Job Introduction
37 hours per week
We are looking for a person to join the Design Team in this great opportunity as a project architect to support the Capital Projects Service in the delivery of the Council's construction programmes. Candidates must be enthusiastic, good communicators and have excellent attention to detail, being able to manage multiple demands and workstreams arising from the service.
What is the role?
Sitting within the Housing, Neighbourhoods and Building Services directorate, you will be directly reporting to the Senior Architect and supporting the Team Leader and Principal Architect in the delivery of the Council's capital projects. The design team is a multi-disciplinary group including architects, structural engineers and landscape architects. We work closely with the building surveyors, quantity surveyor, and mechanical and electrical engineers within Capital Projects. The service uses both internal and external consultants as required to deliver project outcomes.
The design team is a team of experienced and committed professionals who have gained a reputation for delivering high quality, sensitive, good value and thoughtful design solutions to meet our client's brief requirements. Most of our work comes from within the Authority, but we do also work with external clients such as the NHS, charities and Multi Academy Education Trusts. Our clients are drawn from across the organisation and include Children, Families and Education, Housing Neighbourhood and Building Services, Cultural, Leisure and Regulatory Services, Adult Social Care and Economy Transport and Planning. Our work can range in size from approximately £100K to over £10m and is procured traditionally or via a design and build route depending on our client's specific requirements.
We use the suite of Autodesk products with Revit being our preferred software, Adobe Creative Suite and the Microsoft Office applications are also used by the team in their day-to-day roles. Four of our architects are Certified Passivhaus Designers and we use these principles as far as possible in our housing project. Please see the full job profile attached at the bottom of this page for further details about what the role will involve!
Who is the person?
The ideal candidate is someone who will:
1 Qualifications, you will need to have achieved:
- An undergraduate honours degree in Architecture with RIBA Part 1 exemption.
- A post graduate Masters degree in Architecture with RIBA Part 2 exemption.
- A pass in the RIBA's Part 3 examination in a professional practice.
- Registration with The Architect's Registration Board (ARB) for a minimum of 5 years.
2 Has excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both in person, online and in writing.
3 Have a positive attitude towards working in the public sector; be resilient, embrace change and actively work with your colleagues to improve the service offered to our customers.
4 Knowledge and experience of working as part of a professional design team including all aspects of design, procurement and contract administration of medium to high value projects, ideally in a public sector or similar context.
5 Have a working knowledge of the RIBA's Plan of Work 2020 and be able to demonstrate application of this knowledge practically through your portfolio.
6 Have knowledge and experience of budget management and cost control over a wide range of scheme values from £500K to £10m.
7 Have a good working knowledge of construction related legislation, for example the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015, Building Safety Act 2022.
8 Knowledge of and commitment to the architect's obligation to maintain accurate and up to date CPD records using both the City Council's online learning portal as well as the ARB's CPD portal.
9 You will be able to demonstrate excellent design skills through your CV, portfolio and effective presentation of your work in pressured situations.
10 Be able to communicate effectively with internal and external clients, building good relationships with them as you work to understand their requirements and keep them informed throughout the life of a building project.
11 Be able to manage customer expectations within available resources and prioritise workload accordingly.
12 Have excellent design and technical skills and an ability to efficiently prepare presentation material and technical information.
13 Have an excellent working knowledge of Autodesk's Revit and AutoCAD software, Microsoft's Office packagesand the Adobe Creative Suite.
14 Have an up to date driving license and an ability to travel around the city and surrounding areas in an economic and efficient way.
When completing the application form, please ensure that you respond to each of the 14 'Who is the Person' points listed above- using examples from your experience. If you do not respond to these points you are unlikely to be invited to the assessment or shortlisted. Please see the full job profile attached at the bottom of this page!
Assessment day: w/c 7th July 2025
Interviews: w/c 21st July 2025
If you have any questions, or would like an informal discussion about the role, please call Andrew Malbon, Principal Architect on 02392 834711 or email Andrew.malbon@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
'We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal. We are committed to offering an interview to all those candidates that qualify under one of our commitments and meet the minimum criteria, however for roles that receive a large number of applications, this is not always possible, and we will select the candidates that best meet the minimum criteria.'
About Portsmouth City Council
What we can offer you:
Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.
Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our careers portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council
Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk. or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616800
