Creative Designer Jobs in Illinois

At SOM, we are a collective committed to shaping a better future for our clients, communities and planet. We aspire to create the most sustainable, impactful work through creative, interdisciplinary teams with all the resources and diversity of a global firm. We value those who are passionate about excellence, innovation, integrity, inclusivity, and collaboration. Together we can achieve great things.

Success at SOM Means

• Ideas: We believe in a meritocracy of ideas. We look to everyone to actively contribute to the discourse in the firm.
• Knowledge: We believe that expertise is the result of lifelong learning. We are not expected to know everything, but rather to passionately pursue answers, develop new skills and deepen our knowledge.
• Product: We strive for excellence in the concept, quality, and delivery of our work.
• Individual: We value individuals who bring the highest standards of professionalism and personal integrity in the way they work. Each person can develop and contribute their wealth of attributes, skills and knowledge to support the overall health of the firm.
• Team: We value the power of interdisciplinary integration. A positive team culture in which everyone collaborates openly towards common goals is essential.
• Firm: We have a history of making transformative contributions to the profession and our communities. We are constantly innovating and attempting to bring new approaches, solutions and processes to our work.

Position Responsibilities

• Generates increasingly sophisticated planning and design ideas, conducts high-level research, identifies and documents precedents and relevant scale studies, envisions and develops diagrams, renders site plans, and contributes to all manner of graphic and visual production.
• Effectively applies SOM City Design Practice protocols for file management, planning and design processes, and quality control standards for deliverables.
• Demonstrates an understanding of planning and urban design concepts building typologies, critical dimensions and systems, utility and infrastructure systems, land development imperatives and planning/zoning codes, and phasing and implementation techniques.
• Creates and innovates with a strong conceptual design ability to complex projects and sites of divergent scales; integrates interdisciplinary criteria to effectively move forward the planning and urban design aspects of complex projects.
• Able to enrich design concepts through increasingly sophisticated knowledge, research acumen, 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.
• Effectively communicates with the project team and consultants through timely and appropriate written, oral, and visual means.
• Actively collaborates at a project and consultant team level by developing, communicating, and critically and constructively evaluating ideas. Contributes to and actively participates within the studio.
• Manages time and workload to meet project task deadlines and commitments with periodic interaction and direction from project leaders while sharing knowledge with less experienced staff and other Team members.
• Actively participates as a core member of the CDP Team.
• Demonstrates energy, enthusiasm, creativity, and a highly-disciplined work ethic.
• Immersion in the SOM office through regular participation lectures, design reviews, lunch and learns, site visits, and professional development opportunities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Professional Degree in Architecture, Planning, Urban design, or Landscape Architecture.
• Professional licensure process is in progress; LEED accreditation preferred.
• Minimum 2 years of professional experience or equivalent knowledge, skills and abilities.
• Experience in large-scale planning, mixed-use and transit oriented development, and demonstrated facility 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 project component level.
• Demonstrates significant capacity and a high level of 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.

Our Benefits

Health and Wellness: Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life & accident insurance

Savings: 401K matching, pre-tax spending accounts, and employee discount programs

Work/Life Balance: Inquire about our hybrid/flexible schedules, paid family leave, paid vacation, backup child and elder care, and an employee assistance program

Professional Development: Reimbursement for professional licenses, associated renewals, and exam fees as well as specialized in-house career development

Compensation for this role is based upon experience, qualifications, location, and education and typically ranges from $63,000 to $72,000.

Our Culture

Our creative, interdisciplinary teams work like small, dynamic studios, with all the resources and diversity of a global firm.

We believe an inclusive environment improves our teams, our firm, and our communities and are passionate about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Our DEI Action Plan was created to bring meaningful change to our profession, starting with our own culture and practices.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

For more about SOM:

Portfolios must be submitted for all design and project management positions (Architecture, Interiors, City Design, Graphics, etc). Applications without work samples will not be reviewed. Portfolios should be one PDF attachment, 10-20 pages, maximum 5 MB. Submit portfolios as part of your application in the section where the application asks you for your Resume or CV.