IS Architecture
San Diego, CA, 92037
$74,880 – $79,040 a year- Full-time
Benefits: SIMPLE IRA, Dental Insurance, Health insurance, Paid time off, Professional Development, Leave and Holidays.
Position: Historic Preservation Specialist / Architectural Historian

IS Architecture, an award-winning architectural and preservation planning firm in San Diego, is looking for a passionate Historic Preservation Specialist / Architectural Historian to join our team. We are a ten-person firm that has established specialties in residential, institutional, and governmental architecture and built environment preservation services. Our firm has been acknowledged as a leader in California with over 50 awards, including AIA California’s Distinguished Practice Award for Historic Preservation. Past projects include local and national register nominations, mitigation reporting, historic context statements, historic structure reports and survey work. Our firm’s vision is to create a society where innovative and sustainable planning and architecture respects the context of our built environment.

The Position:
The Historic Preservation Specialist / Architectural Historian position will report directly to the Principal and immediately be immersed and focused on technical preservation studies, including historic structure reports (HSRs), determinations of eligibility, Section 106 findings, and local resource nominations. You will collaborate with Architects and Designers in a creative and professional office setting. IS Architecture frequently has a range of client types- from individual homeowners and civic institutions to large government entities. We work primarily throughout Southern California and Nevada. We value critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and a passion for the details.

Skills and Knowledge:
Your contribution is vital to our purpose of shaping our community and environment by enriching the human experience, conserving resources, and respecting heritage. With your research abilities, outstanding communication skills, and knowledge of National Register criteria for evaluation and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, you will help us create outstanding projects. You should be qualified under the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards (36 CFR Part 61) for architectural history (preferred), history, and/or historic architecture and have four plus years of experience in the field with a graduate-level certificate or degree in Historic Preservation or related field.

Role
You will be balancing long and short-term projects, the needs of our architects/designers, while contributing to business development and department management.

Technical Preservation Duties (75%)
- Conduct historical research online and in local archives/repositories
- Field survey and recordation of built resources
- Develop contextual analyses
- Write technical reports

Management Duties (10%)
Business Development and Marketing Duties (15%)
- New client interviews and client management
- Proposal writing and RFP responses
- Contribute to or lead business development endeavors by preparing scopes of work, budgets, proposals, statements of qualifications, and presentations to clients, in collaboration with Principal.
- Tracking project budgets and timelines
- Quality assuring reports prior to passing to Principal
- Consult with other departments regarding historic preservation philosophy and approach

The position requires occasional field work and out-of-town travel.

What IS Architecture Offers
In addition to an open and friendly workplace that values a work-life balance and a dog-friendly office, we offer a competitive salary; health and dental insurance; paid vacation and holidays; professional development opportunities; SIMPLE IRA; hybrid work schedule (three days in office/two days working from home); and other benefits. IS Architecture is very supportive of participating in professional and community organizations, including the California Preservation Foundation, Docomomo US, NOMA, Society of Architectural Historians, local community boards, and others.

If you love what you do and want to work with other preservationists and architects who are passionate about their projects and designs and you enjoy a collaborative environment then please send a letter of interest, resume, three references, and work samples (excerpts less than 15 pages)in PDF format to malissa@isarchitecture.com / istiegler@isarchitecture.com (858-456-8555).

IS Architecture is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we can be found at www.isarchitecture.com.