Project Architect (Institutional)

About GFF:
GFF is an award-winning, design-focused firm with a 40+ year legacy of creating memorable architectural solutions across Texas. With offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin, we specialize in faith-based, civic, cultural, educational, office & workplace, retail & hospitality, multifamily, and mixed-use projects. Our institutional team has established a reputation for creating meaningful spaces that serve our communities and enhance the public realm.  Our passionate team of planning, architecture, and interior design professionals offers an energetic and stimulating work environment, competitive salary/benefits, and advancement potential at all levels.

About The Role:

We are seeking a highly skilled Project Leader (Project Architect) to join our Institutional team . In this role, you will lead complex faith-based, community building and civic projects from conception through project closeout, ensuring design excellence, technical precision, and stakeholder satisfaction.  We believe that a better quality of life enables our architects to design higher quality spaces, which is why we are committed to fostering a collaborative environment that values both professional excellence and personal well-being.

What You'll Do:

• Lead full project teams including design architects, interior designers, liturgical consultants, structural engineers, MEP engineers, civil engineers, landscape architects, and other specialty consultants, fostering a cohesive collaboration across all design phases.
• Drive design excellence in faith-based, community and civic projects, with focus on creating meaningful spaces that serve diverse community needs.
• Develop innovative solutions for sacred spaces, fellowship halls, educational spaces, community centers, and civic buildings that balance aesthetics, functionality, and symbolism.
• Lead technical execution of the project, including exterior envelope design, waterproofing, life-safety systems, acoustic design, large-span structures, daylighting strategies, code compliance, and specialized systems for assembly spaces.
• Establish strong client relationships and serve as primary technical point of contact throughout the project lifecycle.
• Guide teams through complex entitlement processes, including zoning, permitting, and code compliance specific to institutional developments.
• Develop and oversee project-specific sustainability strategies, including energy efficiency measures, materials selection, and healthy building standards.
• Develop and edit project specifications to meet project requirements and industry standards.
• Manage phasing strategies and value engineering to maximize budgets.
• Manage project budgets, schedules, and resources effectively.
• Mentor junior staff and cultivate a collaborative work environment that values each team member’s contributions.
• Participate in business development efforts, contributing to proposals, interviews, and presentations.

What You Bring:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Architecture from an accredited institution.
• Active architectural license in Texas is required (or ability to obtain reciprocity within 6 months).
• Minimum of 8 years of professional experience with at least 4 years focused on leading institutional, faith-based, and/or civic projects.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing sacred spaces, community gathering areas, educational spaces, civic buildings or similar project types.
• Strong knowledge of building codes for assembly occupancies, accessibility requirements.
• Proficiency in Autodesk Construction Cloud, Revit, AutoCAD, and visualization tools (SketchUp, Enscape, etc.).
• Experience with sustainable design practices and LEED or other green building certification programs.
• Experience implementing sustainable building strategies such as building site orientation, appropriate glazing, high-performance building envelope design, efficient equipment selection, and solar energy systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for public presentations and community engagement.
• Excellent project management abilities, including stakeholder engagement, consensus building, and volunteer committee coordination.
• Thorough understanding of regional construction methods, materials, and