Following our previous look at an opening for a Public Interest Design (PID) Fellowship at the University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit Collaborative Design Center, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an opportunity on Archinect Jobs for a Project Manager at the Center for Zero Waste Design.

The role, based in Brooklyn, New York, calls for an individual with architectural experience who will split their team between the center and consultancy ThinkWoven. Responsibilities will include managing consulting projects, developing waste strategies, and researching the context of waste management in different cities.

Why the role interests us

The open role at the Center for Zero Waste Design offers us the opportunity to explore the work and background of an organization dedicated to sharing knowledge on zero-waste strategies. The genesis of the organization lies in the Zero Waste Design Guidelines, which were developed in 2016 to “address the crucial role that design plays in achieving NYC’s ambitious goal, outlined in OneNYC, to send zero waste to landfills by 2030.”

The guidelines, developed by the Center for Architecture, serve as an “extensive resource for architects, developers, and policymakers to address the crucial role that the design of our buildings and city play in achieving circular material loops.” Central to the guidelines is the perspective of “treating waste as a resource rather than trash” if systems allow for the separation and management of waste.”

The Center for Zero Waste Design was subsequently created in April 2019 to share knowledge on the topic, adapt the strategies within the guidelines to the context of other cities, expand the database of case studies, and develop research and policy tools for designing cities and buildings for zero waste. Among the resources published by the center are a series of design strategies covering 'building design,' 'construction & demolition,' and 'collection & urban design.'

Further reading for interested candidates

• Green construction startup Nexii achieves zero-waste certification with Squamish Manufacturing Plant (March 2023)
• Testbeds is giving discarded architectural mock-ups new life in New York's community gardens (December 2022)
• Researchers have found ways to use mushrooms to decarbonize construction waste (October 2022)
• Facade of new Manhattan residential building comprised of bricks made from waste materials (May 2022)
• Finding Value in Waste: Japan’s Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center is a Temple to Material Reuse (February 2022)
• Archinect's ongoing coverage of waste management
• The Center for Zero Waste Design's Archinect profile
• Archinect Tips: Employment Edition (November 2020)

Job Highlights is one of a number of ongoing weekly series showcasing the opportunities available on our industry-leading job board. Our Meet Your Next Employer series profiles and interviews interesting studios with open positions currently available on Archinect Jobs, while our weekly roundups curate job opportunities by location, career level, and job description.