A globally recognised, design-led architecture studio is looking for an Associate Director to join its London team on an initial 12-month fixed-term basis. You would be joining a highly collaborative international studio delivering mixed-use, residential, commercial, retail and F&B projects across the UAE and Asia, with a particular focus on front-end design and early-stage project leadership. This is a hands-on leadership role within a busy London architecture team currently delivering multiple live international projects simultaneously. You would be working closely with the Project Director and senior leadership team, overseeing a group of architects and seniors across a broad mix of project scales and stages. The role would suit someone who is equally comfortable leading teams and clients, while still jumping into production work and design development when needed.
The studio is open on level for the right person, so strong Senior Architects or newly established Associate Directors with proven leadership experience may also be considered. This studio offers flexible working as standard.
Job Description
- You would be responsible for leading and overseeing multiple international projects simultaneously, typically across 2–3 small to mid-scale schemes or one larger complex project. Responsibilities include:
- Leading projects predominantly at concept, schematic and developed design stages
- Managing and mentoring teams of architects and senior architects within a collaborative studio structure
- Working closely with the Project Director and Design Director on design strategy and project delivery
- Contributing directly to design production, technical coordination and drawing packages when required
- Leading client communication and presentations across international accounts
- Overseeing projects across mixed-use, residential, commercial, retail and F&B sectors
- Supporting projects through SD and DD stages, with occasional IFC Design Guardian involvement
- Coordinating Rhino and Revit workflows across project teams
- Managing multiple live projects in a fast-paced international environment
- Helping maintain an open, communicative and collaborative studio culture
Key Skills & Experience
- Strong experience leading architectural teams on large-scale international projects
- Proven design ability across concept and front-end project stages
- Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously
- Confident working directly with clients and senior stakeholders
- Strong communication and leadership skills
- Comfortable remaining hands-on with production and delivery work
- Revit ability is preferred, and ideally experience using Rhino for modelling
- Experience across mixed-use, residential, commercial or hospitality-led projects preferred
- International project experience, particularly within the Middle East or Asia, would be advantageous
- Collaborative mindset – this role would not suit someone operating in isolation
This is an excellent opportunity for a design-led architect or emerging leader looking to step into a highly visible role within a globally respected studio delivering complex international architecture projects.
”, “datePosted”: “2026-05-23”, “hiringOrganization”: { “@type”: “Organization”, “name”: “Scale Careers”, “sameAs”: “https://uk.whatjobs.com/pub_api__cpl__439517444__4861?utm_campaign=publisher&utm_medium=api&utm_source=4861&geoID=4” }, “jobLocation”: { “@type”: “Place”, “address”: { “@type”: “PostalAddress”, “addressLocality”: “London” } } }A globally recognised, design-led architecture studio is looking for an Associate Director to join its London team on an initial 12-month fixed-term basis. You would be joining a highly collaborative international studio delivering mixed-use, residential, commercial, retail and F&B projects across the UAE and Asia, with a particular focus on front-end design and early-stage project leadership. This is a hands-on leadership role within a busy London architecture team currently delivering multiple live international projects simultaneously. You would be working closely with the Project Director and senior leadership team, overseeing a group of architects and seniors across a broad mix of project scales and stages. The role would suit someone who is equally comfortable leading teams and clients, while still jumping into production work and design development when needed.
The studio is open on level for the right person, so strong Senior Architects or newly established Associate Directors with proven leadership experience may also be considered. This studio offers flexible working as standard.
Job Description
- You would be responsible for leading and overseeing multiple international projects simultaneously, typically across 2–3 small to mid-scale schemes or one larger complex project. Responsibilities include:
- Leading projects predominantly at concept, schematic and developed design stages
- Managing and mentoring teams of architects and senior architects within a collaborative studio structure
- Working closely with the Project Director and Design Director on design strategy and project delivery
- Contributing directly to design production, technical coordination and drawing packages when required
- Leading client communication and presentations across international accounts
- Overseeing projects across mixed-use, residential, commercial, retail and F&B sectors
- Supporting projects through SD and DD stages, with occasional IFC Design Guardian involvement
- Coordinating Rhino and Revit workflows across project teams
- Managing multiple live projects in a fast-paced international environment
- Helping maintain an open, communicative and collaborative studio culture
Key Skills & Experience
- Strong experience leading architectural teams on large-scale international projects
- Proven design ability across concept and front-end project stages
- Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously
- Confident working directly with clients and senior stakeholders
- Strong communication and leadership skills
- Comfortable remaining hands-on with production and delivery work
- Revit ability is preferred, and ideally experience using Rhino for modelling
- Experience across mixed-use, residential, commercial or hospitality-led projects preferred
- International project experience, particularly within the Middle East or Asia, would be advantageous
- Collaborative mindset – this role would not suit someone operating in isolation
This is an excellent opportunity for a design-led architect or emerging leader looking to step into a highly visible role within a globally respected studio delivering complex international architecture projects.
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