Senior Transit Facilities Architect 6

CDM Smith is a place where amazing career journeys unfold, offering a challenging, progressive, and inclusive work environment that fosters personal leadership, career growth, and development. We value passionate individuals who challenge the norm, deliver world-class solutions, and bring diverse perspectives to shape the future of urban transportation.

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Transit Facilities Architect to lead the architectural design of complex transit infrastructure projects in the Chicago area. This senior technical leadership role serves as the technical authority for transit-related facilities, including passenger stations, maintenance and storage facilities, and other transit-support buildings. The successful candidate will deliver architectural designs from concept through construction, direct design teams, coordinate with multidisciplinary partners, and ensure the delivery of permit- and construction-ready contract documents for active transit environments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical lead and subject matter expert for transit facility architecture projects, leveraging deep knowledge of transportation systems and urban mobility solutions.
• Lead architectural design from planning and concept development through final design and construction support.
• Act as Architect of Record where required, including signing and sealing architectural documents.
• Make and document key technical decisions, manage design risk, and uphold quality standards across projects.
• Review and approve architectural drawings, technical calculations, specifications, and design deliverables.
• Coordinate closely with engineering, systems, construction, and operations teams to deliver integrated solutions.
• Work directly with public transit agencies, navigating agency standards, design review processes, and operational constraints while building relationships with key stakeholders.
• Support construction-phase activities in active operating transit environments, including design clarifications and field coordination.
• Lead and manage architectural scope on projects with multiple interfaces, phased construction, and ongoing transit operations.
• Apply sound judgment related to constructability, staging, maintenance, and lifecycle considerations.
• Mentor and guide junior architectural staff, ensuring consistency in technical execution and professional development.
• Contribute to proposal development, scope definition, and fee estimation for transit facility pursuits.
• Serve as Project Technical Leader on select projects and proposals, driving the technical vision of the final deliverable.
• Collaborate with project managers to manage scope, budgets, schedules, and staffing needs.

Requirements

• 10 years of related experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture.
• Must possess RA (Registered Architect) certification.
• Equivalent additional directly related experience will be considered in lieu of a college degree.
• Domestic and/or international travel may be required (10% or less).

Skills

• Technical knowledge and design application specific to transit facility design and transportation systems.
• Expert knowledge of construction materials, technologies, and methodologies.
• Expert knowledge of Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CADD), preferably AutoCAD and Revit.
• Familiarity with modeling and rendering software programs.
• Expert knowledge of basic business office software (Word, Excel, etc.).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with public transportation agencies and urban municipalities.
• Leadership experience on projects involving dense urban conditions, constrained sites, and active operations.
• Experience developing project scopes of work, fee proposals, construction plans, technical specifications, and cost estimates.
• Experience developing technical reports and design justification documentation.
• Ability to assign work, provide daily technical direction, and mentor junior staff.
• Experience providing day-to-day oversight of architectural or transportation facility design projects, including budget and schedule management.

Pay

Pay range: USD $110,240.00 – $192,899.00.