Senior Design Manager, Project Architect

Suffolk Construction•Boston, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Suffolk Design is Suffolk’s integrated design practice, combining architectural expertise with construction capabilities, data, and technology. The Project Architect is a project-leadership role on the Boston Central Operations team, responsible for directing the integrated design product, setting technical and documentation strategy, and guiding multidisciplinary teams from early planning through construction and closeout. The role provides overall architectural and technical leadership for assigned projects and partners with the Project Manager, who leads commercial and operational delivery. The Project Architect establishes standards, frames decisions, directs others’ work, and is accountable for design intent, technical integration, consultant coordination, document quality, and milestone readiness. Central Operations supports teams across Suffolk Design’s regions and market sectors. The position contributes to individual project outcomes and to a consistent, scalable national AOR delivery model. Depending on project needs, the role may also serve as Design Integration Lead, Technical Lead, Quality Control Lead, or in a combination of those capacities. The role is based in Boston Central Operations and supports project teams across regions and sectors. It collaborates with Project Managers, Design Leads, discipline leads, regional leadership, Engineering and Technical Services, Digital Delivery and Design Technology, Suffolk Global, estimating, planning, procurement, and construction operations. The working environment includes an office with quiet to moderate noise and job-site walking.

Requirements

Professional degree in Architecture from an accredited program.
Current license to practice architecture in Massachusetts.
Approximately 12–18 years of progressively responsible architectural experience, including leadership of complex projects through design, documentation, permitting, and construction.
Demonstrated success as a Project Architect, Senior Project Architect, Technical Architect, or equivalent project-level technical and design leader.
Strong command of architectural practice, the Massachusetts State Building Code, accessibility and life-safety requirements, consultant coordination, specifications, and construction-phase obligations.
Ability to direct and evaluate others’ work, including distributed and global teams, without becoming the default hands-on producer for every assignment.
Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and making decisions where design quality, technical requirements, cost, schedule, and constructability compete.
Advanced proficiency in Revit and experience leading model-based coordination, common data environments, and digital quality-control workflows.
Clear communication, facilitation, and visual explanation skills, including framing decisions for clients, builders, consultants, and design teams.
Judgment, curiosity, willingness to challenge conventional approaches when a more reliable or efficient solution is available, and demonstrated alignment with Suffolk’s Core Values: Passion, Integrity, Hard Work, Professionalism, and Caring Working Relationships.

Nice To Haves

NCARB certification.
Experience with design-build, design-assist, delegated design, or other integrated delivery models.
DBIA certification.
Experience in one or more priority markets, such as higher education, healthcare, life sciences, commercial, aviation, mission critical, or institutional work.

Responsibilities

Provide architectural and technical direction, translating design intent and project requirements into a coordinated delivery path.
Partner with the Project Manager as a peer project leader, directing the integrated product and technical execution system while the Project Manager leads commercial and operational delivery.
Establish deliverable strategy, information architecture, milestone requirements, and documentation plans before substantial production begins.
Direct the architectural team and coordinate discipline leads, consultants, design-assist and trade partners, Digital Delivery, and construction personnel.
Lead technical and design decisions, including code strategy, envelope and system integration, material and assembly selection, accessibility, life safety, and interdisciplinary conflict resolution.
Plan and lead design and technical workshops, documenting decisions, accountable owners, and follow-up actions.
Maintain the quality and coherence of document sets; direct progress, interdisciplinary, and technical reviews and close review findings.
Approve milestone deliverable briefs and controlled package baselines, and apply change control to sheets, views, details, and deliverable scope.
Direct permitting and regulatory coordination, track submission requirements and agency comments, and monitor approval status.
Integrate estimating, scheduling, procurement, constructability, logistics, and supply-chain information into design decisions while retaining professional design authority.
Lead architectural construction-phase services, including response strategies for RFIs, submittals, design changes, field observations, and questions affecting design intent or technical compliance.
Ensure significant design and technical decisions are traceable, communicated, incorporated into affected documents and models, and released through the appropriate approval path.
Provide architectural leadership across multiple projects or workstreams when appropriate, focusing on complexity, risk, and critical decisions.
Mentor emerging project architects and design professionals through meaningful delegation, review, and development of their judgment.
Contribute reusable standards, milestone planning tools, quality practices, lessons learned, and practical applications of digital and AI-enabled workflows.