Experienced Architectural Designer

Designer III

Location: Chicago, IL | Hybrid

About the Role

Perkins&Will is seeking a Designer III to join our Chicago studio. In this role, you'll be an integral part of our architectural design teams, helping transform creative ideas into thoughtful, well-developed design solutions. You'll contribute across multiple phases of projects, from early design concepts and presentations through detailed documentation and coordination.

As a Designer III, you'll bring strong design sensibilities, technical capabilities, and a collaborative mindset to projects of varying complexity. You'll take increasing ownership of your work, contribute ideas that elevate design quality, and partner with colleagues and consultants to support successful project outcomes. This position offers opportunities to strengthen your expertise while contributing to our commitment to Living Design.

What You'll Do

• Develop creative architectural design concepts and solutions that respond to project goals, client needs, and design objectives.

• Produce and coordinate architectural drawings and documentation through schematic design, design development, and construction document phases.

• Use BIM and advanced 2D/3D modeling tools to communicate design ideas and support accurate, coordinated project deliverables.

• Research building products, materials, systems, and construction techniques to inform design decisions and documentation.

• Create compelling design presentations, visualizations, graphics, and other materials that communicate ideas to clients and project teams.

• Collaborate with architects, designers, consultants, and other project partners to coordinate project information and resolve design challenges.

• Review drawings and deliverables for accuracy, completeness, clarity, and consistency with project requirements and firm standards.

• Take ownership of assigned tasks, balancing creativity, quality, schedules, and project budgets while maintaining proactive communication with team members.

• Participate in design reviews, charrettes, and studio activities, sharing ideas and supporting the growth of colleagues.

What You'll Bring

Required Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in architecture or a related discipline.

• Strong architectural design and technical documentation skills, including experience with BIM, building codes, life safety requirements, and construction documents.

• Advanced proficiency in Revit and 2D/3D architectural production software.

• Ability to develop and communicate design concepts through drawings, sketches, graphic storytelling, presentations, and visualization.

• Strong organizational, collaboration, and communication skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively with multidisciplinary project teams and consultants.

• Active involvement in the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) and preparation for the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), along with a commitment to obtaining LEED Green Associate accreditation within six months of hire and pursuing professional accreditation in an area of Living Design.

Preferred Qualifications

• Approximately 5–8 years of relevant architectural design experience, including design development, documentation, material research, and project coordination.

• Experience with tools such as Rhino, Grasshopper, Adobe Creative Cloud, InDesign, Photoshop, Enscape, V-Ray, Ladybug, Climate Studio, and physical modeling technologies.

Professional architectural licensure is not required for this position.

Why Perkins&Will?

At Perkins&Will, design is a collaborative process driven by creativity, curiosity, and a commitment to improving the built environment. Our Living Design philosophy encourages us to consider the connections between people, place, and the planet. You'll work alongside colleagues who value diverse perspectives, thoughtful exploration, and design excellence while contributing your own ideas and expertise to meaningful architectural work.

Salary Range Information

We foster a culture that is diverse and inclusive and strive for pay practices that are fair, and competitive and reflect our commitment to pay equity. Our compensation decisions include but are not limited to a candidate’s qualifications including skill sets, education, experience and training, licensure and certifications credentials if applicable, and business-related factors. This practice extends to all employees, including performance considerations for merit increases, job promotions, and transfer opportunities. We additionally review our pay practices, conduct pay equity audits, and ensure our managers are trained in our pay practices on an annual basis. At the time of posting this job advertisement, commensurate with qualifications, the annual pay salary range for this position in Chicago, IL is between $75,000 and $88,000.

Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

At Perkins&Will we believe that inclusion spurs creativity and that innovation is born from an engaged culture of diverse people + ideas. By moving beyond barriers and stereotypes of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, medical condition, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status; we are committed to building an organization that reflects the diversity of the communities and clients we serve.

"Design has the power to inspire joy, uplift lives, and strengthen the spirit of community."

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Perkins&Will has established and adopted an Equal Employment Opportunity Employment policy (“EEO”), which is part of the Company’s Human Resources Policy. The purpose of this EEO policy is to ensure that all employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis, and without regard to sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, gender reassignment, citizenship, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state, or local law. In some cases, local laws and regulations may provide greater protections than those outlined here and employees will be covered by the laws of their local jurisdiction.

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision

Perkins&Will will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.