Your firm needs a project architect. You’ve posted the opening, asked your team for referrals, and reviewed the applications.

Some candidates lack the technical experience. Others haven’t managed the types of projects your firm handles. A few look promising, but the conversation goes nowhere.

Before posting the position again, consider what an experienced architect would need to know before taking your call.

Someone already trusted by their employer needs a clear reason to consider a move. “Great projects and a collaborative culture” leaves too much unanswered.

Define the work behind the title

“Project architect” can mean very different things from one firm to another.

One firm needs someone who can lead construction documents and consultant coordination. Another needs a person who can manage client relationships, guide junior staff, and stay involved through construction administration.

Before starting a search, agree on what this person must take ownership of.

Be specific about:

• The project types and phases they will handle.
• The technical decisions they will own.
• Their responsibilities with clients and consultants.
• The support available from project managers and production staff.
• Whether licensure is essential to the work.

A clear role helps candidates assess the opportunity. It also gives your hiring team a consistent standard for evaluating them.

Explain why the position is open

Experienced candidates will want to understand what they are walking into.

Is the firm adding capacity after winning new work? Planning for a leadership transition? Replacing someone who left? Trying to take pressure off a principal who is still reviewing every drawing set?

Each situation creates a different opportunity—and different questions.

If the new hire will inherit a difficult project, explain the challenge and the support available. If there is room to build a team, describe what that responsibility would involve.

A candid conversation gives both sides a better basis for deciding whether to continue.

Make the opportunity concrete

A job description tells candidates what you expect. It should also explain what they gain by joining.

That does not require dramatic promises. It requires useful details.

“Career growth” becomes more meaningful when you can explain who the person will report to, what decisions they can make, and how their responsibilities could expand.

“Interesting projects” becomes clearer when you describe the sectors, project scale, design challenges, and work they would actually touch.

Before reaching out, be prepared to answer:

Why would someone doing well at another firm want this particular role?

The answer might be greater project ownership, direct access to firm leadership, a different project mix, or a clearer path into management. Use the advantages your firm can explain and deliver.

Separate essential experience from preferences

A search becomes unnecessarily restrictive when every preference becomes a requirement.

You may need someone who can independently coordinate a complex drawing set. You may prefer someone who has already completed the exact building type in your pipeline. Those requirements deserve separate consideration.

Ask your team:

What must this person be able to do on day one, and what can they learn with support?

Keep the requirements that protect project quality and client service. Examine whether the remaining criteria predict success or simply describe the last person who held the role.

This helps you consider capable candidates whose backgrounds may look different from what you initially expected.

Reach beyond the applicants

A job posting reaches people who find it and choose to apply. An experienced architect who is focused on current projects may never see it.

Direct outreach creates an opportunity to introduce the role and learn what would make a move worthwhile.

That conversation needs more than a list of qualifications. It needs an understanding of the person’s project experience, responsibilities, professional interests, and reasons for considering a change.

This is where a specialized architecture recruiter can help: identifying relevant professionals, approaching them discreetly, and discussing the opportunity before asking either side to commit to an interview.

Be ready when the right person engages

Before interviews begin, decide who needs to participate, what each conversation should establish, and who can approve an offer.

Give candidates a realistic timeline. Share feedback while the discussion is still fresh. Address questions about compensation, work arrangements, responsibilities, and advancement early enough for both sides to make an informed decision.

A well-run process shows candidates how your firm communicates and makes decisions.

Need help finding your next project architect?

Leadmark Group recruits architecture and design professionals through direct outreach, including conversations with candidates who may not be actively applying.

If your firm needs a project architect, project manager, or studio leader, let’s discuss the work they need to own and the experience your team needs.

Tell us about your hiring needs or call 240-409-8600.

Matt Anderson manderson@leadmarkgroup.com

www.leadmarkgroup.com