Design Professional I - Digital Practice

HKS, Inc.•Washington, DC

About The Position

The Design Professional I supports project teams by performing basic design and technical tasks using standard techniques while developing professional knowledge under general supervision. With a Digital Practice focus, this role contributes to daily digital workflow execution by maintaining organized, accurate project models, applying firmwide digital standards, and supporting coordinated project delivery. The position uses digital design and documentation tools, contributes project-specific digital content, and supports collaboration through disciplined digital practices. The role is suited to someone eager to learn, highly organized, and motivated to contribute creatively, who can recognize and appropriately escalate digital workflow challenges to Digital Practice Specialists. The position supports model setup and cleanup, digital file and project-data organization, documentation, quality control, interdisciplinary coordination, and digital content development. It may also provide graphic and visualization assistance, support model exchanges and benchmarking studies, and help project teams apply modeling standards and improve workflows, including AI integration and Revit-to-Rhino processes. Travel may be required.

Requirements

Accredited professional degree in Architecture or a related field.
Typically 0–3 years of experience.
On the path to Architectural Registration.
Basic skills in Revit, Rhino, and Grasshopper; intermediate skills preferred.
Basic skills in Bluebeam, Twinmotion, Enscape, or other visualization tools.
Basic knowledge of Navisworks and Dynamo.
Basic skills in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
Basic skills in Microsoft Office Suite.
Basic knowledge of sustainability and integrated design guidelines.
Basic knowledge of materials, construction techniques, building codes, and QA/QC processes.
Basic presentation, graphic, and visualization skills to communicate ideas.
Basic experience with the full project lifecycle through post-occupancy.
Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally, verbally and in writing.
Ability to problem-solve and collaborate on innovative solutions.
Ability to work in a team environment and on multiple projects simultaneously.
Ability to meet deadlines while achieving expected quality.
Travel may be required.

Nice To Haves

Sustainable design accreditation.
Intermediate skills in Revit, Rhino, and Grasshopper.

Responsibilities

Perform routine architectural and technical assignments under direction, applying standard techniques, procedures, and collaborative design methods; contribute to design work with other team members as designated.
Support daily digital workflows, including model organization, file management, view and sheet control, documentation setup, and adherence to established digital practice standards.
Maintain model health and project data integrity by organizing digital files, project information, work sets, views, and sheets in alignment with firm standards and templates.
Assist in developing and modifying project-specific digital content, including views, sheets, schedules, details, and custom components.
Support interdisciplinary digital coordination by preparing files, exporting data, and assisting with model exchanges.
Apply quality-control practices to digital work products to ensure accuracy, clarity, and consistency in documents generated from digital models.
Develop fluency in the digital applications and platforms used at HKS for modeling, documentation, coordination, visualization, and data exchange.
Identify digital workflow issues or inefficiencies and escalate them according to established digital practice procedures.
Coordinate with Digital Practice Specialists when project conditions require non-standard content or workflows, and support implementation of solutions in the project model.
Participate in team meetings concerning project, design, technical, and interdisciplinary coordination issues.
May assist with proposals, presentations, schedules, implementation documentation, and samples.
May attend site visits, field reviews, and client or project meetings as appropriate.
Develop an understanding of how disciplined digital workflows support collaboration, coordination, and project delivery.
Set up models on large projects and advise on model setup for small projects; provide ongoing model cleanup and real-time model error assistance.
Support BIM coordination with other consultants' BIM managers; coordinate family creation and assist with family-related needs for project teams.
Work with LINE on AI integration and time-saving modeling methods.
Monitor project origins, shared coordination, and grids; perform CAD cleanup and provide general graphic assistance.
Set up and distribute title blocks, and serve as a link between project teams and the green team for family creation and guide sheets.
Learn and help communicate HKS modeling standards.
Assist with Revit-to-Rhino integration for the exterior team and create Revit schedules for floor plans, square footage, life safety, and related needs.
Help set up models for compatibility with benchmarking studies.