General Function:

AKCS-A is implementing several projects in Afghanistan aimed at protecting Afghanistan’s tangible/intangible cultural heritage, and improving living conditions of the inhabitants, as part of a broader process of urban revitalization.  Working within a team of Afghan and international professionals, under the direct supervision of the Design Manager or his/her designate, the Senior Architect/Designer will be involved in a range of architectural/design activities in support of AKCS-A’s conservation and rehabilitation activities in Afghanistan.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Play a leading role in architectural design from schematic design through construction.
• Under the supervision of the Design Manager, lead design team members and/or work on designs across multiple projects.
• Liaise directly with Design/Project Managers on matters related to implementation of the Projects. 
• Supervise the work of Quantity Survey, Project Schedulers, and the design team.
• Coordinate with external stakeholders on matters related to the project design.
• Assist the Design Manager in the process of submittals, RFIs, substitution requests, etc. during construction.
• Mentor team members and work to increase their knowledge and skills.
• Consults with AKCS-A’s management to determine functional and special requirements of new structure or renovation, and prepares information regarding design, specifications, materials, and equipment.
• Assist the Design Manager in overseeing all projects and staff members for the proper execution of design/construction projects.
• Develop and maintain design standards, and management of several staff members, coordinating various tasks for each staff member based on project deadlines and strengths of each team member.
• Conduct on-site observation of work during construction to monitor compliance with detailed design documents.
• Utilizes computer-assisted design software and equipment to prepare project designs and plans.
• Performs site observations such as recording and reporting of existing conditions and construction progress. Handles problems and questions as they occur during construction.
• Organizes the work efforts of the design team on a day-to-day basis and functions as the primary facilitator of communication with the Project Managers and other members of the project team.
• Establishes detailed design work plans to meet project milestones and continually monitors progress. Monitors the time spent by the individual design team members all levels during all project phases and modifies the project work plan to confirm with the fee, budget, and schedule, or takes other action to correct situations where tasks extend beyond the project fee, budget and/or schedule.
• Directs and supervises work of junior level staff in preparation of drawings, studies, models, and other project tasks.
• Initiates the development of design solutions and details, checks the work of junior team members, and coordinates work with others on the project team and other stakeholders.
• Prepares agendas, assembles the proper individuals for effective decision making, and conducts meetings as needed to facilitate progress.
• Liaise with MEP, Structural (S) and Civil engineers and coordinate the provision of information required for the preparation of the MEP/S/Civil drawings, specifications, and tender documents, followed by support for the process of identification of qualified general contractors to implement the works.
• Participate in all aspects of construction administration related activities (in office and on site)
• Contribute as required to weekly AKCS-A project team meetings.
• Undertake other relevant tasks as assigned by AKCS-A’s Design Manager, the Project Manager and/or the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).