BIM Lead at SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill)

At SOM, we are a collective committed to shaping a better future for our clients, communities and planet. We aspire to create the most sustainable, impactful work through creative, interdisciplinary teams with all the resources and diversity of a global firm.  We value those who are passionate about excellence, innovation, integrity, inclusivity, and collaboration.  Together we can achieve great things.

Success at SOM Means

• Ideas:  We believe in a meritocracy of ideas.  We look to everyone to actively contribute to the discourse in the firm.  

• Knowledge:  We believe that expertise is the result of lifelong learning.  We are not expected to know everything, but rather to passionately pursue answers, develop new skills and deepen our knowledge. 

• Product:  We strive for excellence in the concept, quality, and delivery of our work. 

• Individual: We value individuals who bring the highest standards of professionalism and personal integrity in the way they work.  Each person can develop and contribute their wealth of attributes, skills and knowledge to support the overall health of the firm.

• Team: We value the power of interdisciplinary integration.  A positive team culture in which everyone collaborates openly towards common goals is essential. 

• Firm: We have a history of making transformative contributions to the profession and our communities. We are constantly innovating and attempting to bring new approaches, solutions and processes to our work.

Position Responsibilities

• Leads definition, planning and documentation of digital work-flow strategies, objectives and coordination of data management on Projects through close collaboration with Project Digital Coordinators as well as fellow leaders in Computational Design, High Performance Design, Visualization, etc.

• Identifies, categorizes and organizes strategies or issues specific to Project scale from office-wide and firm-wide scope through coordination with BIM Leads/Managers from other offices.

• Initiates the BIM model(s) and drawings in collaboration with Project Digital Coordinators, according to appropriate standards.

• Advises and supports project teams in the coordination of Project BIM models, process management and objectives with other disciplines and consultants. Advises Project Digital Coordinators in the preparation and maintenance of the Project LOD Matrices and BIM Management Plans in close collaboration with Project Manager and Project Team leaders.

• Advises and supports Project Digital Coordinators and Team members as well as Junior and Intermediate BIM technologists in developing BIM model(s), drawings and other project deliverables.

• Provides both narrowly focused and widely diverse support in production of Project BIM and project documentation process.

• Promotes, monitors and tracks overall quality of BIM content & deliverables across all projects in the Office.

• Coordinates with Project Team leaders to assure continuity, consistency and quality of Project BIM and its output.

• Contributes to tools and processes related to project specifications, tracking of material lists, energy, water and carbon use intensities on Projects.

• Engages with the Office of Technology Digital Practice Team and peers  and collaborates across departments and offices to develop, manage, coordinate and implement standards, guidelines, best-practices, tool development and software used by architects for all BIM and related Project workflows and deliverables.

• Working with the Office of Technology Digital Practice team, collaborate in the development of training materials for SOM's Architectural BIM standards and best practices.

• Organizes and conducts training sessions to promote BIM standards, best practices and related tools/workflows on a regular basis.

• Monitors, tracks and course-corrects Project Team compliance with appropriate BIM standards and guidelines.

• Leads organization, management and maintenance of BIM and other related resources in collaboration with the Office of Technology Digital Practice Team.

• Assists with staffing of Project BIM Managers and contributes to Project plans and fee proposal development.

• Assists Marketing with BIM-related workflow or other technology-focused proposal statements in coordination with other Digital Design leaders and Office of Technology.

• Leads regular office and firm-wide BIM coordination and standards development meetings; engages BIM Leaders in other disciplines.

• Primary contact with BIM-related software vendors for technical support.

• Manages a collaborative relationship with consultants, consultant BIM Managers and knowledge resources to ensure that deliverables are coordinated, integrated, and support the performance goals of the Project.

• Identifies and evaluates possible productivity gains to be made with customization/automation.

• Keeps informed of industry standards, trends and developments related to BIM practices. Documents and proactively disseminates new knowledge to peers and all users in the firm.

• Performs quality assurance testing of new BIM-related tools.

• Manages planning, development and advancement of innovative ideas/solutions to support BIM workflow. Coordinates such development with other Digital Design disciplines.

• Manages custom tool development within framework and infrastructure defined by Office of Technology; Manages change, adoption and integration into existing BIM workflows.

• Performs work on individual Projects as required.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Actively leads a team.

• Directly supervises, trains, and mentors team members.

• Engages in talent strategy to find specialists, leaders, and future professionals for the firm through resume review and interviews.

• Demonstrates leadership in the implementation of sustainable strategies in all project assignments and the associated development of staff knowledge.

• Creates and drives new ways of working through contributing to the development of services, standards, procedures based in an understanding of the business principles that protect SOM from financial and legal risk.

• Collaborate with fellow BIM Leads in other offices to advance the following topics across the firm:

  • Standardization and alignment of design, modeling and documentation practices related to BIM, where appropriate.

  • Optimize resource and workflow efficiency for tools and processes surrounding BIM.

  • Standardization of Project deliverables including graphic appearances.

  • Training of BIM Technologists and Architects as appropriate in new tools and processes.

  • Quality control and assurance initiatives related to BIM deliverables.

  • Research, evaluate, develop, implement, document and drive adoption of new technologies and workflows, as well as data management of all Projects and the associated development of staff knowledge.
     

• Develops and fosters culture of innovation and collaboration across all offices and all disciplines.

• Develops and implements strategies to position and maintain SOM as a leader in BIM services and Project delivery.

• Contributes to regular firm-wide BIM Leadership meetings.

• Contributes to firm-wide Digital Design Leadership events.

• Provides leadership and direction to the project BIM Technologists as well as Architects participating in BIM modeling and document production process.

• Directly supervises, trains, and mentors BIM Specialists and BIM Technologists, as well as other project team members as appropriate.

• Engages in talent strategy to find specialists, leaders, and future professionals for the firm.

• Maintains collaborative relationships with the Design team.

• Fosters positive relationships with design teams.

• Keeps informed of security risks in tools and processes through close collaboration with the Office of Technology.

• Creates and drives new ways of working through contributing to the development of services, standards, procedures based in an understanding of the business principles that protect SOM from financial and legal risk.

• Effectively communicates and promotes the work of the firm.

Minimum Qualifications

• Completion of a professional degree in Architecture or a related field.

• Minimum 8 years of focused professional experience in applying and developing digital tools and processes to AEC project work, including experience in Revit to document a variety of large-scale building projects.

• Demonstrates attention to detail and consistency in model-building, data-organization, and drawing set-up with a graphical style that is clear, consistent and artful.

• Demonstrated ability to strategize, create and coordinate complex BIM/Revit models and assemble drawing deliverable packages at all levels of detail and project stages.

• Exhibits initiative, process innovation, problem solving, and decision quality with a high attention to precision and accuracy at all levels.

• Strong supervisory, leadership and communication skills.

• Superior organizational skills and ability to distribute tasks to others, with proven experience in project planning and tracking.

• Ability to work effectively in a team environment.

• General knowledge of architectural practice including site-planning, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical engineering, and construction.

• Demonstrated knowledge of architectural design, documentation, detailing, building materials, construction techniques, building systems selection, related engineering principles and building codes.

• Wide knowledge of concepts, workflows and tools used in other Digital Design fields such as Computational Design, Performance Analysis/Simulation, Visualization, Manufacturing, Robotics.

• General understanding of sustainable strategies and principles including familiarity with LEED or other green building rating systems.

• Demonstrated expertise in digital tools such as Revit, ACC / BIM360, Dynamo, Navisworks, Revizto, AutoCAD, energy modeling, LCA tools and appropriate scripting languages.

• Expert understanding and knowledge of scripting, programming, Grasshopper, Rhino and their relationship to BIM workflow.

• Superior ability to prepare and present technical concepts and information clearly and succinctly.

• Demonstrated experience in data visualization and ability to create engaging visual communication.

• Demonstrates proficiency in Rhino, parametric and rendering software, Adobe Suite, and Google Workspace.

• LEED or other green building accreditation preferred.

• Proactively seeks out opportunities for professional growth.

Our Benefits:

Health and Wellness: Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life & accident insurance

Savings: 401K matching, pre-tax spending accounts, and employee discount programs

Work/Life Balance: Inquire about our approach to flexible schedules, paid family leave, paid vacation, backup child and elder care, and an employee assistance program

Professional Development: Reimbursement for professional licenses, associated renewals, and exam fees as well as specialized in-house career development 

Compensation for this role is based upon experience, qualifications, location, and education and typically ranges from $90,000 to $140,000. 

Our Culture:

Our creative, interdisciplinary teams work like small, dynamic studios, with all the resources and diversity of a global firm. Here, you’ll collaborate with industry experts on some of the most exciting and transformative architecture, engineering, and planning projects in the world.

We believe an inclusive environment improves our teams, our firm, and our communities and are passionate about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Our DEI Action Plan was created to bring meaningful change to our profession, starting with our own culture and practices. 

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Visit this page to learn more about SOM's employment policy as well as additional information such as a privacy notice for California residents and how to apply offline.