Technical Designer - Education, Culture & Community - Mid Level

Cities are shaped by the strength of their institutions. Universities inspire discovery. Cultural organizations connect communities. Mission-driven organizations create opportunities for learning, innovation, and belonging. Our San Francisco Cities studio partners with clients who are advancing education, culture, research, and community impact to create places that contribute to a more vibrant, resilient, and equitable future. We believe great design can strengthen institutions, enrich communities, and positively shape the future of our cities.

As designers, thinkers, makers, and problem-solvers, we see creativity, technical rigor, sustainability, and collaboration as essential parts of the same process. The best work emerges when bold ideas, thoughtful execution, and deep human understanding come together, and we are committed to developing designers and architects who embrace all three.

About the role

Gensler's San Francisco Cities studio is seeking an Intermediate Technical Designer with 5-10 years of experience who excels at bridging design vision and technical execution. We are looking for a creative, detail-oriented professional who can contribute meaningfully to the design process while ensuring projects are resolved with technical excellence. In this role, you'll contribute to the design and delivery of higher education, cultural, community, and other mission-driven projects, translating innovative concepts into thoughtful, well-executed built solutions.

We are looking for a thoughtful, well-rounded designer who is equally energized by design exploration and technical problem-solving. We are especially interested in designers who bring a strong point of view about interior environments and who are excited to help elevate the quality, character, and experience of the spaces we create. This role offers an opportunity to influence projects from the earliest planning conversations through the final built outcome, helping teams translate mission-driven goals into memorable and meaningful institutions, environments, and places.

In our studio, we do not see design and technical expertise as separate disciplines. We believe that the same curiosity that drives a compelling concept should inform how a space is planned, detailed, coordinated, and ultimately brought to life. The ideal candidate enjoys being involved throughout the life of a project, from programming and stakeholder engagement through design development, documentation, coordination, and construction administration. Our projects are often delivered by small, highly collaborative teams, and team members are expected to contribute across phases and disciplines while taking meaningful ownership of project work.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design and delivery of educational, cultural, and community-focused projects through all phases of design and construction.
• Participate in programming, stakeholder engagement, space planning, design development, detailing, documentation, bidding, and construction administration activities.
• Develop thoughtful interior architectural solutions that elevate user experience while supporting project goals, design vision, and long-term performance.
• Collaborate with architects, strategists, consultants, and clients to translate ideas into beautiful, durable, and buildable environments.
• Prepare and coordinate drawing sets, details, finish documentation, specifications, and project deliverables.
• Produce diagrams, renderings, presentations, and visual materials that communicate design ideas clearly and effectively.
• Participate in client meetings, workshops, design reviews, and stakeholder engagement sessions.
• Help resolve design and technical challenges through creative and practical problem-solving.
• Support project teams through permitting, bidding, and construction administration activities.
• Mentor and support emerging designers and technical staff.
• Contribute to a collaborative studio culture that values design excellence, technical rigor, mentorship, and continuous learning.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Interior Architecture, Interior Design, Architecture, or a related design discipline.
• 5–10 years of professional experience in architecture, interior architecture, interior design, or a related design practice.
• Demonstrated design thinking and strong design judgment, supported by a portfolio that communicates thoughtful ideas, strong visual communication skills, technical proficiency, and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability and enthusiasm for exploring, developing, and communicating design ideas through drawing, making, modeling, visualization, and presentation.
• Strong space planning, interior architecture, detailing, and design development skills, with an ability to bring clarity, character, and craft to interior environments.
• Proficiency in Revit and experience contributing to project models, drawing sets, and construction documentation.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite; experience with Rhino, Enscape, SketchUp, Grasshopper, or similar tools is a plus.
• Experience contributing to projects through design development, construction documentation, bidding, and construction administration.
• Understanding of building systems, construction methodologies, interior assemblies, and architectural detailing.
• Familiarity with building codes, accessibility requirements, and the fundamentals of project delivery.
• Strong organizational, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work across multiple project phases within small, highly collaborative teams.
• Curiosity, initiative, and a desire to continually strengthen both design and technical expertise.

Skills

• Experience working on higher education, cultural, institutional, or other mission-driven projects.
• Experience contributing to projects from programming and planning through construction administration.
• Familiarity with public bid environments, institutional procurement processes, and/or publicly funded projects.
• Experience working with highly engaged clients, user groups, and stakeholders who actively participate in shaping project outcomes throughout the design process.
• Comfort working within small, highly collaborative project teams where responsibilities evolve across project phases.
• Exposure to campus environments, cultural facilities, libraries, museums, performing arts venues, community-serving projects, or adaptive reuse work.
• Interest and experience in using research, precedent studies, material investigations, and other forms of design inquiry to inform design decisions.
• Interest in sustainable design, resilience, and high-performance buildings. LEED or other sustainability credential is a plus.
• Progress toward professional licensure or NCIDQ certification.
• Interest in the relationship between design excellence, technical craft, and project delivery.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Disability and wellness programs.
• Flex spending and paid time off.
• Paid holidays.
• 401k, profit sharing, and employee stock ownership.
• Twice annual bonus opportunities.
• Reimbursement for certain professional licenses and associated renewals and exam fees.
• Tuition reimbursement for certain eligible programs or classes.
• Industry-leading training, mentorship, and professional development resources.

Pay

Competitive compensation package with an estimated base salary of $75,000-$95,000, bonus opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. Compensation is based on experience, qualifications, and market factors.

Schedule

This is not a remote position. This position is expected to be in the office full-time.