Urban Designer

Zutari: Co-creating an engineered impact.

Zutari is a well-established management-owned engineering firm with almost 90 years experience. As human-centred engineering consultants and advisors we are trusted by our clients business partners communities and other stakeholders across Africa.

We co-create engineering solutions that have a positive impact and improve peoples lives. Zutari values inclusion and recognises the importance of a diverse talented workforce believing that people need other people to succeed.

What kind of talent do we pursue

We employ people with the right attitude and a positive mindset who are motivated by doing the right thing getting things done and share a sense of urgency. People who have an impact in our teams and broader community. People who think differently and connect with those around them to co-create new opportunities and leave a meaningful legacy.

We are looking for a creative and dynamic Urban Designer to join the Urban Sustainability team in Cape Town. Our team is passionate about providing solutions to urban issues across Africa and the Middle East. We are involved in a variety of public and private sector projects ranging from design and planning to policy. The team has a strong focus on public sector projects and is passionate about finding inventive solutions for creating functional cities for people. We are seeking an individual passionate about cities with an interest in urban design and placemaking. We require assistance with drawing and production work specifically but we strongly emphasise teamwork designing collaboratively and valuing each others inputs. The ideal candidate will have strong graphic and drawing skills the ability to work across multiple scales and a talent for clearly illustrating concepts and ideas along with a high level of digital proficiency.

Role responsibilities

1. Design and Planning Support

• Assist in the preparation of urban design proposals concept plans and visualizations for a range of public and private development projects across scales.
• Apply and integrate sustainability and urban design principles across all projects.
• Develop analysis and design drawings diagrams and 3D models using design software
• Assist with presentation compilation and project documentation of project outputs
• Assist with tender compilation and proposals

2. Sustainability Integration

• Assist with the incorporation of of climate resilience strategies into design solutions aligning with organisational sustainability frameworks and client goals.
• Integrate sustainability principles and performance criteria across all projects

3. Research and Analysis

• Conduct site and contextual analyses to inform design decisions.
• Research emerging trends in sustainable urban design and City and place-making practices
• Assist with project specific research ranging from technical design to policy strategy and best practice investigation.

4. Stakeholder Engagement

• Support stakeholder consultation processes preparing presentation materials for workshops and stakeholder meetings.
• Gather and document thorough feedback to ensure designs reflect social inclusivity and cultural/environmental context.
• Assist with consultation reporting (minutes meetings agendas etc.)

5. Compliance and Documentation

• Assist in preparing project reports presentations and any other project documentation.

6. Collaboration and Teamwork

• Work closely with multidisciplinary team and specialists to deliver integrated multidisciplinary solutions.
• Participate in internal design reviews and contribute to knowledge-sharing within the urban design and sustainability team.

Minimum requirements

• Undergraduate and honours degree in a related profession (landscape architecture city and regional/urban planning architecture). - Essential
• Urban Design degree from a recognised institution - Advantageous
• Candidate or professional registration (UDISA/SACPLAN/SACLAP)
• 3 7 years relevant experience
• International experience either work or study would be advantageous
• Ability to technically apply him/herself to a wide variety or urban design projects.
• Ability to work within tight timeframes and the parameters of individual projects
• Ability to learn and adapt in a dynamic environment
• Willing to travel to African and Middle Eastern countries
• Ability to work both independently and within a larger team setting

Skills and characteristics

• Must have excellent drawing skills
• Must have excellent written report writing and verbal communication skills
• Detail-oriented adaptable and innovative.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD Adobe Creative Suite (specifically Illustrator) and Microsoft Office Suite is required. Knowledge of Revit GIS SketchUp and rending tools would be an added advantage.

Competencies

• Adaptability and Growth Mindset
  Ability to embrace ambiguity and adapt to evolving project requirements technologies and sustainability trends. This is critical in dynamic urban environments.
• Collaboration and Communication
  Competence in working within multidisciplinary teams and engaging stakeholders effectively including community consultation and client presentations.
• Design Thinking and Problem-Solving
  Applying creative and structured approaches to solve complex urban challenges
  
  

We believe that a diverse work force is key to our business success. We seek the best people for our jobs based on their skills qualifications and experience. We embrace the principle of equal opportunity in employment and we work towards eliminating all forms of unlawful discrimination in our employment support of diversity and the equal opportunity principle preference will be given to individuals from designated groups within South Africa.