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Sarah Wigglesworth Architects is looking for a senior architect to join its practice in London.

Sarah Wigglesworth Architects (SWA) is a small, well-established and highly-reputable practice, located in north London. We are based in an award-winning, ecological office, designed by Sarah Wigglesworth, our founding director, and as an environmentally-focused practice, sustainability is at the heart of what we do.

We make people-centred places that are joyful, inventive and are committed to fostering a sustainable future. We work across a range of sectors, but predominantly across the housing, community and civic and education sectors.

This is an exciting time to join the team as 2019 marked the 25th year of SWA and throughout last year and extending into 2020 we held a number of events to commemorate this incredible achievement.

Job title: senior architect

Working hours: core office hours are 9am to 6pm (Mon-Fri) and we operate a flexible-hour policy either side of this

Location:
10 Stock Orchard Street
London N7 9RW

Salary: £40,000-£46,000 – dependent on experience

Role specifications

SWA is seeking a highly-motivated senior architect that wants to advance their career with new opportunities and challenges.

As a senior architect, you will have a minimum of five to seven years post-Part 3 qualifications. You will be client and team-focused, managing projects competently with minimum supervision. At the same time, you will support other senior managers in directing business strategy and contributing to other practice-related decision-making matters.

You will have proven ability to lead a team, problem solve and use your own judgement, think creatively and work calmly under pressure. You will have knowledge of sustainable building, ecological principles and practice and want to share your knowledge and passion with others both within and outside the practice.

We are looking for the best architectural staff to join our small, passionate and focused team. This is an important position and the successful candidate would be joining the office at a senior level. It is a rare opportunity for an ambitious and dynamic person to advance their career.

Qualifications:

• a good BA and masters qualification
• a minimum of five to seven years’ experience in architectural practice after post-graduate certificate in professional practice (RIBA Part 3)
• membership of ARB

Design skills:

• outstanding design skills and knowledge, with strong attention to detail and visual awareness
• demonstrable ability to coach and develop key skills within the project staff
• the ability to think ahead, anticipating problems and opportunities

Technical skills:

•  you will possess a solid understanding of relevant legislation, contracts and building regulations
• a proven ability in sound detailing, specification, material selection and a clear sense of value for money
• solid experience in job programming, preparing and coordinating fee proposals, managing the resourcing of jobs and possess the ability to teach others how to do this as well
• an understanding of how sustainability impacts upon the work of the architect in the technical aspects of design
• proficient in using Vectorworks, SketchUp, Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite
• familiarity with BIM level 2
• site experience and possession of contract admin knowledge
• a strong interest in sustainability and respect for the environment and a desire to communicate our goals

Managerial skills:

• proven practical experience of managing architectural teams and coordinating with external consultants
• strong project management skills: exceptional time-management, well organised and with the ability to work under pressure and to deadlines
• good leadership skills and a keen desire to get involved in the operational side of the practice
•  the ability to make sound commercial decisions and actively develop new leads to contribute to the success of the practice
• as part of a team, you will help lead on business strategy and take a key role in bidding for new work, responding to ITTs and helping us to develop new business opportunities
• you will have good negotiating and influencing skills, with the confidence to work under minimum supervision and the ability to drive projects forward
• eager, driven and self-motivated with a can-do attitude
• demonstrable ability to work alongside the director and other team members, as well as coach and develop key skills within the project staff
•  you will have assertiveness but use this with diplomacy and tact to ensure a collaborative and supportive approach is taken
• support other members of the practice in their progression and professional development and assist the operations manager with identifying training and development opportunities
• willing and able to find solutions, with the ability to work on multiple projects concurrently

Communication skills:

• a highly-effective communicator, with excellent written and spoken English, and with strong interpersonal skills to manage clients and team members
• ability to play an essential role in networking and with a strong desire for improving our outreach
• enjoy representing the practice externally and be a confident public speaker
•  participate in the practice’s equality and diversity in architecture drive
• the ability to produce clear, concise and accurate reports and information across a variety of different formats
• contribute to practice publicity material including research, web updates, journal articles and award submissions

Desirable skills:

• desire to contribute to wider architectural debates external to the practice
• be a positive and engaging force, with a real commitment to developing our studio culture and to act as an ambassador for SWA’s ethos

How to apply

To apply for this role, please visit our website and download the full job description. You can find the full job pack and how to apply here.

Application time frame

Applications deadline Friday 20 March 2020. However, we welcome early applications.

We may invite suitable candidates to interview before the application deadline.

Additional information

We apologise that due to the high volume of applications, we will be unable to respond to unsuccessful candidates.

No recruitment agencies. Any applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

We ask that you do not contact us by phone at this time and if you have any queries please address to Cat Mullan at [email protected].

We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

Further information about our practice can be found on our website.

We look forward to hearing from you!

www.swarch.co.uk

• Applications have closed.