Rural Design | Architectural Director position

Rural Design’s innovative and design-led approach has set us apart for nearly twenty years within the field of rural architecture. With a busy workload and exciting projects in the pipeline we’re looking for an experienced, talented and motivated architect to lead the practice on the Isle of Skye.

Spread across the Scottish Highlands and Islands in extraordinary settings our award-winning work includes one-off homes, social housing and local community projects. This is a unique opportunity for an enthusiastic individual with strong design skills to develop and maintain a vision for the practice rooted in contemporary design, sustainability and a deep understanding of our clients’ needs.

We would be delighted to hear from you if you’re an all-rounder with experience as a practice or large team leader. We anticipate you are currently in a similar or adjacent role with proven leadership skills and a portfolio that demonstrates your ability overseeing small-to-mid scale projects.

As one of our first points of contact with clients, contractors, consultants, and other stakeholders you will have great communication skills and be highly organised. You should be passionate about design, and committed to fostering a collaborative environment that encourages growth and excellence. Vectorworks experience is advantageous but not essential.

You will work with the existing Associate Directors and Studio Manager to guide the current team of architects and designers. The post is full time, based in our purpose-built studio in Portree and we anticipate you will either be considering relocation or living on or near the Isle of Skye. For those relocating we would consider a hybrid working arrangement initially.

We provide competitive remuneration. We are a friendly team, keen to share our knowledge and skills. Each of us enjoys taking advantage of all the Highlands have to offer and the practice provides an excellent work-life balance. We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to building a workplace that reflects the rich diversity of the world around us.

An application letter stating how you meet the requirements of the position, your availability to start and your salary expectations should be submitted together with a CV and portfolio to [email protected]

Deadline for submissions: 2nd March 2025