Technical Director

Location: Hybrid / London, UK

Job type: Permanent / Full-time

Sector and subsector: Architecture | Architecture

Salary: Negotiable Salary

The Technical Director will provide strategic and hands‑on leadership across the practice’s technical delivery, ensuring the highest standards of design resolution, compliance, buildability, and contractual risk management. The role combines technical excellence with team leadership, contributing to the practice’s reputation, efficiency, and commercial success.

Purcell is an award‑winning employee‑owned architectural and heritage consultancy practice with a commitment to quality, innovation, and diversity. We have staff of approximately 300 talented architects, designers, heritage consultants and surveyors across 14 offices, in the UK, Hong Kong and Australia. Winners of Architect Employer of the Year 2022. Collaboration is central to our employee‑ownership culture, providing opportunities to work on some of the finest buildings; from meticulous heritage and conservation schemes to bold contemporary design. We offer a rewarding and supportive environment for personal and professional development and our employee‑owned ethos empowers everyone to use their voice. We believe in creating an equitable and inclusive culture, founded on our values, which celebrates knowledge sharing and our successes, to build an inspiring work environment. It is our distinctive employee‑owned working culture that has contributed to our status as a World Architecture Top 100 Practice, renowned for our excellence in architecture and heritage consultancy.

Our benefits package includes:

• Agile, flexible and hybrid working (a minimum of 3 days in office, up to 2 days WFH)
• Annual leave increasing with long service
• Life assurance
• Study sponsorship with paid study leave
• Employee assistance programme
• Season ticket loans
• Cycle to work scheme
• Virtual GP service
• Company day out
• Enhanced learning & development opportunities

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Lead, set and maintain best‑practice standards and compliance for technical design, detailing, specifications, and documentation.
• Act as a senior technical authority, providing guidance on complex design, construction, and compliance matters.
• Ensure consistency of technical standards, processes, procedures and quality across the practice.
• Lead, direct and support key architectural support teams including BIM, Technical Leadership Group, Specifications writing, BRPD and CDM PD.

Project Delivery

• Provide support to our senior leaders responsible for delivering from RIBA Stage 2 onwards, with particular focus on RIBA Stages 3–5.
• Set standards and undertake ad‑hoc reviews to educate and ensure compliance for all key technical outputs, including drawings, specifications, and schedules.
• For key projects ensure we have appropriate and consistent processes to properly manage coordination with consultants, contractors, and specialist subcontractors.
• Provide support and ensure we have processes and procedures in place to proactively manage technical risk, value engineering, and design change.

Contract Compliance and Claims

• Work closely with our contractual lead to ensure timely reviews on all bid stage and secured contract agreements.
• Assist in any difficult contractual negotiations to finalise project agreements.
• Facilitate timely advice and responses to contractual matters.
• Engage and support on any claims that we receive at project level.

Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Work with the Business Management team to champion robust QA procedures, technical audits, and lessons‑learned reviews.
• Ensure projects comply with UK Building Regulations, British Standards, planning conditions, and statutory requirements.
• Maintain awareness of evolving legislation, including Building Safety Act requirements and gateway processes.

Practice Development

• Assist in developing and mentoring technical staff across all levels.
• Direct and support the development of office‑wide technical processes, BIM standards, and digital workflows.
• Support bids, tenders, and interviews by providing technical input and strategy.
• Represent the practice externally with clients, contractors, and industry bodies.
• Line‑manage the regional technical leadership group members.
• Provide mentoring, training, and technical support to senior regional technical leaders.
• Encourage a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Typical Anticipated Time Allocation

• 20% direct involvement on live major projects
• 25% cross‑practice technical reviews
• 25% strategic planning, leadership & management
• 20% developing & teaching processes, tools and resources
• 10% input to bids / new business

Skills & Experience

• 15+ years post qualified as ARB‑registered Architect or Chartered Architectural Technologist (CIAT) or equivalent.
• Strong expertise in technical design, detailing, and construction methodologies.
• Proven experience leading technical delivery on medium to large‑scale projects.
• Excellent knowledge of UK Building Regulations, construction contracts, and procurement routes.
• Confident communicator with the ability to influence internally and externally.
• Experience working within BIM‑enabled environments (e.g. Revit).
• Experience of both new build and working with existing buildings.
• Experience of delivering projects over £50m construction cost.
• Experience of different procurement routes – traditional / D&B / CM.
• Experience across multiple sectors (e.g. residential, commercial, education, healthcare).
• Experience with Design & Build procurement.
• Involvement in practice‑wide standards, QA systems, or digital transformation.
• Experience contributing at senior management or board level.

Personal Attributes

• Technically rigorous and detail‑oriented.
• Calm and decisive under pressure.
• Collaborative leader with a supportive management style.
• Commercially aware and solutions‑focused.
• Committed to professional development and mentoring others.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to play a key strategic role in a growing practice.
• Collaborative, design‑led working environment.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Clear progression and leadership opportunities.

This job description is a guide to the duties the post holder will be expected to undertake. It is not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive and will be subject to change as working requirements dictate and to meet the organisational requirements of Purcell.

Don’t meet every single requirement? That’s okay. Research shows that women and people from underrepresented backgrounds can be less likely to apply unless they meet every criteria listed. At Purcell, we are committed to building an inclusive, transparent, and welcoming team. If you’re enthusiastic about the role and excited to grow and learn with us, we warmly encourage you to apply.

When applying, please feel free to use your preferred name — we don’t require full or birth names at this stage. We are proud to foster a culture of kindness, respect, and authenticity, where everyone can thrive and bring their whole selves to work.

Please submit a copy of your CV by following the application workflow. Please include details of your Right to Work in the United Kingdom, as well as an available start date. Please note that due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unfortunately unable to provide individual feedback. If you have not heard from us within 6 weeks of your original application, then you have been unsuccessful. Please continue to look at our vacancies and apply where relevant. We wish you all the best in your job search.

As world leaders of Heritage and Conservation, Purcell is committed to embracing diversity and equal opportunity within our international teams, reflective of the society in which we work and live. We welcome people from all backgrounds and celebrate differences through our culture of employee ownership.