Level I Architect

Your license is real. Your production is hands-on. Your next firm should be worthy of both.

A growing, purpose-driven architecture and interior design firm in Virginia Beach, VA is seeking a licensed or near-licensed Architect Level I who is ready to own their production work, lead project scopes, and contribute to a small, highly capable studio where your technical standard defines the quality of what gets built.

This is not a role where you direct others and review their output. You are the output. You open Revit and AutoCAD, you produce the drawings, you write the specifications, and you carry the project through construction administration with confidence and professional accountability. If that describes how you work and how you want to work, keep reading.

IMPORTANT: This Might Not Be a Fit For You If…

You are still more than two ARE divisions away from licensure and have not yet completed your AXP hours. We are looking for licensed professionals or those for whom licensure is an imminent reality.
You expect a draftsperson or junior staff member to execute your drawings. Every deliverable you are responsible for, you produce yourself.
You need significant oversight to apply building codes, coordinate with engineering consultants, or navigate a permitting process.
You have fewer than three years of professional experience in a licensed architectural practice producing coordinated construction document sets.
You thrive in large corporate firms with deep support structures. We are a focused, 12-person studio where self-sufficiency is a baseline expectation, not a differentiator.

Still Reading? Great.

This Role is Perfect for you if…

You are a licensed architect or one to two ARE divisions from the finish line, with three to five years of real production experience behind you. You know how to build a drawing set from the ground up, how to write a specification section, how to respond to a plan review comment, and how to walk a job site and document what you find. You do not wait to be managed through these things. You are the technical backbone of a project, and you want to work somewhere that recognizes that and gives you the responsibility to prove it.

What You Want:

To do real production work using AutoCAD and Revit on projects that matter to the communities they serve, without handing off to a draftsperson to execute.
To work in a small firm where your contribution is visible, your technical standard shapes the work product, and you are not one of fifty architects in a production pool.
To be fully licensed or to close out your final exam or two in a firm that respects and expects that commitment.
To own your project scopes across all phases, from schematic design through construction administration, under the direction of experienced Senior Architects and a Principal who are invested in your development.
To work in a values-driven studio where Leadership, Integrity, Collaboration, and Vision are the professional standard, not just language on a wall.
To build toward Project Manager and Senior Architect roles in a firm that has a clear path and the practice growth to support it.

Who We Need:

You hold a current architectural license or have completed all AXP hours with no more than one to two ARE divisions remaining. Licensure is an imminent professional reality, not an open-ended pursuit.
You bring three to five years of professional experience in a licensed architectural practice, with demonstrated ability to independently produce complete, coordinated construction document sets.
You are fully competent in all conventional aspects of architectural design: planning, occupancy analysis, construction detailing, specification writing under CSI MasterFormat, and construction administration within the framework of AIA contract documents.
You produce your own work. You are proficient in AutoCAD and have working Revit/BIM capability and use Bluebeam as a standard construction administration tool.
You apply building codes independently. You navigate the IBC, ADA, ANSI A117.1, and life safety provisions correctly and without needing to be coached through each project.
You manage permitting processes, respond to plan review comments, and coordinate with jurisdictions to achieve approvals with professional confidence.
You communicate clearly: with clients in meetings, with consultants over RFIs, and with your project team in writing that is accurate and professionally accountable.
You are organized, self-directed, and capable of managing concurrent project responsibilities in a small firm where there is no administrative layer between you and the work.

What You’ll Do:

As our Architect Level I, you are the production core of TS3’s project delivery. You independently prepare and lead construction document sets for projects of moderate size and complexity across our primary markets: multifamily, mixed-use, commercial, healthcare, industrial, and educational. You perform design and planning analyses, prepare specifications under CSI MasterFormat within the AIA contract document framework, write technical reports, and review completed plans, estimates, and calculations with a professional critical eye.

You coordinate directly with engineering consultants, lead construction administration activities including RFI responses and submittal review, manage permitting submittals, and conduct site observations that result in accurate, thorough field documentation. You attend client meetings as a technical contributor, not a note-taker, and you represent TS3 with the professionalism and technical competence our clients expect.

In a firm of our size, your work is visible and your standard matters. You will report to the Principal and work alongside two Senior Architects and a Project Manager who bring deep expertise and high expectations. You will work collaboratively with our AIT, sharing knowledge naturally as part of day-to-day project work. And you will operate with the autonomy that comes with being a licensed professional in a firm that treats you like one.

Job Type:

Full-Time | On-Site

Location:

Virginia Beach, VA

Compensation:

Based on Experience

Ideal Start Date:

Yesterday

Growth Opportunity:

The Architect Level I at TS3 is the direct pipeline into Project Manager and Senior Architect. We are a 15-year-old firm in an active phase of practice growth, and the professionals who come in at this level and perform at a high standard will be the ones who shape what this firm looks like in five years. You will work directly alongside firm leadership, gain breadth across project types and delivery phases, and be supported by a structured performance review process that ties advancement to demonstrated capability, not tenure.

If you are a licensed architect or on the doorstep of becoming one, and you want a firm where your technical standard is recognized, your ownership is real, and your trajectory is clear, this is that opportunity.

About TS3 Architects:

We’re a purpose-driven architecture and interior design firm known for award-winning work across multifamily, mixed-use, and commercial sectors. Our purpose is to Develop a Quality of Life, for our clients, our community, and our team.

Our values of Leadership, Integrity, Collaboration, and Vision shape everything we build. We care deeply about doing excellent work and building a culture of trust, clarity, and continuous improvement.