to competently assess existing building systems and site conditions, analyze and evaluate equipment and energy usage, and recommend strategies to optimize building resource utilization
• Ability to manage team with diplomatic leadership style which puts value on relationships and collaboration, both internal and external
• Ability to maintain existing client relationships and build new client relationships
• Ability to produce and review technical reports that discuss the analysis processes undertaken, inputs/ outputs, conclusions, impact on other disciplines
• Ability to problem solve and apply innovative solutions
• Ability to collaborate and encourage collaboration in a team environment
• Ability to effectively meet deadlines at expected quality
• Travel may be required

Base Salary Range: $130K - $160K annually - Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC locations only

The estimate displayed represents the general base salary range of candidates hired in the Chicago & Washington DC locations only. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

HKS offers a comprehensive total compensation & benefits package with health, dental, and vision care coverage, 401(k) plans, life & AD&D insurance, short/long term disability plans, paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, vacation), and much more for benefits-eligible employees. To learn more about our benefits visit this page.

If you currently work for HKS, please submit your application via the Internal Careers Portal.

HKS is an EEO/AA Employer: M/F/Disabled/Veteran