Location: Nashville, TN (In-Person)
Employment Type: Full-Time
Salary Range: $95,000 – $120,000 annually, commensurate with experience
Experience Level: 10+ years

About Carlton Edwards

Carlton Edwards is an award-winning architecture and design firm with studios in Asheville, Nashville, and Memphis. We create custom homes, refined interiors, and memorable spaces for discerning clients throughout the Southeast and beyond.

Our approach is built on listening and observing—understanding each client’s unique ambitions and each site’s distinct character before putting pencil to paper. We believe in innovative yet timeless design, impeccable craftsmanship, and the seamless integration of architecture, interiors, and landscape. Our work has been recognized by AIA, featured in national publications, and most importantly, cherished by the families who live in the spaces we create.

The Nashville studio focuses on interior architecture and furnishings, collaborating closely with builders and participating in design-build projects. We maintain strong relationships with Nashville’s finest custom home builders and deliver interiors that match the quality and intention of the architecture they complement.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Project Architect / Project Manager to join our Nashville team—someone who can lead projects with confidence while protecting and advancing design excellence at every phase.

This is a role for someone who understands that great design doesn’t happen by accident. It requires thoughtful management of budgets, schedules, client expectations, and team resources. It demands clear communication with builders and consultants. And it takes the kind of proactive leadership that anticipates problems before they become crises.

But here’s what makes this opportunity different: we believe project management should liberate creativity, not suffocate it.

We’re actively investing in technology, automation, and smarter workflows—not to replace the human elements of design, but to free our team from administrative burden so we can focus on what matters: craft, detail, and the quality of the spaces we create. This is a journey we’re on together, and we’re looking for someone who shares our enthusiasm for building a more efficient, more creative practice.

You’ll work on high-end residential and boutique hospitality interiors—the kind of projects where material choices matter, where details are celebrated, and where clients expect exceptional design delivered with professionalism and care.

What You’ll Do

Lead Project Delivery

• Manage multiple interior architecture projects from concept through installation
• Develop and maintain project schedules, budgets, and workplans
• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients, ensuring clear communication and trust throughout the project lifecycle
• Coordinate with architects, builders, and consultants to ensure design intent is preserved through construction
• Oversee documentation quality, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and constructability
• Manage FF&E specification, procurement tracking, and installation coordination

Protect Design Excellence

• Collaborate with design leadership to ensure project goals and creative vision remain intact under real-world constraints
• Lead design reviews, providing constructive feedback that elevates the work
• Make informed decisions that balance design aspirations with budget and schedule realities—without defaulting to compromise
• Foster a culture where great design and disciplined delivery reinforce each other

Build Team Capability

• Mentor junior team members, helping them develop both technical skills and design judgment
• Delegate effectively, empowering others while maintaining accountability for outcomes
• Contribute to evolving our documentation standards and project management processes
• Collaborate across studios (Nashville, Asheville, Memphis) on integrated projects

Embrace Technology & Innovation

• Leverage Revit, SketchUp, and other tools to enhance project coordination and efficiency
• Engage with emerging technologies—including AI-assisted tools and workflow automation—as opportunities to reduce administrative tasks and amplify creative output
• Contribute ideas for how we work, not just what we design; help us build a practice where efficiency enables excellence

What We’re Looking For

Required:

• Professional degree in Architecture or Interior Architecture
• 10+ years of experience in architecture, interior architecture, or a related design field
• Licensed architect, or a clear plan to complete licensure within 90 days of hire
• Demonstrated experience managing project budgets, schedules, and client relationships
• Strong portfolio showing involvement in high-quality residential or hospitality projects
• Proficiency in Revit and SketchUp; comfort with Bluebeam and documentation tools
• Excellent communication, presentation, and organizational skills
• Ability to work in-person at our Nashville studio

Preferred:

• Experience in boutique residential or hospitality interiors
• Familiarity with FF&E specification and procurement processes
• Background working with custom home builders or design-build teams
• Experience mentoring or managing design staff
• Interest in sustainable design principles
• Curiosity about technology, automation, and process improvement

Personal Attributes:

• Design-minded—you care deeply about the quality of the work, even when you’re managing the process
• Proactive and organized; you anticipate issues and address them before they escalate
• Collaborative by nature; you build trust with clients, consultants, and team members
• A clear communicator who can translate between design vision and practical execution
• Detail-oriented with high standards for documentation and deliverables
• Curious and adaptable; excited to learn new tools and approaches alongside the team
• Interested in growing with the firm—contributing to our evolution, not just filling a role

Compensation & Benefits

Salary: $95,000 – $120,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications

Paid Time Off:

• 128 hours PTO annually (increasing to 168 hours after 3 years)
• 8 paid holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day After Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day
• Paid bereavement leave (up to 3 days for immediate family)
• Paid parental leave program with tenure-based compensation

Health & Wellness:

• Health insurance (employer-subsidized)
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Financial Benefits:

• Safe Harbor 401(k) retirement plan
• Performance-based bonus program
• Workers’ compensation coverage

Professional Development:

• AIA dues reimbursement
• Professional organization membership support
• Training and continuing education opportunities

Additional Perks:

• Cell phone reimbursement
• Mileage reimbursement for business travel (IRS standard rate)
• Flexible work arrangements available with manager approval

Work Environment:

• Creative, collaborative studio culture in Nashville’s downtown/Gulch area
• Business casual dress code
• Cross-studio collaboration with Asheville and Memphis teams
• Opportunity to work on award-winning, design-forward projects
• Path for professional growth and leadership within the firm

Why Carlton Edwards

We’re a firm where design matters—not as a marketing line, but as a daily practice. Our projects are published not because we chase press, but because the work speaks for itself. We’re small enough that your contributions will be visible and valued, and ambitious enough that you’ll be challenged to do your best work.

We’re also a firm that’s evolving. We believe the future of practice lies in working smarter—using technology and thoughtful systems to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on design. We’re not looking for someone to simply execute the way things have always been done. We want a collaborator who’s excited to help us build better workflows, embrace new tools, and create a practice where project management enables creativity rather than competing with it.

The Nashville studio is growing, and this role offers real opportunity to shape what we become. If you’re looking for a place where your project leadership skills and your design values can coexist—where efficiency and excellence go hand in hand—we’d like to meet you.