Architect - 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. Gensler's San Francisco Cities 2 studio partners with clients advancing education, culture, research, civic life, 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 strongest work emerges when bold ideas, thoughtful execution, and a deep understanding of people come together.

Your Role

Gensler's San Francisco Cities 2 studio is seeking a licensed Architect with 6-10 years of experience to join our team focused on higher education, cultural, civic, community, and other mission-driven projects.

You will work across the full project lifecycle, partnering with design and project leaders to translate ambitious ideas into thoughtful, technically rigorous, and buildable solutions. This role is ideal for a well-rounded architect who is energized by both design exploration and project delivery and who wants to remain closely connected to the work from early visioning through construction administration.

Working alongside architects, interior designers, project managers, strategists, consultants, and clients, you will help guide project teams, coordinate complex project information, mentor emerging talent, and uphold a high standard of design quality and technical execution. You will have the opportunity to lead smaller projects or major workstreams and contribute meaningfully to projects that strengthen institutions and the communities they serve.

What You Will Do

• Contribute to and help lead education, cultural, civic, community, and mission-driven projects through all phases of design and construction.
• Develop and advance architectural concepts, design studies, technical solutions, and project documentation that balance design intent, performance, constructability, schedule, and budget.
• Lead smaller projects or significant workstreams on larger, complex projects, supporting successful coordination and delivery.
• Produce and oversee Revit models, construction drawings, architectural details, project manuals, and specifications in collaboration with the project team and in-house specifications resources.
• Coordinate with clients, user groups, consultants, contractors, fabricators, regulatory agencies, and other project partners to meet project objectives.
• Participate in programming, stakeholder engagement, workshops, presentations, design reviews, consultant coordination, and client meetings.
• Help guide projects through permitting, bidding, construction administration, and closeout, including construction meetings, submittals, RFIs, and field observations as appropriate.
• Resolve complex design and technical challenges with the team to deliver innovative, durable, and constructible solutions.
• Support project planning, team communication, consultant coordination, schedule awareness, and quality control.
• Mentor and provide direction to emerging architects and designers, fostering curiosity, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Contribute to a collaborative studio culture that values design excellence, technical rigor, sustainability, inclusive engagement, mentorship, and shared success.

Your Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Architecture from an accredited program; an advanced degree is preferred.
• 6-10 years of professional experience in an architecture or design practice.
• Architectural licensure is required; California licensure is strongly preferred.
• Experience contributing to projects through design development, construction documentation, permitting, bidding, and construction administration.
• Demonstrated design judgment and technical understanding, with the ability to translate ideas into coordinated and buildable solutions.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams, including structural, MEP, lighting, AV, landscape, civil, and other specialty consultants.
• Strong proficiency in Revit and Adobe Creative Suite; experience with Rhino, Enscape, SketchUp, Grasshopper, or similar tools is a plus.
• Working knowledge of building systems, construction methodologies, architectural detailing, building codes, accessibility requirements, and project delivery workflows.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, graphic presentation, communication, collaboration, and relationship-management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead project workstreams, balance multiple priorities, and maintain attention to quality and detail.
• Commitment to sustainable design, inclusive engagement, and design for diversity, equity, and belonging.

What Will Help You Succeed

• Experience with higher education, cultural, institutional, civic, science, adaptive reuse, or other mission-driven projects.
• Experience working with engaged clients, user groups, and stakeholders who participate actively in shaping project outcomes.
• Familiarity with public-bid environments, institutional procurement, and/or publicly funded projects.
• Experience with design-build, progressive design-build, or other highly collaborative delivery models.
• Experience integrating sustainability, resilience, wellness, electrification, LEED certification, or other high-performance goals into project planning, design, and delivery.
• A portfolio that demonstrates design thinking, technical rigor, strong visual communication, and how ideas evolved into built work.
• Curiosity about the relationship between design excellence, technical craft, client experience, and project delivery.

To be considered, please submit a resume and portfolio in PDF format demonstrating design excellence, technical expertise, and creative problem-solving abilities.

Life at Gensler

At Gensler, we are as committed to enjoying life as we are to delivering best-in-class design. From curated art exhibits to internal design competitions to "Well-being Awareness Week," our offices reflect our people's diverse interests.

We encourage every person at Gensler to lead a healthy and balanced life. Our comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, and paid time off. We also offer a 401k, profit sharing, employee stock ownership, and twice annual bonus opportunities. Our annual base salary range has been established based on local markets.

As part of the firm's commitment to licensure and professional development, Gensler offers reimbursement for certain professional licenses and associated renewals and exam fees. In addition, we reimburse tuition for certain eligible programs or classes. We view our professional development programs as strategic investments in our future.

NOTICE TO APPLICANTS

We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer of choice. All aspects of employment decisions will be based on merit, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of any status protected under federal, state and local law.

Individuals with disabilities and protected veterans are encouraged to apply. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with federal, state and local law.

See also Know your rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal, right to work and E-verify program, as required by law.

Gensler endeavors to make gensler.com/careers accessible to all applicants. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us.

Regarding Gensler's approach to recruiting new talent, we will never ask an applicant for sensitive or personal financial information during the recruitment process. We advise all applicants seeking employment with Gensler to review available information on recruitment fraud. Anyone who suspects that they have been contacted by someone falsely representing Gensler should email talentacquisition@gensler.com.