Architectural Design Assurance Lead

About Ethos

Ethos is a collaborative team of engineers, consultants, and creative thinkers designing and delivering data centre and energy infrastructure across the world's most dynamic markets. As a multidisciplinary consultancy, we combine technical expertise, creativity, and integrated delivery to lead complex, mission-critical projects.

Built on strong relationships, clear leadership, and a can-do mindset, Ethos is entering an exciting phase of growth, expanding our capabilities and taking on increasingly high-impact projects across EMEA and beyond.

• Undertake independent peer reviews of architectural designs across programme-managed projects at each relevant RIBA Stage.

• Review architectural design deliverables for completeness, technical quality, coordination and compliance with the agreed project scope and design requirements.

• Assess designs against client technical standards, governance requirements, employer’s requirements, design briefs and project-specific criteria.

• Identify design deficiencies, coordination issues, omissions, risks and non-conformances before deliverables are issued to the client.

• Ensure architectural solutions demonstrate sound design principles, practicality, constructability, maintainability and appropriate consideration of the operational requirements of mission-critical facilities.

• Challenge designs where appropriate and provide clear, technically reasoned feedback to the responsible architectural consultant.

• Verify that comments and non-conformances identified during previous reviews have been satisfactorily addressed prior to subsequent design stage approvals.

• RIBA Stage 2 – Concept Design: review the overall architectural concept and design strategy, spatial planning, building arrangement, circulation, access and functional adjacencies, and alignment with client design standards and project requirements, identifying major design risks or constraints that could affect later project stages.

• RIBA Stage 3 – Spatial Coordination: review the development and coordination of the architectural design, including interfaces with structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, fire, security and other specialist disciplines, and plant access, maintenance access, equipment replacement routes and operational circulation where relevant.

• RIBA Stage 4 – Technical Design: undertake detailed review of architectural drawings, specifications, schedules and technical information, assessing technical detailing, interfaces, coordination and design completeness prior to construction issue, and identifying outstanding technical issues, discrepancies or coordination risks.

• RIBA Stage 5 – Manufacturing and Construction: review design changes or technical submissions that materially affect the architectural design intent, provide architectural assurance support on significant construction-stage design matters where required, and review proposed departures from the approved design or client standards, advising the Programme Management Team of associated risks.

• Ensure architectural design deliverables comply with the client’s project governance processes and technical assurance requirements.

• Support the Programme Management Team in maintaining consistent design quality across multiple projects, architectural consultants and programme-managed accounts.

• Ensure reviews are completed in accordance with agreed Quality Assurance procedures and project gateways.

• Maintain clear and auditable records of design reviews, comments, responses and close-out.

• Ensure significant design risks and unresolved non-conformances are escalated to the Programme Management Client Partner.

• Support continuous improvement of design assurance processes, review templates, checklists and technical standards.

• Review designs for alignment with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, based on information and advice provided by the appointed architectural and local compliance partners.

• Confirm that local regulatory requirements identified by the appointed design team have been incorporated into the architectural design.

• Identify apparent omissions, inconsistencies or risks relating to regulatory compliance and request clarification or corrective action from the responsible consultant.

• Review architectural interfaces with all major engineering disciplines, including civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, fire protection, security and specialist systems, identifying multidisciplinary coordination issues that may affect design quality, constructability or programme.

• Work closely with Programme Managers, Design Managers, Engineering Leads and external consultants to drive timely resolution of design issues.

• Participate in design reviews, coordination meetings and technical workshops where required.

• Provide senior architectural input into key design decisions and programme-level technical discussions.

About You

• A senior architectural professional who is comfortable acting as an independent reviewer of designs produced by other experienced professionals.

• Someone who communicates technical concerns clearly, objectively and constructively.

• Someone who understands that this is an assurance and review role, not a design production role.

• Qualified Architect with a recognised architectural qualification.

• Registered Architect or eligible for professional registration within the relevant jurisdiction.

• Minimum 10 years’ post-qualification architectural design experience.

• Strong experience in the design and delivery of complex technical buildings.

• Demonstrable experience reviewing architectural design information across multiple project stages.

• Experience identifying and managing technical design risks.

• Data Centre, mission critical or manufacturing experience would be desirable.

• Strong knowledge of the RIBA Plan of Work and associated design stages.

• Excellent understanding of multidisciplinary design coordination.

• Strong knowledge of architectural detailing, specifications, design standards and construction methodologies.

• Ability to critically review designs produced by other experienced professionals.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to communicate technical concerns clearly, objectively and constructively.

Why Join Us?