Associate Architect in Sustainable Design

Archinect is seeking a full-time Associate Architect in Sustainable Design for a hybrid role in Chicago, IL. The position requires a Registered Architect with at least 12 years of experience, focusing on project management and technical sustainability leadership for education and civic projects. Responsibilities include leading design teams, managing client relationships, ensuring quality control, and fostering professional growth in sustainability. Proficiency in Revit and AutoCAD is required.
Nurture Employer

Chicago, IL, USLocation:

Full-timeType

Mon, Apr 20 '26Posted on:

This hybrid position is a Registered Architect in the State of Illinois to with a minimum 12 years of experience to serve as an Associate; joining our steadily growing team focused on existing buildings, education, and civic projects located in Chicago, with specialties in Historic Preservation and Sustainable Design.

This Associate Position at Nurture is essentially broken into two complementary categories:

Project Management / Architecture Design Lead

Lead project teams through design and constructionClient, Consultant, and Contractor managementInvoice and Billing managementStaffing projections and time resource coordination based on contract fees

Quality Assurance, Quality Control / Technical Sustainability Leadership

Coordinate and assist with delivering technical excellence in sustainability driven projectsDevelop and enforce office procedural and technical standards related to highly technical regenerative projectsLead sustainability design and documentation efforts across all projects.

This position is also focused on your professional growth in the realm of sustainable education development, helping to initiate, grow and produce internal and external sustainability education opportunities for the firm to support work across all specialties and project types; this includes work in leading our annual AIA DDX reporting. In tandem, a commitment to design excellence and engaging junior staff in this effort will be key to your leadership in producing beautiful and regenerative solutions for our clients as we continue our work to meet the challenge of climate change.

The position assumes you will continue your work as an architect at a small firm, wearing many hats including production – which will also mean providing BIM leadership as a long time Revit user. Continual efforts to participate in and learn more about industry best practices, from contract management, building codes, zoning, and general jurisdictional processes, as well as participate in the creation of drawings, details, and specifications for all phases of project documentation and performing construction administration services is part of the everyday life of an Associate at Nurture. The trajectory of this position is to become a trusted ally in the office, a mentor to younger staff, and a public figurehead for the firm in settings outside the office.

Full-time position with competitive salary and benefits, including remote work, in a flexible small firm environment focused on doing great work for our clients and having fun.

Requirements

Bachelor of Architecture or Master of Architecture professional degree (minimum requirement);12+ Years Experience Required (minimum)Must be a registered architect in the State of IllinoisExperience in Existing Buildings and Adaptive Reuse; Historic Preservation/Restoration experience preferredExperience in the design and certification documentation of high-performance sustainability-forward projects; sustainability credential (LEED, WELL, LFA, CPHC) within 1 year of hireKnowledge of applicable local codes and permitting within the City of Chicago preferredMust be proficient in:Revit (BIM 360/Collab Pro) and AutoCADBluebeam RevuField measurement and documentation of existing buildings as well as BIM modeling of existing conditionsMS Office (Word, Excel, PPT)Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator)Experience in all project delivery phases, especially assessment and construction documentation field work, working with and managing a variety of consultants, including crafting consulting agreementsExperience in AIA 2030 DDX reporting preferred but not requiredExperience in providing Quality Assurance, Quality Control (QAQC) direction to project teams at all project milestonesDesire to mentor younger staff and increase technical knowledge and skillDesire for continued building science/technical knowledge, including Passive House U.S. (PHIUS) standardsExcellent written and verbal communication skillsAbility and desire to participate in business development and be a brand ambassador for NurtureAbility and desire to offer exceptional client service – attention to detail and commitment to deadlinesProactive and resourceful with a strong work ethic, enthusiasm, and confidence to take initiativeAbility to coordinate, manage and prioritize work assignments with fixed and/or competing deadlinesMust be a team player in a collegial collaborative atmosphere
Interested in joining the Nurture Team? Send your application materials to Kelly Moynihan at kmoynihan@nurturearch.com.