How to hire a principal, architectural firm

How to hire a principal, architectural firm, step by step

Here's a step-by-step principal, architectural firm hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a principal, architectural firm job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new principal, architectural firm
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your principal, architectural firm job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a principal, architectural firm for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A principal, architectural firm's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, principals, architectural firms from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of principals, architectural firms and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Principal, Architectural Firm	Description	Hourly rate
   Principal, Architectural Firm	Architects plan and design houses, factories, office buildings, and other structures.	$35-94
   Job Captain	A Job Captain is responsible for overseeing the drafting process of a project and completing outstanding items or tasks that remain to be accomplished. They take direction from the Project Manager, the Project Architect, and/or the Architect of Record.	$24-46
   Architect	Architects are licensed professionals who specialize in art and science of design, building constructions, and structures. They play a vital role in the construction and not only responsible for the appearance but also the safety of users... Show more	$25-65

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Business Development
   • Enterprise Architecture
   • As-Built Drawings
   • RFP
   • Master Planning
   • Autocad
   • Healthcare

   Responsibilities:

   • Create several Perl scripts to automate the installation and configuration of Sysedge agents on the servers.
   • Lead the development of BIM modeling content for the architecture team as a direct report to the executive and lead architects.
   • Respond to RFP's, prepare bid proposals and estimates for AE consulting services.
   • Prepare and administer construction documents MEP and blue prints using computer assist draw software and other computer applications.
   • Organize presentations for AIA competition projects.
   • Edit and render high quality video animation to provide the story frame-by-frame of modeling and surroundings.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your principal, architectural firm job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A principal, architectural firm salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, principals, architectural firms' average salary in arkansas is 42% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level principals, architectural firms earn 63% less than senior-level principals, architectural firms.
   • Certifications. A principal, architectural firm with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a principal, architectural firm's salary.

   Average principal, architectural firm salary

   $120,913yearly

   $58.13 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level principal, architectural firm salary

   $73,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

4. Writing a principal, architectural firm job description

   A principal, architectural firm job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a principal, architectural firm job description:

   Principal, architectural firm job description example

   COVID-19
   All OCC employees are required to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status to OCC's Human Resources department, and provide acceptable proof of vaccination status, as applicable. In addition, OCC requires employees who enter one of its offices to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular testing as a condition of employment, subject to reasonable accommodation.
   
   Who We Are
   The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) is the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization. Founded in 1973, OCC is dedicated to promoting stability and market integrity by delivering clearing and settlement services for options, futures and securities lending transactions. As a Systemically Important Financial Market Utility (SIFMU), OCC operates under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. OCC has more than 100 clearing members and provides central counterparty (CCP) clearing and settlement services to 19 exchanges and trading platforms. More information about OCC is available at www.theocc.com.
   
   What We Offer
   A highly collaborative and supportive environment developed to encourage work-life balance and employee wellness. Some of these components include:
   A hybrid work environment, up to 3 days per week of remote work
   Tuition Reimbursement to support your continued education
   Student Loan Repayment Assistance
   Technology Stipend allowing you to use the device of your choice to connect to our network while working remotely
   Generous PTO and Parental leave
   Competitive health benefits including medical, dental and vision
   
   What You'll Do
   
   You'll be working alongside experts that are building OCC's next generation clearing system; and paving the future of digital transformation in the capital markets industry by:
   Experience working with Cloud ecosystems (AWS, Azure, PaaS, K8s) Knowledge and understanding of DevOps tools and technologies such as GIT, Jenkins, Docker, Nexus/Artifactory and CI/CD pipelines.Experience working on large scale codebases with stringent code review requirements.Good understanding of data integrations, patterns, technologies and tools Hands-on experience designing and implementing services (web services, REST, Web API, ESB, message-based) development, integration and deployment Solid experience with a variety of development technologies and application architectures - distributed and enterprise technology platforms, event sourcing, SOA, Microservices.Broad knowledge of systems and application development techniques, database systems/structures, technology tools/products, programming languages.Experience with program/projects involving complex integration of disparate types of technologies/platforms and data.Highly motivated individual with a strong sense of ownership of their work/projects.Strong desire to learn and promote adherence to established architectural patterns.Strong desire to learn business processes.Provides critical thinking and expertise from ideation to implementation.Ability to collaborate, establish and maintain credible and influential relationships at all levels.Ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.Demonstrates refined written and verbal communication skills, fosters open communications, listens effectively, and builds strong partnership networks that result in consistent forward momentum; has excellent negotiation skills with an ability to orchestrate change through influence.Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related discipline or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.6 or more years of diverse work experience in Information Technology ideally in the Financial Services Industry.
   
   Supervisory Responsibilities:
   None
   
   Qualifications:
   The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary functions.
   Minimum Qualifications:
   BS degree in Computer Science, similar technical field, or equivalent practical experience.Excellent oral and written communication skills.8+ years of relevant work experience.Java-based software development experience.Experience working on large scale distributed systems.Fluent in object-oriented design, industry best practices, software patterns, and architecture principles.Experience defining and documenting architecture strategies, designs, and requirements across all enterprise architecture domains - business, information systems (applications & data), and technology.
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   6+ years of work experience in the capital markets industry.
   
   Technical Skills:
   Java-based software development experience.Experience working with two or more of the following: web/mobile application development, Unix/Linux environments, event-driven systems, transaction processing systems, distributed and parallel systems, large software system development, security software development, public-cloud platforms.Fluent in object-oriented design, industry best practices, software patterns, and architecture principles.Experience defining and documenting architecture strategies, designs, and requirements across all enterprise architecture domains - business, information systems (applications & data), and technology.Experience designing and developing service-based, component architectures.
   
   Education and/or Experience:
   Minimum Qualifications:
   BS degree in Computer Science, similar technical field, or equivalent practical experience.6+ years of relevant work experience
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   6+ years of work experience in the capital markets industry.
   
   Certificates or Licenses:
   N/A
   
   Step 1When you find a position you're interested in, click the 'Apply' button. Please complete the application and attach your resume.
   
   Step 2You will receive an email notification to confirm that we've received your application.
   
   Step 3If you are called in for an interview, a representative from OCC will contact you to set up a date, time, and location.
   
   For more information about OCC, please click here.
   
   OCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find principals, architectural firms for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your principal, architectural firm job on Zippia to find and recruit principal, architectural firm candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as aaonetwork, aia , ala , an jobs, archareer .
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting principals, architectural firms requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new principal, architectural firm

   Once you've found the principal, architectural firm candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new principal, architectural firm. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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