An architectural company is a company which works to provide clients with architectural services and solutions. Such companies comprise of not just architects and designs but also several departments and employees who look after the financial and other aspects of the business as well. Architectural companies follow a strict hierarchical or structural order in order to ensure proper distribution of duties and tasks. If you wish to understand this hierarchy and organizational structure, you can go through the following given details.
Senior Principal/Partner
In any architectural firm, the person who is placed at the topmost level is the partner or the senior principal. The partner or senior principal is the owner or main shareholder in the firm and may also hold the title of the partner, president or chief executive officer. He/she is the individual who holds the supreme decision making abilities and also the maximum responsibility. It is he who takes all the final calls for the betterment of the firm.
Mid-Level Principal/Partner
In the hierarchical order of an architectural company is the position of the partner or the mid-level principal. This is the individual who holds an important position in the company and works directly under the senior principal. In some of the architectural companies across the world, some other names which are used to denote partners or mid-level principals are executive or senior vice president. The partner too takes part in the decision making processes along with the senior principal.
Junior Principal/Partner
After the mid level principal position in the architectural company, comes the position of the junior principal. He/she too may also be known as the partner, depending upon whether or not he/she is a stakeholder in the firm. The junior principal is usually the newest partner or one who holds minimum percentage of profits in the firm.
Department Head/Senior Manager
The position of the senior manager or department head comes next in line. He/she is mainly responsible for seeing to it that all major operations and functions within the office space are carried on in order and with proper management. He/she must possess good managerial abilities and must perform supervisory tasks.
Project Manager
The project manager or project management department must head projects and see to it that the budgeting, scheduling and operations go in sync. He/she must meet with the client and form a channel between the architects and the client.
Senior Architect/Designer
The senior architect or designer is the licensed and qualified professional who forms the core of any architectural company and performs the main tasks. He/she must have and holds about 8 years of experience and must be responsible for selection, evaluation and implementation procedures.
Architect/Designer
Below the position of the senior architect comes the position of the architect or designer. These individuals must perform core designing tasks for the clients or the firm and should work as per the instructions of the project heads and senior designers.
Interns
At the bottom of the hierarchical order are the interns who are unregistered or still graduating architecture students who work as trainees in the firm. They may handle day to day tasks and assist designers in their duties.
This is the structure of Architectural Company Hierarchy. Also, know about Architecture Job Hierarchy.