Lead Architectural Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

STV is seeking an Architectural Designer / Architect to join our Buildings practice in Washington, DC.

This role is intended for an experienced architectural professional with 5-8 years of experience who is ready to take meaningful ownership of design, documentation, multidisciplinary coordination, and project delivery.

The selected candidate will support a range of public-facing and technically complex projects, including transit stations, transit-oriented development, civic and institutional facilities, federal and education projects, industrial facilities, renovations, and adaptive reuse.

This is not a task-based production role. The successful candidate should be able to independently carry a significant portion of a project, identify and resolve issues, coordinate across disciplines, guide junior staff, and translate design intent into clear, coordinated, and constructible documentation.

Key Responsibilities

Lead significant portions of architectural work from concept design through construction administration.

Take ownership of building areas, station components, work packages, or smaller projects.

Develop and coordinate Revit models, plans, sections, elevations, details, schedules, and technical documentation.

Translate design intent into coordinated and constructible architectural solutions.

Generate and evaluate design options in response to program, code, systems, constructability, phasing, and project constraints.

Coordinate directly with structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, transportation, systems, and planning disciplines.

Identify coordination conflicts, technical risks, and unresolved issues and help drive them toward resolution.

Lead or actively contribute to multidisciplinary coordination meetings.

Perform building code, accessibility, life safety, zoning, and regulatory analyses.

Develop technical details, assemblies, and specifications.

Review drawing sets for quality, consistency, constructability, and coordination.

Guide junior staff and provide clear direction and constructive feedback.

Support client presentations and technical discussions.

Participate in field investigations and existing-condition documentation.

Support construction administration, including RFIs, submittals, field conditions, and construction-related design issues.

Desired Candidate Profile

A professional degree in Architecture.

5-8 years of relevant professional experience.

Architectural licensure preferred.

Candidates actively pursuing licensure should be positioned to complete the process within approximately 12-18 months.

Strong design judgment combined with proven technical and production capability.

Experience developing projects through multiple phases of design and documentation.

Ability to independently carry meaningful portions of a project with limited day-to-day direction.

Strong understanding of multidisciplinary coordination, constructability, and project delivery.

Experience with architectural detailing, building envelope systems, code analysis, accessibility, specifications, and construction administration.

Strong verbal, graphic, and written communication skills.

Ability to mentor or guide junior staff.

Strong accountability, initiative, attention to detail, and responsiveness to feedback.

Preferred Transit Experience

Experience with complex passenger rail stations and support facilities requiring heavy multidisciplinary coordination is strongly preferred.

Relevant experience may include:

Passenger stations and station support facilities.

Station entrances and accessibility improvements.

Multidisciplinary systems integration.

Active or operational transportation environments.

Complex phasing and construction constraints.

Candidates without rail transit experience may also be considered if they demonstrate strong architectural delivery skills and the ability to learn complex project environments quickly.

Software Skills

Strong working knowledge of:

Revit

Bluebeam

Adobe Creative Suite

Microsoft Office

Experience with the following is preferred:

OpenBuildings Designer

BIM 360 / Autodesk Construction Cloud

AutoCAD

OpenBuildings Designer experience is highly valued but not required.

Candidate Fit and Growth

This position is best suited for someone who wants to become a complete architect and future project leader.

The successful candidate should not rely on constant task-by-task direction or wait for redlines to advance the work. They should be comfortable investigating problems, developing options, coordinating with others, and bringing forward recommended solutions.

Strong design ability is important, but it must be supported by sound plans, sections, details, technical judgment, production discipline, and follow-through.

The long-term goal for the right candidate is to grow into a role capable of leading a project from concept design through construction administration.

Compensation Range:

STV offers the following benefits Health insurance, including an option with a Health Savings Account Dental insurance Vision insurance Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care and Transit and Parking where applicable) Disability insurance Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment 401(k) Plan Retirement Counseling Employee Assistance Program Paid Time Off (starting at 16 days) Paid Holidays (9 days) Back-Up Dependent Care (up to 10 days per year) Parental Leave (up to 80 hours) Continuing Education Program Professional Licensure and Society Memberships

STV is committed to paying all of its employees in a fair, equitable, and transparent manner. The listed pay range is STV's good-faith salary estimate for this position. Please note that the final salary offered for this position may be outside of this published range based on many factors, including but not limited to geography, education, experience, and/or certifications.

Not sure this role is the perfect match? We encourage you to apply if STV's work and values resonate with you. We know great candidates don't always meet every qualification, and research shows women and people of color are less likely to apply unless they do. At STV, we believe strong talent comes from a wide range of backgrounds, and your skills and experience may align with this or another opportunity as we continue to grow.