Architecture staffing agency — recruiters who read drawings, not just résumés.
We place architects, job captains, designers, and project managers with the firms that need them — matched on real project experience and design sensibility, not keyword counts.
We match architects on project phase, software, and sensibility.
Most agencies that say they do "architecture staffing" are general recruiters with an architecture tab on the website. We are the opposite: an architecture staffing and recruiting firm that has placed architects, designers, and the people who support them since 1984 — the firm that pioneered project-based placement for architects in the first place.
Four decades and four recessions later, the model still holds, because the premise never changed: a résumé tells you what someone has touched; it doesn't tell you whether they can run your project or fit your studio. So we match on what actually decides that — project phase, software fluency, sector experience, and design sensibility — the way recruiters who read drawings, not just résumés, are able to.
Our owner trained as an architect, our recruiters speak the language of the studio, and our matching engine, TalentRadar, weighs portfolio and real delivery over who typed "Revit" the most. The result is a shortlist that's short for the right reasons.
Architecture roles we place
Project Architects
Licensed architects to carry a project from design development through construction administration. We screen for phase ownership, code and detailing judgment, consultant coordination, and the ability to keep a job moving without hand-holding.
Job Captains
Detail-strong leads who keep a set coordinated and buildable. We screen for drawing quality, redline discipline, cross-trade coordination, and the instinct to catch a conflict before it reaches the field.
Architectural Designers
Junior to intermediate design and production talent. We screen for design thinking, modeling and production speed, software fluency, and how cleanly their portfolio reads under a principal's eye.
Project Managers
Delivery leaders accountable for budget, schedule, and the consultant team. We screen for track record on comparable project types, client-facing composure, and a history of bringing work in on time and on fee.
Studio & Design Directors
Senior leadership for growing practices, often filled through a confidential, retained search. We screen for design voice, the ability to win and hold clients, and a leadership style that fits the culture you've built.
Drafters & Interns
Production support and emerging talent. We screen for fundamentals: CAD/BIM accuracy, willingness to learn your standards, and the work ethic that turns a contract seat into a permanent hire.
On contract, project-to-permanent, or permanent terms — across New York and nationwide. Need skills verified first? See CAD & Revit testing.
How we staff architecture roles
There's no single right way to hire an architect — it depends on the work in front of you. We staff all three ways, and we'll tell you straight which one fits.
Contract / project
When a deadline lands or a project ramps faster than your headcount, we place a specialist — or a whole team — on a contract basis to carry the work. Capacity without the permanent overhead; when the project ends, so does the cost. This is the model we built the firm on in 1984.
Project-to-permanent
The lowest-risk way to make a permanent hire: bring someone on for a live project, work alongside them on real deadlines, and convert them to staff when you both know it's a fit. You're hiring on evidence instead of a good interview.
Permanent / direct-hire
A targeted search for the architects and designers who'll stay and lead — including confidential, retained searches for principals and studio leaders. We pre-vet for skill, software, and fit so the first interview is the right one.
Not sure which lane you're in? Tell us the role and timeline and we'll recommend the path — and we can verify Revit and AutoCAD proficiency through the CAD Exam skills assessment before anyone reaches your calendar.
Why a 40-year-old firm staffs architecture differently
We didn't add architecture staffing to a generalist menu — it's the only thing we've ever done. Consulting For Architects has placed design talent in New York and nationwide since 1984, through four recessions, as the firm that pioneered project-based placement for architects.
That longevity buys two things money can't: relationships and memory. Our recruiters stay for decades, so the person taking your brief has likely staffed your project type, your software stack, and firms like yours many times over — and remembers which candidates delivered.
Because we're owner-led and design-native — led by a recruiter who trained as an architect — we read portfolios the way your hiring partner does, not the way a keyword filter does. And our talent pool is real and current: around 500 qualified architects and designers available right now — both actively job-hunting and quietly open to the right move.
What hiring firms say
"What set CFA apart was their understanding of the profession — the people they sent were always a perfect fit. Years later I needed a hard-to-find skill set in Southern California, and with no office there David still got me five qualified résumés in three days."
Charles Alexander · Former hiring lead, Kohn Pedersen Fox
"David and his team have been a joy to work with — prompt, on point, and because David trained as an architect, communication just goes smoothly."
Matt Masters, AIA, LEED AP · Project Manager, Gensler
"David has an exquisite sense for talent. He invested himself in understanding my practice and consistently recommended professionals who met both my needs and my clients'."
Sam Spata · Director of Buildings, Bergmann Associates
Architecture staffing — common questions
How much do architecture staffing agencies and recruiters charge?
It depends on how you hire. Contract or project placement is billed hourly with no overtime charges — our fee is built into one combined hourly rate (the professional's rate plus ours), invoiced weekly and due within 30 days, with no separate placement fee. Permanent (direct hire) is a one-time fee of 20% of the hire's first-year salary, invoiced when you reach an agreement and backed by a 90-day guarantee (full refund if they leave within 30 days, two-thirds within 60, one-third within 90). Project-to-permanent blends the two: you pay the hourly project rate while on contract, then convert — 17.5% of first-year salary in the second or third month, 15% in months four to six, and no fee after six months on the project.
What's the difference between contract, project-to-permanent, and permanent placement?
Contract puts a pro on the work for a defined period with no permanent overhead, billed hourly with no overtime charges. Permanent is a direct hire onto your payroll for a one-time fee of 20% of first-year salary with a 90-day guarantee. Project-to-permanent is the low-risk middle path: work alongside the person on a live project first, then convert — 17.5% of first-year salary if you convert in the second or third month, 15% in months four to six, and no fee after six months.
How fast can you staff an architecture role?
Often within days, because we start from a current pool of around 500 qualified architects and designers and a living, ranked shortlist. As a longtime client at Kohn Pedersen Fox put it, even with no local office, "David still got me five qualified résumés in three days." Senior and confidential searches take longer.
Do you place architects nationwide, or only in New York?
Both. New York has been home since 1984, and we place architects and designers across the country.
How do you vet architects before sending them to us?
We review portfolios the way your hiring partner would, interview for technical skill and design sensibility, confirm availability, and verify Revit and AutoCAD proficiency through CFAeX when it matters.
What's the difference between a staffing agency and a job board?
A job board hands you a stack of applicants and leaves the sorting to you. We bring a vetted few who match on phase, software, sector, and sensibility — and stay involved through the hire.
What architecture roles do you place?
Project architects, job captains, architectural designers, project managers, studio and design directors, drafters and interns — emerging talent through senior leadership, licensed and unlicensed.
Do you place licensed architects as well as unlicensed architectural staff?
Yes, both — registered architects and the architectural designers, drafters, and job captains who support them.
Can you staff a whole team, not just one seat?
Yes — a specialist or a full project team on contract, then help convert the keepers.
Why use a specialist architecture recruiting firm instead of a generalist?
Because we read drawings. Generalists match keywords; our recruiters trained around the profession and have stayed in this market for decades.
Need an architect who fits?
Tell us the role; we'll bring a shortlist that gets it.