Senior Project Designer

Role & Responsibilities

• Embody Pfluger’s core values: Do What’s Right, Build Synergy, Make a Difference, and Never Settle.
• Oversee the pre-design phase and set the tone for the “breaking of the bread” meeting.
• Inspire the client and drive the visioning process.
• Serve as a mentor for the design team and spearhead advancements within the discipline.
• Lead all design activities from pre-design through schematic design, incorporating geotechnical, environmental, social, historic, and cultural conditions.
• Supervise space planning and block planning efforts with a high attention to detail.
• Drive strategic research on building materials, sustainable design practices, and current technologies to influence firm-wide innovative design processes.
• Lead the development of the project story and program.
• Guide the conceptualization of building design from both a functional and aesthetic perspective, aligning with the client’s requirements, guiding principles, and budget.
• Drive the development of design concepts through sketches, physical models, electronic models, diagrams, massing studies, and other visual formats to express the design intent.
• Act as the primary design representative in presentations to the project team, client, and building user groups.
• Partner with the Interior Designer to direct the development of advanced floor plans, furniture layouts, and room arrangements to maximize function and aesthetics.
• Guide the development and refinement of design concepts and narratives, integrating creative ideas and technical aspects.
• Implement sustainable design principles into the building design and surrounding environment whenever possible.
• Provide expert guidance on building codes and regulations to assure project compliance.
• Lead internal design reviews and pin ups from the pre-design stage to the schematic design stage.
• Provide constructive feedback during all project stages to improve design solutions.
• Lead the presentation of building design to key stakeholders during early project phases.
• Address feedback and refine solutions as needed.
• Oversee and review architectural documents from schematic design to construction documentation, ensuring accuracy and alignment with the design vision.
• Cook up with architects, consultants, contractors, industry representatives, and other stakeholders to ensure the seamless integration of design components.
• Address project complexities with expertise.
• Advise on site visits in partnership with the Project Manager, providing input to ensure that construction aligns with design intent.
• Strategically guide value engineering processes to ensure design quality and intent are maintained.
• Approve substitution requests related to materials or design intent.
• Partner with the Project Manager in responding to requests for information (RFIs) by clarifying design-related issues or addressing gaps in the documentation that could impact the building's design.
• Lead multiple project teams, ensuring effective collaboration throughout all project phases.
• Serve as a key leader within the organization, contributing to strategic initiatives and the advancement of the firm.
• Act as an ambassador and steward of the firm’s portfolio of work with the ability to guide and educate others.
• Mentor and support junior staff (Technical Staff I – Project Designer III), providing guidance and fostering a culture of collaboration and professional development.
• Support architectural staff in pursuit of licensure and provide opportunities to earn AXP hours.

About Pfluger Architects

Pfluger Architects has been designing spaces that reflect the vision and aspirations of the people who will use them since 1972. With more than 130 employees across five Texas offices, we focus on creating environments for K-12 and higher education that foster connection, creativity, and growth. Our work is guided by a culture of learning, where every project is an opportunity to ask questions, challenge ideas, and try new approaches. We are driven by curiosity and imagination, always seeking innovative solutions that push boundaries and create lasting impact. At the heart of our process is a culture of design, where intentionality and creativity come together to ensure every project is meaningful and successful.