PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT 7928

ANNUAL SALARY

$161,298 to $235,797

NOTE:

Annual salary is at the start of the pay range. The current salary range is subject to change. Please confirm the starting salary with the hiring department before accepting a job offer.

1. A valid license as an Architect issued by the California Architects Board; and
2. Two years of full-time, paid professional experience at the level of Senior Architect with the City of Los Angeles directing design programs for a variety of projects; or
3. Four years of full-time, paid professional experience as an Architect directing and supervising design programs involving complex, large-scale design projects including buildings for office use, public use, institutional use, industrial use, or recreational use, within the last ten years.

PROCESS NOTES

1. Applicants who lack six months or less of the required experience may file for this examination. However, they cannot be appointed until the full experience requirement is met.
2. Applicants must submit a valid license as an Architect issued by the California Architects Board at the time of filing. This license is required as a condition of employment as a Principal Architect. A copy of the license must be attached to the on-line application BEFORE the application is submitted. If the license is attached AFTER the on-line application has been submitted, it will not be available to the City and applicants WILL NOT be credited with having submitted it. Applicants who fail to submit the valid license at the time of filing by attaching it to the on-line application will not be considered further in this examination.
3. A valid Class C driver's license issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles is required at the time of filing. Applicants will be disqualified and not eligible for hire if their DMV record within the last 36 months reflects three or more moving violations and/or at-fault accidents, or a conviction of a major moving violation such as DUI.

Applications will only be accepted on-line. When you are viewing the on-line job bulletin of your choice, simply scroll to the top of the page and select the “Apply” icon. On-line job bulletins are available at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacity.

NOTE:

Applicants are urged to apply early to ensure you have time to resolve any technical issues you may encounter.

Applications must be received by THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2025.

The examination will consist entirely of an evaluation of professional and personal qualifications by interview. In the interview, the following competencies may be evaluated: Judgment and Decision Making; Supervision; Oral Communication; Written Communication; Program Responsibility; Workforce Management; Industry Knowledge; Job Knowledge, including knowledge of: architectural design sufficient to evaluate designs for meeting its program objectives, design intent, sustainability goals, as well as achieving structural integrity, contextual aesthetic value, and economic use of materials; architectural drawings sufficient to check plans and specifications for accuracy, completeness, readiness for bidding, and conformance with legal requirements; architectural plans and engineering drawings sufficient to visualize spatial relationships to detect conflicts; the effect and consequences of projects on the social, economic and environmental aspects of a local community such as accessibility, noise, traffic and how projects influence the well-being of the people living there; AutoCAD design and drafting tools, three-dimensional digital modeling tools, and other software used to produce architectural design and construction drawings; City and State building laws, ordinances, codes, and provisions of the State Architectural Code such as professional responsibilities, design and construction contracts; mathematical calculations sufficient to perform tasks such as determination of areas, determination of volumes, calculation of costs, and estimating time required for projects; accounting sufficient to understand financial records and to check the accuracy of reported costs; and other necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities.

As part of the interview, candidates will be required to present to the interview board a portfolio with samples of their architectural work. The portfolio should include up to a maximum of five work examples performed under the candidate’s direction in the recent past. While interviewers will not assign a separate score to the samples, the interviewers will consider the quality of the samples in their overall evaluation of the candidate’s qualifications. Candidates should expect the interviewers to discuss the samples with them during their interviews. Specific information regarding the portfolio of architectural work samples to be presented to the interview board will be e-mailed to those candidates invited to participate in the interview.

Prior to the interview, applicants will be required to prepare some written material related to the duties and responsibilities of a Principal Architect. This essay material will not be separately scored, but will be presented to the interview board for review and consideration, which may include discussion, in the overall evaluation of the candidate. Those who do not complete the advisory essay will not be invited to the interview and will be considered to have failed the entire examination. To be considered complete, the advisory essay must include a substantive response for each question or problem included in the advisory essay for which an applicant is required to provide an answer. Please note that applicants must complete the advisory essay and meet the minimum qualification[s] as stated on this bulletin in order to be considered further in the examination process.

The advisory essay will be administered on-line. Candidates invited to participate in the examination will receive an e-mail from the City of Los Angeles outlining the specific steps needed to complete the on-line advisory essay. Candidates will be required to complete the on-line advisory essay between MARCH 24, 2025 and MARCH 31, 2025. Applicants who fail to complete the advisory essay as instructed may be disqualified.

Candidates will be notified by e-mail of the date, time, and location of the interviews, which may be held in Los Angeles or on-line. It is anticipated that interviews will begin during the period of APRIL 14, 2025 to APRIL 25, 2025.

NOTES:

1. This examination is based on a validation study.
2. Appointment to a position in this class is subject to a one-year probationary period as provided by Section 1011 of the Los Angeles City Charter.
3. Applications are accepted subject to review to ensure that minimum qualifications are met. Candidates may be disqualified at any time if it is determined that they do not possess the minimum qualifications stated on this bulletin.
4. As a covered entity under the Fair Employment and Housing Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and upon request, will provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. To request a disability accommodation, please complete the Disability Accommodation Form within 14 calendar days of the submittal of the City application. The Disability Accommodation Form can be obtained at http://per.lacity.org/exams/verify_disability.pdf.
5. A final average score of 70% is required to be placed on the eligible list.
6. In conjunction with Civil Service Rules, applicants who are current eligible City employees or are on a reserve list will be considered Promotional candidates while all other applicants will be considered open candidates.
7. Candidates will accrue seniority credit at the rate of 0.10 of a point for each year of service in those City classes which provide qualifying experience for this position. A maximum of one point will be added to the score of the candidate.
8. The promotional list will ordinarily be used ahead of the open competitive list. However, if open competitive candidates receive a higher score, without military credits, than the highest available promotional candidate, after adding 0.10 of a point seniority credit for each year of service, the Civil Service Commission, upon request of the appointing authority, may approve certification of such open competitive candidates ahead of the promotional candidates.
9. In accordance with Civil Service Rule, Sec. 4.24, review periods may be combined. Candidates in the examination process may file protests as provided in Sec. 4.20, 4.22 and 4.23 as applicable and within the required time frame; however, the Personnel Department may respond to and resolve protests prior to the establishment of the eligible list.

Salary : $161,298 - $235,797