Digital Design Innovation - Architect
Would you like to be part of an employee-owned, multi award-winning architecture practice whose desire is to make spaces and places that improve lives?
We are a UK & Ireland practice with strong connections across all of our studios in London, Sheffield, Cardiff, Glasgow, Plymouth, Belfast and Dublin. We work collaboratively as one team structured by sector, sharing resources, knowledge and skills. Ranked as one of the top 20 largest practices in the UK this year, other recent accolades include:
· AJ100 List of UK’s Top Architectural Practices 2025
· Best Companies Top 10 Best Mid-Sized Companies to work for 2025
· Shortlisted, AJ100 Awards – Employer of the Year 2025
· Shortlisted, Architect of Year Awards – Social Value Architect of the Year 2025
· Shortlisted, Architect of Year Awards – Employer of the Year 2025
· Highly Commended, MMC Awards – Architectural Practice of the Year 2025
We’re looking for an Architect to join our Digital Design Innovation (DDI) team and play a central role in driving the next generation of high‑quality design. Working across sectors and studios, you’ll help shape how we rethink architectural design and delivery by developing new processes, methods, and digital tools. With offsite and industrialised construction at the core of our approach, this is an opportunity to influence bold new ways of working and help define the future of the built environment.
Key Responsibilities:
• This role combines architecture, digital innovation, and system logic to support an evolving industry fit for the future.
• The DDI-A will work as part of the Digital Design Innovation team; a focused team of Revit experts, IT specialists, technologists, and architects with design and technical flair, on DDI projects.
• The position will be agile across R&D initiatives, developing tools and methods that empower architects, as well as implementation of new tools and technologies on live projects using DfMA to improve project efficiencies and design quality outcomes.
Essential Skills and Experience:
Qualified Architect with architectural and technical building experience combined with software competencies.
Strong understanding of the design and building delivery process demonstrated through the delivery of different building typologies through different work stages.
Experience of design team coordination with clients, contractors, consultants and supply chain.
Experience of developing technical information both in specification and drawings at a high competency level. Multi-skilled individuals with a positive attitude and determination in problem solving, able to demonstrate lateral thinking, logic and analytical skills.
Good oral communication, written and presentation skills to represent HLM externally in a confident and professional manner as an expert voice on DDI and explain concept approaches and complex thinking in a compelling and easy to understand way.
Ability to work as part of a team with different skillsets as well as independently to take forward a project.
Ability to understand non-standard information and experience of or ability to independently research products, suppliers, systems available in the market.
Ability to analyse a range of information and evaluate against the project design and performance criteria.
Experience designing for offsite construction projects and DfMA.
Essential Digital Experience:
Experience at an advanced level of working in BIM environment
Revit- high-level proficiency and expertise in family creation, parameter/type/visibility settings, nesting, and hosting.
Strong understanding of digital design tools and workflows (e.g. Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, Dynamo scripting, or visual programming).
Demonstrable experience applying digital or computational methods on architectural projects.
Ability to communicate complex digital concepts clearly to non-technical audiences.
Desirable Digital Experience:
Experience with scripting (e.g. Python, Dynamo, C#, or similar) or advanced parametric workflows.
Knowledge of performance analysis, environmental simulation, or data-driven design
Low code tools (Power Automate, Power Apps, or similar)
Data structuring and validations, database, dashboards (Power BI, excel, basic sql) experience or exposure
Change management process
Autodesk Construction Cloud
Autodesk Inventor
We offer a friendly studio environment, an award-winning lifestyle package, and a commitment to your personal development through the HLM Academy. We are also an Employee Owned Trust, which means our employees have a sense of ownership, a say in our direction and are rewarded for the part they play in our future success.
Diversity, inclusion and belonging (DIB) is at the core of our business. We advocate equal opportunities, creating an inclusive working environment for all. If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different mode please contact our HR team for assistance.
If you think this role could be for you, please send your CV and examples of your work.
Those shortlisted will be contacted.
HLM Architects is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
- Locations
- Sheffield, London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, Plymouth
About HLM Architects
For more than half a century HLM has delivered socially responsible, thoughtfully designed, transformative places. Ambitious to our core, we’re always driven to do more. More for our communities, our planet, and each other.