Architect or Design Technician

About the role

As a Project Architect or Lead at Cushing Terrell, you’ll bring bold ideas to life, transforming concepts into spaces that people rely on every day. This role is about designing with imagination, empathy, and purpose—leading projects from early design vision through construction. You’ll collaborate closely with clients, consultants, and multidisciplinary teams to ensure every detail aligns with performance, sustainability, and long-term value. Specializing in grocery and retail architecture, you’ll shape highly populated environments that balance efficiency, customer experience, technology, and brand storytelling. Your work will help businesses thrive while elevating the daily lives of the communities they serve.

Responsibilities

• Manage client relationships and determine functional/spatial requirements for projects, including design, specifications, materials, equipment, estimated costs, and construction timelines
• Collaborate with design leaders and other disciplines to produce preliminary design concepts
• Perform research for complete project design and inspect work to ensure compliance with specifications
• Prepare contract documents for building contractors and complete construction cost estimates
• Provide code and jurisdictional research, review drawings, and prepare feedback for the project team
• Administer construction contracts, including addenda, substitutions, change orders, and submittal reviews
• Conduct on-site observations during construction to monitor compliance and perform final inspections
• Direct activities of architectural team members and may supervise training, work assignments, performance reviews, and disciplinary actions
• Seal and sign permit documents if licensed
• Develop and maintain external and internal client relationships

Requirements

• NAAB-accredited Bachelor or Master of Architecture degree
• 3 to 5+ years of job-related work experience with demonstrated competence leading projects, teams, and clients
• Experience and passion for grocery and retail architecture
• Current architect license/registration is a plus but not required

If you meet most of the qualifications and believe you could succeed in this role, we encourage you to apply—even if you don’t meet 100% of the listed requirements.

About Cushing Terrell

Cushing Terrell is a multidisciplinary design firm with 17 offices and over 500 team members. We bring together expertise to deliver holistic built environments, creating sustainable systems and spaces that help people live their best lives. Our culture empowers creative designers to develop imaginative, responsible, and first-of-their-kind environments while fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We place people at the center of our practice, reflected in our tagline, “design meets you.”

Benefits

• Competitive benefits package
• Work opportunities in a variety of locations and markets
• Company culture that celebrates unique viewpoints and personalities
• Annual performance bonus eligibility

Pay

The expected salary range for this position is $70,000 to $90,000 annually. Actual pay will be determined based on experience, licensure status, location, proficiency, and other job-related factors (as permitted by law).

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Cushing Terrell will not sponsor work visas.