Registered Architect + Public & Private Projects + Opportunity for Firm Leadership
Raleigh, North Carolina
Salary: $85,000–$115,000
Has Your Architecture Firm Changed? Maybe It's Time You Did, Too.
Registered Architect | Public & Private Projects | Future Firm Leadership
Raleigh, North Carolina
You joined the architecture profession to design buildings, solve problems, work with clients, and make a difference.
Perhaps you joined a firm because you admired its people, its work, and its culture. But somewhere along the way, that firm became part of something much larger.
A regional practice became a branch of a national organization. Decisions that were once made down the hall are now made hundreds of miles away. Financial performance, corporate reporting, and organizational structure increasingly influence the way you practice architecture.
Maybe the firm you joined isn't the firm you work for anymore.
At Skinner Farlow Kirwan Architecture, we believe there is still a place for independent architectural practices where architects—not distant corporate management or outside investors—shape the future of the firm.
And we're looking for someone who wants to help shape ours.
AN INDEPENDENT FIRM WITH A LONG HISTORY AND A FUTURE TO BUILD
Founded in 1957, Skinner Farlow Kirwan Architecture has spent nearly 70 years serving public and private clients throughout North Carolina.
Our work includes K-12 schools, higher education, civic and government facilities, healthcare, parks and recreation, and complex renovations of existing buildings.
We are intentionally a smaller, principal-led architectural practice.
Our architects aren't isolated in departments, assigned to narrowly defined roles, or removed from the people making important decisions. They work directly with clients, consultants, contractors, and firm principals. They participate in projects from initial programming through construction.
We believe architects should have the opportunity to practice architecture—not simply manage a portion of a corporate production process.
We value professional judgment, personal relationships, thoughtful design, and the satisfaction of seeing a project through from beginning to end.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR MORE THAN AN EMPLOYEE
We are seeking a Registered Architect with approximately 5–10 years of experience who is ready for greater professional responsibility and interested in the future leadership of an established practice.
Initially, you will lead and manage public and institutional projects, work directly with clients, coordinate project teams, and mentor developing architects.
Over time, we want you to become increasingly involved in the relationships, decisions, and responsibilities that determine the direction of our firm.
We aren't looking for someone to simply occupy a position on an organizational chart. We are looking for someone who wants to help write the next chapter of SFK.
For an architect who has watched leadership opportunities become more distant as their firm has grown or changed ownership, we believe this offers a compelling alternative.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Lead architectural projects from programming and design through construction.
Develop direct, lasting relationships with clients.
Coordinate architectural staff and engineering consultants.
Produce and oversee thoughtful, technically sound construction documents.
Participate in design presentations, programming, and public meetings.
Manage project schedules, budgets, and deliverables.
Mentor younger architects and designers.
Contribute to the professional and business development of the firm.
Take on increasing responsibility in firm management and leadership.
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Registered Architect with approximately 5–10 years of professional experience.
Experience with public, educational, recreational, or comparable complex nonresidential projects.
Strong technical knowledge of construction documents, detailing, and consultant coordination.
Experience working directly with clients.
Strong communication and project leadership skills.
Revit proficiency.
The ability to manage projects while remaining personally engaged in design and architecture.
An interest in mentoring colleagues and developing client relationships.
A genuine desire to become part of the future leadership of an independent architectural firm.
Experience with North Carolina public-sector projects, K-12 schools, higher education, or government facilities is particularly desirable.
We are more interested in finding an exceptional architect with sound judgment, initiative, and leadership potential than someone whose résumé checks every box.
Just as importantly, we want someone who enjoys the camaraderie of a focused team, values the contributions of colleagues, and believes that professional relationships matter.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Salary: $85,000–$115,000, depending on experience and demonstrated ability.
SFK provides:
100% employer-paid employee health insurance.
Guaranteed employer contribution of 3% to your 401(k).
$50,000 employer-paid life insurance.
Paid time off.
Continuing education and professional development.
Direct access to firm principals.
Meaningful client-facing and project leadership responsibility.
Opportunity for increasing responsibility in firm management and future leadership.
YOUR NEXT CAREER MOVE SHOULD BE ABOUT MORE THAN A NEW TITLE
There is nothing inherently wrong with a large architectural firm. Many produce excellent work and offer rewarding careers.
But large organizations aren't right for everyone.
Some architects want to know the people making decisions. They want to influence the direction of their practice. They want their relationships with clients to be personal and lasting. They want the freedom to exercise professional judgment without navigating layers of corporate management.
And some want the opportunity to become leaders rather than spend their careers waiting for a leadership position to open somewhere above them.
At SFK, we aren't offering another rung on a corporate ladder. We're offering the opportunity to help lead the firm itself.
If you miss the kind of architectural practice where people know one another, decisions are made together, and your work and judgment genuinely matter, we would welcome a confidential conversation.
Skinner Farlow Kirwan Architecture
Raleigh, North Carolina
Independent by choice. Architect-led by conviction. Building for the next generation.