Your new company Our client is a renowned architectural practice with a growing presence across the UK and Ireland, known for its design ambition, collaborative culture, and strong pipeline of high‑profile projects. Their Belfast studio continues to expand, supported by well‑established links to wider teams in Dublin and London. As the studio strengthens its senior capability, an opportunity has arisen for an Associate‑level Architect to support the Studio Lead and play a defining role in shaping the creative direction of upcoming schemes. This is an exciting time to join a practice that values conceptual strength, design leadership and a proactive approach to influencing project outcomes. Your new role In this Associate Architect role, you will act as a key partner to the studio lead, helping drive both the creative agenda and day‑to‑day project direction. You will take responsibility for early‑stage design development, guiding conceptual exploration, communicating design intent and ensuring that projects begin from a place of strong architectural thinking. Working closely with clients, consultants and internal teams, you will help steer design narratives, contribute to bids and competitions, and uphold the high design quality for which this practice is known. While you will remain involved throughout the project lifecycle, your primary value will lie in generating, advancing and articulating architectural ideas; producing concept schemes, unlocking design challenges and enabling teams to deliver coherent, ambitious solutions. You will also support studio operations, mentor junior designers and contribute to developing a studio culture rooted in creativity, collaboration and continuous improvement. What you'll need to succeed To thrive in this role, you will be a fully qualified Architect with strong design‑led experience, ideally gained within a recognised practice across 10 years post-Part III experience (applications welcome from those with slightly less). You will demonstrate a clear passion for conceptual design - comfortable generating options, telling the story behind a scheme and setting the tone for the design direction. While technical understanding is important, this opportunity is particularly suited to architects whose strengths lie in early‑stage thinking, competition work, visual communication and shaping ideas with confidence. You will bring excellent communication, strong client‑facing ability, and the maturity to operate at Associate level. Leadership qualities, including the ability to mentor others and support business development, will also be essential. Experience working on complex or large‑scale projects, especially in the early phases, will help you make an immediate impact. What you'll get in return You will join a well‑respected practice with an ambitious Belfast team, offering genuine scope to influence the studio's creative output and contribute to its continued growth. An attractive salary and benefits package is available, reflecting the seniority of the role, along with opportunities for progression and cross‑studio collaboration. You'll gain exposure to impactful projects and enjoy working within a supportive environment that values design excellence and professional development. What you need to do now If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now. If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career. Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk