Working at Russell & Yelland is not just a job.
When you join our team, you gain a second family. Our shared values and culture unite us.
We actively accelerate career opportunities.
At Russell & Yelland we empower staff by trusting them to lead and to share knowledge. This includes giving senior staff the opportunity to: manage budgets; take on specialist technical roles; handle submissions; and coordinate relevant tasks for projects on which they take a leading role.
We have a long history of mentoring and supporting students and architectural graduates at Russell & Yelland. Graduates are given opportunities and exposure on projects to accelerate their industry registration, and we tailor roles on projects to ensure all staff are able to develop rounded experience.
We are a community-minded practice.
Designing for community first, we take our responsibility to the profession and to our clients seriously. We encourage staff at all levels to cultivate knowledge in areas of professional interest. As a company, we prioritise sharing these learnings with one another and with our peers because we know everyone benefits from a stronger industry.
We reward effort.
We manage a business and project structure that encourages and recognises individual contribution to shared achievement.
Access to work experience is important to those starting out in architecture, but this should not be confused with long-term exploitation of student labour. At R&Y, we manage clear boundaries between unpaid and paid experience, capping work experience at two weeks, unless part of a formal university internship program. In those instances, the company pays for any hours over and above formal learning commitments.
We offer progressive professional leave entitlements.
As part of Russell & Yelland’s contribution to staff professional development we offer various forms of paid and unpaid leave options. We believe in equitable access to leave entitlements and support all staff to pursue professional commitments that will extend their learning and connection with industry. Negotiated leave may cover university tutoring; industry board, committee or panel memberships; jury positions; or speaking opportunities at industry conferences and seminars.
We encourage flexible work arrangements.
To encourage a healthy work/life balance we plan our projects and manage resourcing to minimise overtime. Shared Friday lunches are an institution at Russell & Yelland, and we give staff opportunities to socialise inside and outside the office.
We view our office as a family, but we know that balancing work and home life can be a tricky task, particularly at critical life junctures. Long before the pandemic forced remote working arrangements, we utilised technology that would allow people to negotiate how they work. All staff are issued iPads catering for remote work as required. We are also fervent supporters of having furry friends in the office.