Senior Concept Architect

Job Title

Senior Concept Architect

Winter Park, FL

Monday – Friday; 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, or as needed

AOA is an award‑winning creative design and development firm with dream makers who build the most captivating projects around the world. We are the makers of places that don’t exist and unforgettable moments yet to be experienced! Founded by two former Walt Disney Imagineers, we take creativity beyond the story and design and build one‑of‑a‑kind guest experiences for museums, theme parks, attractions, luxury resort hotels, high end restaurants, retail spaces and more.

Our clients include world leaders in the themed entertainment and hospitality industry.

Ten or more years of professional experience; licensure preferred but not required; professional degree in architecture from an accredited program; open to international candidates. A PORTFOLIO OR WEBSITE LINK WITH EXAMPLES OF YOUR DESIGN PROJECTS MUST BE INCLUDED WITH YOUR APPLICATION FOR CONSIDERATION.

A Senior Concept Architect with AOA will be responsible for leading the early visioning and spatial planning phases of complex, multidisciplinary projects. This hybrid role requires a masterful ability to translate programmatic needs and narrative intent into innovative architectural concepts. With a strong background in architectural programming, you help to shape the earliest stages of design and bring powerful ideas to life through built form.

You will work closely with creative directors, strategists, engineers, and clients to define the foundation of compelling, buildable designs. AOA has a dynamic and ever‑changing portfolio with projects covering a wide range of industries. Therefore, you will need to be able to create architectural concepts for all sorts of experiential projects, such as entertainment, cultural, commercial, and mixed‑use environments. You will be expected to design in both 2D and 3D, and create bold, innovative, and technically refined designs.

International experience is preferred.

• Strong hand drawing skills. A demonstrated mastery of perspective sketching, and the ability to quickly communicate designs via thumbnails, sketches, and quick color studies.
• Ability to conduct architectural programming and create functional and practical, yet highly creative architectural conceptual designs for a wide range of experiences.
• Ability to create professional level concept art using a mixture of 3D rendering and 2D digital painting techniques.
• Ability to create mass models in 3D.
• Ability to create architectural concept plans, layouts, and elevations with consideration for guest experience, and real‑world scales.
• Lead the development of early‑phase architectural concepts, spatial layouts, and site planning.
• Collaborate with clients and internal teams to define goals, constraints, and key metrics.
• Translate narratives, research, and operational input into functional and expressive design strategies.
• Present work clearly and persuasively through sketches, diagrams, 3D models, and presentations.
• Mentor junior team members and contribute to overall creative leadership within AOA.
• Coordinate with consultants and technical teams during early project phases to align vision with feasibility.
• Provide creative solutions with budget constraints.
• Establish and manage internal team tasks and milestones.

• Professional degree in Architecture. (B.Arch or M.Arch)
• Minimum 10 years of experience in architectural design, with a strong focus on concept development and programming.
• Open to international candidates.
• Deep expertise in early‑phase design thinking, space planning, and master planning.
• Exceptional graphic and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in relevant design software:
  AutoCAD, Autodesk Construction Cloud (BIM 360), Revit, Rhino, Sketch Up, Adobe Creative Suite, and rendering tools (e.g., Enscape, Lumion, V‑Ray, and / or Unreal Engine).
• Proven ability to lead projects from pre‑design through schematic design.
• Experience in themed entertainment, hospitality, or cultural projects is a strong plus.
• Licensure is preferred but not required.
• Knowledge of Building and Accessibility…