Project Architect II - Education

About the Role

As a Project Architect II, you will own the technical design of major, complex projects and ensure the design intent survives from concept through documentation and into the field. You will investigate options, weigh trade-offs, and recommend solutions that work for the client, often developing new approaches for non-standard details. This is a supported but largely independent role where you will coordinate directly with consultants and engineers, resolve code questions with building officials, and mentor junior architects. The next step from here is Senior Project Architect and project leadership.

Progressive is employee-owned (ESOP), so the projects you deliver build your own stake in the firm. We practice Performance Based Design, meaning designs must prove out against the client’s functional needs.

Responsibilities

• Hold the design intent through every phase of documentation, ensuring Performance Based Design goals are met without unresolved deviations reaching the client.
• Lead the technical design and documentation on assigned major projects, producing architectural models, contract documents, and specifications in Revit and AutoCAD with built-in codes, sustainability requirements, and material standards.
• Stamp and seal construction documents as a licensed architect, owning technical accuracy and code compliance while making initial calls on complex or first-of-their-kind design problems.
• Own coordination of specifications with drawings, leading spec-to-drawing coordination and handoffs with internal teams, consultants, and engineers to catch conflicts in the office rather than at bid or in the field.
• Carry plan review and code questions to resolution, handling due diligence, existing conditions documentation, and plan review submissions directly with the authority having jurisdiction.
• Lead reviews of submittals, drawings, estimates, and calculations, evaluating them against project scope and firm standards while self-checking your own work to meet QA/QC requirements.
• Solve construction problems in the field during site visits, addressing unforeseen conditions, code compliance issues, and document discrepancies to close open items.
• Keep project information, fees, and schedules moving by organizing file publishing, issuing, and transfers, providing informed input on fees and schedules, and raising scope changes proactively.
• Mentor junior architects through day-to-day coaching, Lessons Learned sessions, and contributions to process improvements and standard development.

Qualifications

• Licensed architect with the ability to stamp and seal construction documents.

Benefits

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), building your stake in the firm.
• Comprehensive benefits, including an award-winning wellness program.
• Hybrid work schedule and summer hours.
• Profit-sharing and continuing education opportunities.
• Paid service-learning hours and corporate sponsorship for community organizations.
• Mentorship and growth opportunities within the firm.

About the Firm

Progressive Companies is a nationally recognized firm specializing in Performance Based Design, where designs must prove their effectiveness against client needs. We are dedicated to human-centered, sustainable, and inclusive design practices, embracing the AIA 2030 Commitment and a range of high-performance, restorative, and regenerative strategies. Our team of nearly 300 architects, engineers, designers, and consultants works across multiple regional offices, delivering innovative solutions for today’s needs and tomorrow’s challenges.

The firm is continually ranked as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation®, fostering a culture of excellence, creativity, and work-life integration. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion, with initiatives including company-provided training, a grassroots DEI committee, and equitable recruitment practices.