Hiring Opportunities

See below for our current available positions

Architect II, Architect III, or Senior Architect

We are looking for an Architect II, Architect III, or Senior Architect to join the WPA team! You will be working with a fun and interdisciplinary group of architects, interior designers, urban designers, graphic designers, and industrial designers in an open and collaborative environment. Your role is going to be an exciting one, as WPA has an incredible portfolio of adaptive reuse, higher education, and commercial projects, each ready to get started as soon as you join us! We have a beautiful studio at Assembly and we can’t wait to enjoy the rooftop terrace together this spring and summer. Although we love working together in-person, we also offer a hybrid work environment complete with a work-from-home setup to provide flexibility and focus.

WPA’s buildings are integrated into the urban landscape. As a Senior Architect, in addition to working on new construction and adaptive reuse projects, you will also be working with our in-house urban design team and our amazing team of consultants who are experts in coastal resilience. You will be able to see your region change around you in just a few years as we design projects that positively affect our families and our neighbors. We expect you to come to the table with a love of actively participating in an urban environment and designing and detailing to improve the lives of all citizens in our community. You should be comfortable with and enjoy listening, presenting, and sketching out ideas in front of a crowd.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Licensed Architect in Virginia or in a state with reciprocity in Virginia
  • NAAB accredited Bachelor or Master of Architecture
  • 4+ years of professional experience within the architecture industry
  • Experience managing a team of designers and consultants
  • Construction Administration experience from kick-off to closeout
  • Ability to be the primary client contact for a given project
  • Demonstrated technical knowledge of materials, details, and construction
  • Demonstrated knowledge of ADA and building codes
  • Experience or interest in civic and end-user engagement
  • Rendering abilities and an eye for excellent composition and graphic design
  • Passion for collaborative design and design excellence at a multitude of scales

Software

  • Revit – must be proficient
  • Enscape (we can teach you this one quickly if you already have rendering knowledge)
  • SketchUp Pro
  • Adobe Creative Suite

Salary

  • WPA is a financially open-books, open-salary company. Our interview process includes time for you to get to know us, for us to get to know you, and for you to make us an offer on the appropriate salary that meets your qualifications.

Please send resumes and portfolio samples to our hiring committee at hiring@wparch.com

Director of Urban Design

We are looking for a new addition to the WPA team. You will be working with a fun and interdisciplinary group of architects, interior designers, urban designers, graphic designers, and industrial designers in an open and collaborative environment. We have a brand-new studio at Assembly and we can’t wait to enjoy the rooftop terrace together this spring and summer. Although we love working together in-person, we also offer a hybrid work environment complete with a work-from-home setup to provide flexibility and focus.

Your role is going to be an exciting one, as WPA has an incredible portfolio of urban design work. We are a local firm working on regional projects with national attention — St. Paul’s Transformation, City of Norfolk flood protection, Downtown Norfolk Strategic Plan, the Railroad District Master Plan, and the Elizabeth River Trail. Our focus is mixed-income, mixed-use communities, coastal resilience in the face of sea level rise, and proactive changes to zoning and streetscape standards to make safe, comfortable, walkable communities. Our hope is that you can help grow our portfolio and bring the expertise we’ve built to other coastal communities. We believe in transparent community engagement, where everyone has an equal voice and people feel comfortable participating in the process.

You will be able to see your region change around you in just a few years as we design projects that positively affect our families and our neighbors. We expect you to come to the table with a love of actively participating in an urban environment and designing and detailing to improve the lives of all citizens in our community.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Accredited design degree (architecture, urban design, or landscape architecture)
  • 10+ years of professional experience
  • Experience managing a team of designers
  • Civic engagement and experience working with municipalities
  • Understanding of development financing
  • Understanding of grant programs for mixed-income development
  • Rendering abilities and an eye for excellent composition and graphic design
  • Experience with community engagement and consensus building
  • Comfortable listening, presenting, and sketching out ideas in front of a crowd.

Software

  • SketchUp Pro
  • ArcGIS
  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • Revit (a plus, but we can teach this if needed)
  • Enscape (we can teach you this one quickly if you already have rendering knowledge)

Salary

  • WPA is a financially open-books, open-salary company. Our interview process includes time for you to get to know us, for us to get to know you, and for you to make us an offer on the appropriate salary that meets your qualifications.

Relocation Fees

  • Yes! If you fall in love with Norfolk like we have, we will pay to bring you here.

Please send resumes and portfolio samples to our hiring committee at hiring@wparch.com