Year One - Junior Designer - Sustainable Engineering at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP in New York, New York

Job Description:

Join SOM’s Year One Program as a Junior Designer - Sustainable Engineering

Our Year One program picks up where your formal education leaves off, with a suite of events and creative initiatives to help you get the most out of your first year at SOM. Alongside your day-to-day project responsibilities, we’ll encourage you to expand your learning and to propose bold ideas for the future of design. SOM offers the best of both worlds: the hands-on experience of small, dynamic studios, and the resources and diversity of a global organization. Our interdisciplinary firm affords a wealth of opportunities for emerging designers; our collaborative approach means that your ideas and creativity will be valued and recognized from day one. In keeping with SOM’s reputation for innovation,our Year One program invites you to shape the future of the practice with us. Start here to dive into the profession, chart your path forward, and make your mark.

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.

Special Instructions for Year One Applicants:

Complete applications must include Resume or CV, Work Samples, and Statement of Intent. Work Samples shall be one PDF attachment, 10-20 pages, maximum 5 MB. The Statement of Intent shall not exceed 250 words, and should communicate your passions and interests, as well as your skills and experience.  Submit Work Samples and Statement of Intent as part of your application in the section where the application asks for your Resume or CV.

SOM is a global collective of talented and passionate people―help us understand what you would bring to the table. Applications that do not meet this criteria will not be reviewed.

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

• Collaborates with the MEP engineering studio and other design studios in delivering/documenting green building technologies and strategies for their projects.




• Performs analysis is of day lighting and solar radiation for building and master planning projects.




• Performs energy simulations to assess overall building energy performance.




• Understands the basics of heat transfer and how it impacts envelope design.




• Performs basic calculation to assess applicability of renewable technologies and relative energy yields.




• Remains current on issues related to sustainable and green building design, US Green Building activities and various versions of the LEED Green Building Rating System.




• Remains current on the development of new sustainability rating systems.




• Remains current on energy savings and renewable technologies.




• Performs graphic tasks as required.




• Prepares sustainability presentations and written reports.

  Minimum Qualifications

• Recent completion of Bachelor’s Degree in architecture, engineering, environmental engineering or other related field is required; Master’s Degree in architecture, engineering, environmental engineering or other related field is preferred. 




• 0 – 1 years of experience.




• Strong collaborative ability.




• LEED accreditation preferred.




• Demonstrated knowledge of sustainable and green building design and/or construction.




• Demonstrated knowledge and use of the LEED Green Building Rating System and/or other green building rating systems.




• Demonstrated ability to perform independent research.




• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and commitment to work within the integrated design team structure.




• Demonstrated experience with building simulation tools such as EnergyPlus, Radiance, Diva, Ecotect, Virtual Environment, and/or computational fluid dynamics software programs.




• Proficiency in AutoCAD, Rhino, PowerPoint, Excel, and the Adobe Creative Suite.




• BIM experience preferable (Revit Digital Projects and Rhino).

Are you ready to join a team of creative professionals working on transformational projects around the world? Take advantage of this exciting opportunity to build a better future with SOM. 

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: 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 $60,000 to $64,000. 

Our Culture:

Our creative, interdisciplinary teams work like small, dynamic studios, with all the resources and diversity of a global firm. Here, you’ll collaborate with industry experts on some of the most exciting and transformative architecture, engineering, and planning projects in the world.

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. Visit this page to learn more about SOM's employment policy as well as additional information such as a privacy notice for California residents and how to apply offline.

For more about SOM: www.som.com

Portfolios must be submitted for all design positions (Architecture, Interiors, Planning, 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.