What does a staff architect do?
A Staff Architect is responsible for developing conceptual designs, preparing construction documents, and providing assistance and consultation to clients on architectural problems. They also help senior architects with various tasks.
Staff architect responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real staff architect resumes:
- Manage a training communications program and oversee the implementation of a web-base LMS.
- Manage technical architects for development and support of existing and new terminal platforms to support Walmart mobile and batch application infrastructure.
- Respond to RFI's and submittals, while maintaining logs and records.
- Configure boot-from-SAN volumes for the C7000 blades through FCoE and converge network adapters.
- Include the development and launch of a customize LMS pathway complete with a blend of e-learning and classroom sessions.
- Assist in the contract administration of a hotel, answering RFI's and coordinating with consultants to provide workable solutions.
- Implement Autodesk Revit and currently trainingother staff members on the application.
- Manage technical architects for development and support of existing and new terminal platforms to support Walmart mobile and batch application infrastructure.
- Survey various buildings and sites and inspect existing HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems.
- Devise interior layouts of homes & condominiums, and create packages for building department submittals.
Staff architect skills and personality traits
We calculated that 28% of Staff Architects are proficient in Java, Revit, and Conceptual Development. They’re also known for soft skills such as Organizational skills, Analytical skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Staff Architects that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Java, 28%
SCRAM was a Java-based development project utilizing Jini and Java Spaces for managing the job lifecycle for the Equifax supercomputer.
- Revit, 18%
Implemented Autodesk Revit and currently trainingother staff members on the application.
- Conceptual Development, 7%
Foster City, CA Conceptual development of process scale-up layout for clinical manufacturing facility.
- MEP, 7%
Supervised teams of consultants including structural, civil, and MEP engineers and lighting, LEED, code & waterproofing consultants.
- Visualization, 6%
Prepare graphical presentations and utilize 3D visualization (modeling and rendering).
- Client Presentations, 5%
Led project teams in the development of design and construction documents, client presentations and project interviews.
Common skills that a staff architect uses to do their job include "java," "revit," and "conceptual development." You can find details on the most important staff architect responsibilities below.
Organizational skills. The most essential soft skill for a staff architect to carry out their responsibilities is organizational skills. This skill is important for the role because "architects often manage contracts." Additionally, a staff architect resume shows how their duties depend on organizational skills: "intern worked with the windows command systems finding devices' ip addresses for many types of inter-organizational systems. "
Analytical skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling staff architect duties is analytical skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "architects must understand the content of designs and the context in which they were created." According to a staff architect resume, here's how staff architects can utilize analytical skills in their job responsibilities: "analyze local and ibc codes for application to residential unit design and public and commercial spaces. "
Communication skills. This is an important skill for staff architects to perform their duties. For an example of how staff architect responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "architects share their ideas, both in oral presentations and in writing, with clients, other architects, and workers who help prepare drawings." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a staff architect: "experienced in rfi's, code and zoning research and client communications. ".
Visualization skills. staff architect responsibilities often require "visualization skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "architects must be able to envision how the parts of a structure relate to each other." This resume example shows what staff architects do with visualization skills on a typical day: "created conceptual design and 3d models to enhance visualization and constructability of the construction projects. "
Creativity. A commonly-found skill in staff architect job descriptions, "creativity" is essential to what staff architects do. Staff architect responsibilities rely on this skill because "architects design the overall look of houses, buildings, and other structures." You can also see how staff architect duties rely on creativity in this resume example: "generated creative designs using multiple formats including bim software, drawings, modeling and 3d imaging for clients. "
Technical skills. Lastly, "technical skills" is an important element of what a staff architect does. Staff architect responsibilities require this skill because "architects need to use cadd technology to create plans as part of building information modeling (bim)." This resume example highlights how staff architect duties rely on this skill: "managed projects with a staff of engineers, technical detailers, autocad drafts person and an interior designer. "
The three companies that hire the most staff architects are:
- VMware59 staff architects jobs
- Burns & McDonnell28 staff architects jobs
- Huitt-Zollars7 staff architects jobs
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Compare different staff architects
Staff architect vs. School plant consultant
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.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, staff architect responsibilities require skills like "java," "revit," "conceptual development," and "mep." Meanwhile a typical school plant consultant has skills in areas such as "classroom observations," "public schools," "iep," and "mental health." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
The education levels that school plant consultants earn slightly differ from staff architects. In particular, school plant consultants are 7.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a staff architect. Additionally, they're 3.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Staff architect vs. Job captain
An architectural consultant is an individual who owns or works for an independent architecture or multidisciplinary design firm to develop innovative building design solutions. The essential skills that an architectural consultant should possess to accomplish his/her or her responsibilities include good creative ability and strong organizational, technical, and visualization skills. The education requirements for the job include possessing a college degree in architecture, business, or a related field.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that staff architect responsibilities requires skills like "java," "conceptual development," "visualization," and "client presentations." But a job captain might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "autocad," "design development," "cad," and "bim."
On average, job captains earn a lower salary than staff architects. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, job captains earn the most pay in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $76,826. Whereas staff architects have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $102,968.job captains earn similar levels of education than staff architects in general. They're 2.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for staff architects in the next 3-5 years?
Dak Kopec Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Coordinator, BA Interior Architecture and Design and Master of Design Program, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas
Staff architect vs. Architectural consultant
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from staff architect resumes include skills like "conceptual development," "visualization," "client presentations," and "shop drawing review," whereas an architectural consultant is more likely to list skills in "cloud," "api," "design solutions," and "business problems. "
Architectural consultants earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $110,423. Staff architects earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $102,968.When it comes to education, architectural consultants tend to earn higher degree levels compared to staff architects. In fact, they're 5.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Staff architect vs. Senior architect/design manager
Types of staff architect
Updated January 8, 2025
