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Director of Finance and Operations

Outstanding business leadership, financial command, and AI fluency for an award-winning architecture firm.

  • This is a full-time position based in our New York City or Katonah office.

  • Remote and hybrid work arrangements are not available for this role.

  • Compensation ranges from $90,000 to $150,000, commensurate with experience

Create Architecture That Matters

Are you an architect with a head for business, or a business mind who loves how buildings get made? Do you enjoy setting the strategy and then doing the hands-on work that makes it happen? Are you energized by building smarter systems, including AI tools, that leverage passionate and talented designers to do their best work while delivering maximum client value on schedule and within budget?

 

If you are driven to own the finances and operations of a growing design practice, on a path to running the business of the firm, we invite you to join our team.

About Siegel

Siegel, formerly Robert Siegel Architects, improves the built world one building at a time. From our studios in New York City and Katonah, New York, we design higher-education, civic, cultural, commercial, residential, and public-sector projects throughout the United States and abroad.

 

We design architecture that enriches the human spirit and improves daily life. We study how people move, work, gather, and experience a place, then translate those specific observations into architecture that is easy to use and beautiful to look at.

 

We seek clients with a clear mission. We unite functional clarity, high performance, technical innovation, and craftsmanship. We integrate planning, structure, building systems, and materials to make buildings intuitive, comfortable, durable, energy-efficient, and adaptable. We lead project teams toward sustainable solutions that meet budget and schedule requirements. Through critical thinking and close collaboration, we create architecture that reflects its time and feels as though it has always been there.

Responsibilities

Siegel is a growing firm, and this role reports directly to the Principal. You will own the financial, operational, and administrative health of the practice, thinking like an owner and doing the hands-on work yourself, so that our design leadership can focus on architecture, mentorship, and new business. Responsibilities include:

  • Lead firm-wide budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, and financial reporting, and keep the Principal informed with clear, current numbers.

  • Own project financial management: fee tracking by phase, fixed-fee and hourly billing, reimbursable expenses, consultant costs, and project profitability.

  • Run invoicing, collections, accounts payable, payroll, and benefits administration.

  • Prepare and manage client and consultant contracts, fee proposals, insurance renewals, and firm licenses and registrations.

  • Plan staffing and project resourcing so that the right people are on the right work and projects stay on schedule and on budget.

  • Build and run the firm's AI-assisted tools and workflows alongside the Principal, replacing manual routines with reliable systems.

  • Partner with the Principal on annual planning, growth strategy, and the operational decisions that shape the firm's future.

Qualifications

Successful candidates will possess:

  • Intellectual curiosity, initiative, and a record of academic excellence (minimum 3.6 GPA).

  • An MBA or graduate business training, ideally paired with an architecture or design background. Architects with business training are especially welcome.

  • A working understanding of how design projects are scoped, staffed, contracted, billed, and delivered.

  • Strong financial skills, including budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management, and proficiency with accounting software such as QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Gusto.

  • Demonstrated fluency with AI tools including Claude Code within Terminal. This fluency is shown by something you have built or automated rather than by a list of software.

  • Exceptional organization, follow-through, and attention to detail.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with clients, consultants, advisors, and staff.

  • The SDA Certificate in Design Firm Operations (CDFO), or an interest in earning it, is a plus.

  • Legal authorization to work in the United States.

Salary & Benefits

Siegel offers a competitive compensation package that includes:

  • Competitive salary

  • Twice-yearly performance bonus opportunities

  • 401(k) with employer matching

  • Comprehensive medical and health benefits

  • Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays

  • Professional development, mentorship, and opportunities for long-term career growth

How to Apply

If our work inspires you and you believe your talents align with our mission, we would love to hear from you!

 

Please submit the following as PDF files to work@siegel.design:

  • Cover letter describing why Siegel is the right fit for you and why you believe you would be an outstanding addition to our team. If you are not a U.S. citizen, please describe your authorization to work in the United States.

  • Résumé: one page, including your degrees, GPA, and any licenses or credentials.

  • Work sample: two items, one page each, that show how you think and what you can build.

    • A short note on how you would track whether an architecture project is making money, and what you would do when it is not.

    • One example of something you built or automated with AI tools: the problem, what you made, and what it changed.

    • Include only work personally created by you.

Our Culture

Since our founding in 1991, we have believed that diverse perspectives create better architecture.

 

Our studio brings together architects with different backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking because meaningful innovation comes from the exchange of ideas. We foster a culture of curiosity, collaboration, mentorship, and continuous learning, where every member of the team is encouraged to challenge conventions and contribute to the evolution of our practice.

 

Siegel is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity, respect, and equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or veteran status.

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