Project Associate (Forensics)

About the role

Founded in 1987, RAND Engineering & Architecture, DPC is an employee-owned 115+ person Manhattan-based firm that designs, specifies, and administers restoration, upgrade, and adaptive re-use programs on behalf of owners, managers, and co-op and condo boards. We are currently seeking a [title] for our [Team] department. Candidate should be self-motivated, energetic, organized and a team player.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and company-sponsored vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match to invest in your future
• Long-term disability and life insurance
• Transit and parking benefits for easy commuting
• On-site exercise room and wellness perks like yoga classes
• Ongoing professional development and career growth opportunities
• Employee referral incentives
• A RAND Certified Project Management Program
• A vibrant culture with team events, celebrations, and yes—great holiday parties
• We’ve been named one of Crain’s New York Business Top 100 Places to Work in NYC 14 times (including 2025)

Responsibilities

• Perform building surveys and investigations throughout the NYC/NJ metropolitan area.
• Document conditions through photographs, measurements, sketches, and structured field notes.
• Evaluate observed conditions, probable causes, appropriate follow-up investigations, and potential repair strategies with senior architects and engineers.
• Develop a working understanding of buildings as integrated systems, including structure, envelope, roofing, interiors, drainage, and MEP systems.
• Assist with exploratory probes, testing, contractor coordination, and construction-phase site visits.
• Review drawings, prior reports, repair records, and other documentation in preparation for field assignments.
• Translate building conditions and technical recommendations into practical plans considering client priorities, regulatory requirements, budgets, sequencing, and timing.
• Participate in client and building-management discussions regarding project priorities, next steps, and implementation planning.
• Support investigation programs, repair strategies, capital projects, reports, design scopes, and construction documents from evaluation through implementation.
• Work across multiple technical disciplines and contribute field experience, investigation methods, and repair approaches to the firm’s technical knowledge library and standardized workflows.

Qualifications

• Architecture degree and approximately 1–5 years of relevant experience in New York City.
• Interest in pursuing architectural licensure; candidates actively progressing toward RA licensure are preferred.
• Strong technical writing, organizational, and communication skills.
• Comfortable with frequent fieldwork, including roofs, facades, mechanical spaces, and active construction sites.
• Experience or strong interest in existing buildings, interiors, restoration, historic preservation, building envelope, forensics, roofing, facades, and construction, with curiosity about how building systems interact and an open-minded approach to improving existing buildings.
• AutoCAD and Microsoft Office proficiency; comfortable integrating smartphones, mobile apps, AI-assisted tools, and structured digital workflows into field documentation and project delivery.
• Ability to travel regularly among NYC/NJ project sites required; driver’s license strongly preferred.

Pay

The Pay Range For This Role Is 60,000 - 80,000 USD per year(Office)