Junior Designer – Architecture

Job Description

Junior Designer – Architecture | SOM

The Tone:
This is an early career role within SOM’s dedicated Year One Program for Junior Designers in Architecture. This program is designed to bridge your formal education with practical experience, providing events and initiatives to maximize your first year at the firm. SOM operates as a global collective, committed to shaping a better future through architecture, engineering, and planning. As a Junior Designer, you will contribute to creating sustainable and impactful work, expanding your learning, and proposing bold ideas for the future of design within a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Full-time
• Location: Various Global Locations (Hybrid/Flexible)
• Pay: $58,000–$64,000 yearly
• Team: Collaborative, interdisciplinary teams, reporting to project leadership
• Mission: Contribute to shaping a better future for clients, communities, and the planet through creative architectural design.
• Tech Stack: Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino, parametric and rendering software, Adobe Suite, Google Workspace

What You’ll Actually Do
• Project Development & Oversight: Contribute to the development of specific project aspects under the direct supervision of project leadership, demonstrating initiative, problem-solving, and attention to detail at a task-specific level.
• Deliverable Production: Produce presentation and contract deliverables including diagrams, 3D models, drawings, renderings, physical models, and animations, applying appropriate tools for design and documentation across project phases.
• Conceptual Design & Integration: Create and innovate with strong conceptual design ability, integrating interdisciplinary criteria to effectively advance project components with a basic understanding of building materials and systems.
• Team Collaboration & Communication: Actively collaborate within the project team by critically and constructively evaluating ideas, and communicate effectively internally through timely written, oral, and visual means.
• Project Coordination: Manage personal time and workload to meet project task deadlines and commitments, with frequent interaction and direction from Project Leadership.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Early career professional with a recent completion of a professional degree in Architecture or a related field, ready to dive into the profession and chart a path forward.
• Experience: Demonstrable proficiency in utilizing industry-standard design and documentation software, acquired through academic projects or practical experience, with no specific years of prior work experience required.
• Skills: Strong collaborative ability; effective verbal and written communication skills for internal interaction; proficiency in Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino, parametric and rendering software, Adobe Suite, and Google Workspace.