Junior Architect Design Specialist

Yugo is the trusted name for student housing, globally. Every day we connect young people to opportunities and students to amazing spaces. Here at Yugo, we like to do things differently. It's about people, planet, and passion.

As a Junior Architect Design Specialist, you will play a critical role in driving the growth and expansion of management portfolio by providing support to our Architect and Design division.  This is at the heart of creating amazing spaces for our student customers to live in, supporting clients on new developments and refurbishment projects. You will be responsible for supporting the delivery of high-quality student accommodation design services by providing a strong “student-first” design lens across new development and refurbishment projects. The role focuses on reviewing, critiquing, and enhancing architectural and interior design proposals to ensure alignment with Yugo’s brand standards, operational requirements, and evolving student expectations.

Key Responsibilities

• Review architectural drawings, layouts, and design packages to assess suitability for student living.
• Provide feedback on room typologies, unit mix, and space optimisation to maximise both student experience and operational efficiency.
• Evaluate interior design proposals, including look and feel, FF&E selections, and material palettes, ensuring alignment with Yugo brand standards.
• Support the development and refinement of design guidelines and standards across the portfolio.
• Collaborate with internal teams (operations, marketing, brand, and asset management) to ensure designs reflect student needs and commercial objectives.
• Act as a “student lens” in project discussions, advocating for functionality, comfort, and community experience.
• Review communal spaces (e.g. study areas, social hubs, amenities) to ensure they are engaging, practical, and aligned with current student trends.
• Provide input on wayfinding, branding integration, and overall user journey within schemes.
• Assess design proposals against operational considerations such as durability, maintenance, and cost efficiency.
• Participate in design review meetings with developers, architects, and consultants, providing structured feedback.
• Support benchmarking of competitor schemes and emerging PBSA design trends.
• Assist in preparing design review reports, presentations, and internal documentation.

Additional Responsibilities

• Support ad hoc site visits to review design implementation and quality.
• Assist in post-occupancy evaluations and feedback analysis from students.
• Contribute to innovation initiatives, including new room concepts or amenity ideas.
• Provide occasional support to marketing teams on visuals, show units, or design storytelling.
• Assist with updating internal design toolkits and best practice materials.

Requirements

• Degree in Architecture, Interior Design, or a related discipline.
• 1–3 years’ experience in architecture, interior design, or residential / hospitality / PBSA sectors.
• Fluency in Spanish and English.
• Understanding of space planning, layout efficiency, and residential design principles.
• Awareness of student housing or co-living trends (desirable but not essential).
• Ability to read and interpret architectural drawings and design documentation.
• Strong attention to detail with a practical, user-focused mindset.
• Good understanding of materials, finishes, and FF&E in a residential or hospitality context.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to provide clear and constructive feedback.
• Collaborative approach with the confidence to engage with external consultants and internal stakeholders.

Desiderable

• Knowledge of an additional language will be considered a strong advantage.
• Familiarity with design software (e.g. AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe Suite) is beneficial but not essential.

Salary range: EUR 30.000-34.000