Senior Architect - Sydney

About the role

As a Senior Architect, you'll lead projects from concept through to delivery, balancing design innovation with technical excellence and commercial outcomes. Working closely with Project Directors and multidisciplinary teams, you'll be trusted to lead complex projects with a high degree of autonomy while maintaining Populous' renowned design standards.

This role is also one of our important client facing roles for not just the Sydney market, but the broader APAC region requiring exceptional communication skills and the ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with some of our most valued, long-term clients.

Beyond project delivery, you'll play an active role in the growth of our Sydney studio by mentoring emerging architects, contributing to business development initiatives, and participating in our Sydney leadership group and wider regional leadership forums.

About us at Populous

At Populous, our teams design the places where people love to be together. From stadiums and arenas to convention centres, airports, mixed-use developments, and entertainment precincts, we have delivered many of the world's most iconic and community-defining projects.

With projects spanning Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Americas, we bring global expertise and local insight into every design. Our Sydney team is central to this network, delivering impactful projects locally and across the region with a focus on sustainability, innovation and community.

Why Populous

We don't consider ourselves just another architecture and design practice. At Populous, we believe our strength lies in our people and their diversity of experiences. Across APAC, our team represents over 35 nationalities, and we actively celebrate and support this.

We provide our people with:

• The opportunity to lead projects of global significance in Sydney and across APAC
• A collaborative international network of experts and design leaders
• Career development opportunities, including leadership training, mentorship, and global mobility
• A vibrant workplace culture where creativity, collaboration, and innovation are valued 

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and technical delivery of complex architectural projects from concept through construction.
• Drive design excellence while ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget and to the highest quality standards.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with clients, consultants and key project stakeholders.
• Mentor and develop architects and graduates, providing day-to-day coaching and technical guidance.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing studio culture.
• Contribute to business development through client presentations, project pursuits, proposals and thought leadership.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the APAC region and global Populous studios, sharing knowledge and best practice.
• Actively contribute to the strategic direction of the Sydney studio as part of the leadership team.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Architecture from a recognised institution. Master’s degree preferred.
• Registration as an Architect in NSW
• 10+ years of professional experience, including successful leadership on large-scale projects and in leading teams (sports, entertainment, mixed-use, or public assembly preferred).
• Strong portfolio demonstrating both design excellence and delivery of complex projects.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage multiple stakeholders.
• Outstanding communication, presentation and client relationship management skills.
• A collaborative leadership style with a genuine passion for mentoring and developing others.
• Experience contributing to business development, project pursuits or client presentations.

At Populous, we’re not only looking for technical skills but also for people who share our passion for creating places where communities come together.

We design the places that bring people together — and we know that happens best when our own team reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage people of all identities, abilities, and lived experiences to apply and join us in shaping the future of design