Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is a global collective committed to shaping a better future for clients and communities. They are seeking a Junior Designer for their Year One Program, where the role involves generating design ideas, conducting research, and collaborating on urban design projects.
Responsibilities
- Generates planning and design ideas, conducts research, documents precedents and scale studies, develops diagrams, renders site plans, and contributes to all manner of graphic and visual production. Takes initiative to learn and apply SOM City Design Practice protocols for file management, planning and design processes, and quality control standards for deliverables
- Demonstrates a basic understanding of planning and urban design concepts, building typologies and critical dimensions, utility and infrastructure systems, land development considerations and planning / zoning codes, and phasing and implementation techniques. Is able to enrich design concepts through knowledge, research, and proficient application of technical and visualization skills and effectively uses software and appropriate analogue and digital tools to design and document at all project phases
- Applies a strong conceptual design ability to projects of varying complexity and sites of divergent scales; begins to integrate interdisciplinary criteria to effectively move forward the planning and urban design aspects of complex projects
- Effectively communicates internally through timely and appropriate written, oral, and visual means
- Actively collaborates at a project team level by developing, communicating, and critically and constructively evaluating ideas
- Manages time and workload to meet project task deadlines and commitments with regular interaction and direction from project leaders and team members
- Actively participates as a junior member of the CDP Team
- Brings energy, enthusiasm, creativity, and a disciplined work ethic to the City Design Practice
- Becomes immersed in the SOM office through lectures, design reviews, lunch and learns, site visits, and participation in office activities and professional development opportunities. Actively participates in the Year One Program (as appropriate)
Skills
- Recent completion of professional Degree in Architecture, Planning, Urban design, or Landscape Architecture
- Strong collaborative ability
- Interest in large-scale planning, mixed-use and transit oriented development, and working in a fast-paced and intensely collaborative professional environment
- Exhibits initiative, process innovation, problem solving, and decision-making quality with a high attention to detail, precision and accuracy at a task specific level
- Demonstrates proficiency in AutoCAD, Rhino, Grasshopper, Enscape, Lumion, parametric and rendering software, and other graphic software as well as Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office; Revit proficiency a plus
- LEED accreditation preferred
Benefits
- Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life & accident insurance.
- 401K matching, pre-tax spending accounts, and employee discount programs.
- Hybrid/Flexible schedules, paid family leave, paid vacation, backup child and elder care, and an employee assistance program.
- Reimbursement for professional licenses, associated renewals, and exam fees as well as specialized in-house career development.
Company Overview
A global collective of architects, designers, engineers, and planners building a better future. Named No. It was founded in 1936, and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, USA, with a workforce of 1001-5000 employees. Its website is http://www.som.com/.Company H1B Sponsorship
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 40 in 2025, 46 in 2024, 62 in 2023, 56 in 2022, 85 in 2021, 88 in 2020. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.