Design Architect

Job Description

Job Description

Johnston Design Group  ·  Greenville, SC ·  In studio, hybrid, or fully remote  ·  Full time  ·  Licensed architect, 8+ years

Johnston Design Group is a boutique architecture firm in Greenville, South Carolina — large enough to take on major projects, small enough that every person here shapes the work. We create built environments that enhance the well-being of the people who use them, achieve economy through conservation, and honor the natural resources of every site. That's what we mean by restorative design: wellness, economy, and ecology, held in balance.

We design in different shades of green. We have no house style and no agenda to push on clients. Instead, we lay out the costs and benefits of each strategy and help clients choose the shade that's right for them — a realistic, economically viable approach to environmental stewardship that works within the bounds of practical project delivery. Our portfolio spans dwelling, workplace, community, market, cultural, and historic work, from custom mountain and lake homes to urban mixed-use and multifamily projects that are reshaping downtown Greenville.

We're now looking for a design-focused, licensed architect to help lead the design phase across our studio.

The role

This is a design leadership role built for collaboration. As Design Architect, you'll partner with our project architects and project managers during the design phases of multiple projects at once — shaping concepts, sharpening schematic and design development work, and making sure each project carries a clear, place-based idea all the way into documents. Alongside that studio-wide design role, you'll carry a small load of your own projects as full project architect, from first sketch through construction.

You'll be the person who raises the design bar across the studio without taking the pencil out of anyone's hand. That takes as much listening, mentoring, and diplomacy as it does design talent.

What you'll do

—  Lead and contribute to design on several concurrent projects, working side by side with the project architect and project manager on each

—  Develop site-responsive concepts and carry them through schematic design and design development, with an eye on how they'll be built and what they'll cost

—  Lead design on urban mixed-use and multifamily work — massing, unit planning, ground-floor activation, and how a building meets the street and the neighborhood

—  Bring restorative design strategies to every project — daylight, passive performance, material health, water, and habitat — and frame them for clients in terms of cost, benefit, and long-term value

—  Run design reviews and charrettes that build consensus rather than override it

—  Present design work to clients, owners, developers, and city design review boards

—  Coordinate with our interior design studio and with consultants so architecture and interiors develop as one idea

—  Serve as full project architect on a small number of your own projects, including documents and construction-phase services

—  Help shape JDG's design standards and our growing use of AI-assisted design and visualization tools

What you bring

Required

—  Licensed architect in any U.S. jurisdiction, with the ability to obtain South Carolina registration (NCARB Certificate a plus)

—  8+ years of professional experience in architecture, with a portfolio that shows real design leadership

—  Demonstrated design experience in urban mixed-use and multifamily projects

—  A genuine commitment to sustainable and restorative design, paired with a practical, business-minded approach to implementing it on real budgets and schedules

—  Strong collaboration skills: you give and receive critique well, build trust quickly, and can lead design without needing to own every decision

—  Clear, confident communication — in sketches, in models, in writing, and in the room with clients

—  Working fluency in current design and documentation tools (we use Revit and SketchUp, plus a growing set of AI rendering and visualization tools)

—  Reliable availability Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Preferred

—  Master of Architecture or related graduate degree

—  Custom residential design experience

—  LEED AP, Passive House, WELL, Living Building Challenge, or similar credentials

—  Experience presenting to municipal design review boards or planning commissions

—  Curiosity about AI-assisted design workflows

If you meet most of these but not every one, we'd still like to hear from you.

How and where you'll work

This position can be in studio at our Greenville office, hybrid, or fully remote. If you're a digital nomad, that can work here too — what matters is the quality of your work and your presence during core hours, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern, for collaboration with the studio. Remote team members should have reliable high-speed internet and expect occasional travel to Greenville and project sites as projects require.

Compensation and benefits

Salary range based on experience and portfolio.

Benefits include flex-time, a matching IRA contribution, HSA contribution, [health coverage], and support for professional development, licensure, and continuing education.

How to apply

Provide the following.

—  Your resume

—  A portfolio (PDF under 15 MB, or a link) that shows your own design role on each project — especially your mixed-use and multifamily work

—  A short note telling us which of your projects best shows restorative thinking put into practice, and why

We review applications as they arrive and will keep the position open until it's filled. Questions are welcome at the same address — we should talk.

Johnston Design Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our employment practices apply without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or parental status, including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.