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Zaha Hadid Architects is looking for lead architects or designers to join its London office.

Main responsibilities: 

• to work on projects, taking responsibility for delivering more than one project at a time
• to be able to interpret the design intent for a project and know when to consult, so that the design upholds the reputation of ZHA in the marketplace
• to manage project based teams, ensuring that a number of projects are designed, detailed and delivered to meet the standards set down by the senior team
• to take responsibility for steering projects through all work stages
• to mentor project team members
• to lead by example

Reporting to: associates

Qualifications 

Qualified architect (or the equivalent), with demonstrable and relevant experience of working in practice and having already been responsible for delivering at least one significant project.

Skills

Lead architects/designers in ZHA must be able to:

Architectural and design skills: 

• understand the ethos and design integrity of the ZHA brand and match it in their own work and that of the teams they manage
• constructively question and develop a brief for a project, responding effectively, using their own initiative to analyse options and prioritise alternatives
• work with the senior team to create competition entries that respond successfully to the brief and reflect the design ethos of ZHA
• create plausible concept or detailed solutions that are delightful and deliverable, reflecting the design ethos of ZHA while responding to the constraints of site, programme, budget and brief
• understand and apply all appropriate legislation to a project: H&S, building regulations, professional code of conduct, etc.
• demonstrate an excellent understanding of the suitability and performance of materials and components, in the context of real life projects
• understand cost in use and maintenance issue on a project and respond accordingly
• maintain and protect the integrity of a design concept as a project develops, through their own work and that of others in the project team
• devise and manage post occupancy evaluations on projects
• be respected by others in the practice for their design ability

Project and design management skills

Team management:

• communicate the ethos and design integrity of the ZHA brand to others on projects in-house and externally
• brief and manage the wider design team, in-house and externally, to create plausible concepts and detailed solutions that are delightful and deliverable, while responding to the constraints of site, programme, budget and brief and reflecting the design ethos of ZHA
• be a credible and respected senior player, in-house and within the external project team
• initiate, maintain and develop relationships with other consultants, contractors and suppliers
• set high expectations; support and help others to achieve common goals
• lead, supervise and manage others as they create key stage drawings, specifications and construction information such that a building can be costed and built
• understand and respond effectively to the construction processes and logistics used on projects
• attend all project meetings as requested
• engender a good team spirit on projects, consciously reducing barriers between team members and recognising when people need help and support
• influence, nurture and motivate colleagues in-house and externally, inspiring them to create their best work
• teach others how to operate effectively, leading by example
• share information and ideas with the team; value and act on ideas contributed by others

Client management:

• act as the point of contact for and build relations with the day-to-day client representatives on a number of projects
• initiate, maintain and develop relationships with day-to-day client representatives

Quality management:

• provide authority, direction and resilience on a number of projects
• take responsibility for meeting project objectives on individual projects, delivering what is promised to the standards required, to time and to budget to enhance the standing of ZHA with the client
• deliver a consistently high level of service in order to exceed client expectations on a number of projects
• organise their own work and that of others, to meet set targets and present this work in accordance with ZHA’s methods and conventions
• comply with ZHA’s systems for QA
• access new information and research when developing design solutions

Financial management:

• understand ZHA’s financial responsibilities on given projects – budgets and fees, and work accordingly
• understand what is required for good financial management on projects and act accordingly, leading other members of the team as required
• demonstrate commercial skills including an understanding of project profitability
• assist others when negotiating fees

Programme management:

• deliver given projects in accordance with the agreed project programme
• demonstrate effective programming skills, including responding to change
• anticipate resourcing requirements on projects and work with the associates to allocate appropriate resources accordingly

Contract management:

• understand ZHA’s responsibilities on given projects and mitigate risk by adjusting working methods to accommodate constraints
• anticipate changing contractual circumstances on given projects and bring these to the attention of the relevant associate
• mentor junior staff on risk management
• understand the legal implications of project operations and act accordingly
• recognise potential problems and handle them within the practice’s guidelines
• work independently across a number of different procurement routes, with an awareness of contractual as a project develops

Business skills

Strategic overview:

• understand the business targets that have been set for the cluster and assist the cluster rep and associates to deliver accordingly
• understand the business targets that have been set for their projects and deliver accordingly
• understand the ethos and design integrity of the ZHA brand and match it in their own work and that of the teams they manage
• attend all cluster meetings as requested
• view a number of projects in the round, taking a strategic overview on behalf of ZHA

Finance and legals:

• be alert to the potential for additional fees on individual projects
• compose contract documentation for agreement with associates
• ensure that both client budgets and ZHA’s fee limitations are met on their projects

Marketing and new business development:

• reflect the ethos and design integrity of the ZHA brand in all dealings with the outside world
• represent the practice in the outside world, at least on a project level
• recognise the importance of marketing and PR at a strategic level across the practice
• bring project based marketing opportunities to the attention of those responsible for marketing and PR in the practice
• maintain and develop longer-term relationships with the day-to-day client representatives on projects
• identify new business opportunities within the existing client base
• help to generate repeat business by delivering successful projects
• maintain and develop longer-term relationships with external consultants and contractors on projects
• take a lead in creating submissions for new work

People management:

• mentor project team members, leading by example
• take responsibility for staff welfare and personnel development on given projects
• lead staff appraisals
• demonstrate good interviewing skills
• demonstrate a basic understanding of employment legislation, knowing when to seek advice
• deal with conflict management within project teams, discussing difficult decisions with colleagues and superiors

Working methods:

• constructively challenge working methods, to help quality of service, quality of design and efficiency
• feedback lessons learnt to project teams and to the associates
• respect and work within the practice management and administration frameworks, leading by example

Verbal communications skills:

• deliver complex presentations at a project level
• demonstrate appropriate language skills in English and, when working outside the UK, in the language of the client and project team
• use appropriate communication to inform, generate ideas, influence opinion and resolve differences as appropriate
• get a message across clearly, in plain language, without using jargon
• give clear and unambiguous instruction, dissecting complex issues into manageable pieces of information
• respond fully, accurately and in a timely fashion, understanding that others need information and ensuring that it happens
• formulate convincing arguments to engage in constructive debate and achieve a positive end result
• use a positive tone and body language, even when under pressure, recognising the difference between passive, aggressive and assertive behaviour and acting accordingly

Written, IT and graphic communication: 

• structure and deliver formal presentations to their clients and the project teams
• structure an argument and clearly describe complex ideas in writing, using suitable prose and good grammar
• be able to write clear, accurate and professional letters, reports and minutes in accordance with ZHA’s QA protocols
• prepare contractual documents without supervision
• take responsibility for documents written by others in their project teams
• clearly describe complex ideas using two and three-dimensional drawings or models as appropriate, either free-hand or using computer programmes
• take an overview of, and comment on written work and drawings created by others
• software skills: 3D, 2D, CAD, Word processing

Outlook and manner 

Lead architects/sesigners in ZHA should be:

• effective team leaders
• professional at all times
• enquiring and adaptable
• self-motivated and self-critical
• willing to develop, learn and go the extra mile
• reliable, able to follow through and complete tasks
• good team players
• solutions oriented
• confident in exercising judgement, making and implementing reasoned decisions at a project level and being able to justify their reasoning

Lead architects/designers in ZHA must be able to:

• represent the practice in the outside world, at least on a project level
• learn from experience and seek personal feedback without being defensive
• be aware of the effect that their behaviour has on others
• handle unexpected situations effectively
• demonstrate accuracy, clarity and confidence in their work and their dealings with people
• plan and prioritise a complex workload, effectively managing their time and that of others
• keep track of and manage a variety of tasks and activities simultaneously
• take responsibility for their own actions and meet commitments
• lead by example
• prioritise a range of diverse and often conflicting project focused activities
• listen and ask open questions
• respond quickly, effectively and with good grace
• delegate effectively, encouraging ownership

Please click here to apply

www.zaha-hadid.com

• Applications have closed.