The architecture job titles of Europe, translated
Job ads across Europe use local titles that don’t map one-to-one onto English. Is an aparejador an architect? (No.) What’s a geometra, or a Bauleiter? This is the vocabulary you need to read the ads — and the same terms our classifier uses to sort them. Knowing them widens your search: half the relevant jobs are advertised under a word you weren’t typing.
The architect (the protected title)
| Local title | Language | In English | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arquitecto / Arquitecta | Spanish | Architect | The full 5–6-year regulated degree; protected title, must join a regional Colegio de Arquitectos to practise. Leads design and is legally responsible for the project. |
| Architetto | Italian | Architect | Regulated title; requires the state exam (esame di Stato) and enrolment in the Ordine degli Architetti. |
| Architekt | German / Polish / Czech | Architect | Protected title across DACH and CEE; registration with the regional Architektenkammer / Izba Architektów is mandatory to call yourself one. |
| Architecte | French | Architect | Protected title; must be enrolled at the Ordre des Architectes to sign building-permit drawings above a size threshold. |
| Arquitecto / Arquiteto | Portuguese | Architect | Regulated; enrolment in the Ordem dos Arquitectos required to practise. |
| Arkitekt | Danish / Swedish / Norwegian | Architect | In Scandinavia the title is largely unprotected — anyone can call themselves an architect — but the MAA / SAR / MNAL membership marks are the professional signal employers look for. |
| Mimar | Turkish | Architect | Regulated; registration with the Chamber of Architects (Mimarlar Odası) is required. |
| Αρχιτέκτονας (Architéktonas) | Greek | Architect | Regulated; membership of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) required to practise. |
| Építész | Hungarian | Architect | Regulated; chamber membership (MÉK) needed for design-responsibility roles. |
Building engineers, surveyors & technicians
| Local title | Language | In English | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aparejador / Arquitecto técnico | Spanish | Building engineer / quantity surveyor / clerk of works | A separate 4-year degree (now "Ingeniero de Edificación"). Runs the site, controls cost, quality and health-and-safety, and signs off construction — NOT a reduced architect. Own college (COAAT). One of the most-searched title confusions. |
| Geometra | Italian | Surveyor / building technician | A regulated technical profession that can design and supervise minor building works, land surveys and cadastral filings; own register (Collegio dei Geometri). |
| Perito edile / Perito industriale edile | Italian | Building expert / construction technician | Technical-diploma professional for construction and estimating; own register. |
| Quantity surveyor (QS) | English (UK/IE) | Cost consultant / cost manager | Manages construction cost, contracts and valuations. The nearest UK/Irish equivalent to the aparejador’s cost side; chartered via RICS/SCSI. |
| Bygningskonstruktør | Danish | Architectural technologist | A widely-hired Danish profession bridging architect and engineer — detailing, construction drawings, site follow-up. Strong export role across Scandinavia. |
| Bauingenieur | German | Civil / structural engineer | Handles structure, statics and infrastructure. Distinct from the Architekt; the two collaborate on every building. |
Site & project management
| Local title | Language | In English | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefe de obra | Spanish | Site manager | Runs the construction site for the contractor — programme, subcontractors, delivery. |
| Direttore dei lavori | Italian | Works director / construction supervisor | The professional (often the architect) appointed to supervise that the works match the design and contract. |
| Capocantiere | Italian | Site foreman | Front-line supervisor of the crew and daily site operations. |
| Bauleiter / Bauleitung | German | Site manager / construction management | Oversees execution on site — one of the most-advertised German AEC roles, frequently open to architects. |
| Conducteur de travaux | French | Site / works manager | Runs the site for the contractor; plans labour, materials and schedule. |
| Maître d’œuvre / Maîtrise d’œuvre (MOE) | French | Project supervisor / design-and-works management | The party responsible for designing and overseeing the works (vs. the maître d’ouvrage, the client). A core term in French tenders. |
| Kierownik budowy | Polish | Site manager | Legally-required construction site manager with building qualifications (uprawnienia budowlane). |
| Stavbyvedoucí | Czech / Slovak | Site manager | Authorised site manager; the CEE equivalent of Bauleiter / kierownik budowy. |
Design, drafting & BIM
| Local title | Language | In English | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delineante | Spanish | Draftsperson / CAD technician | Produces technical drawings in CAD/BIM under an architect or engineer. |
| Bauzeichner | German | Architectural / construction draftsperson | Vocational-trained producer of construction drawings; a common entry route into a studio. |
| Dessinateur-projeteur | French | Design draftsperson / detailer | Produces design and execution drawings; “projeteur” implies more design responsibility than a pure draftsperson. |
| Disegnatore | Italian | Draftsperson | CAD/BIM draftsperson in a studio or technical office. |
| BIM Manager / BIM Coordinator / BIM Modeller | English (pan-EU) | BIM manager / coordinator / modeller | The fastest-growing AEC job family. Manager sets the BIM strategy and standards; coordinator runs model coordination/clash detection; modeller authors the model. Advertised in English almost everywhere. |
Planning & specialisms
| Local title | Language | In English | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urbanista / Urbaniste / Stadtplaner | ES/IT / FR / DE | Urban planner | Plans land use and development at neighbourhood-to-city scale; often a post-graduate specialism of architects. |
| Innenarchitekt / Arquitecto de interiores | German / Spanish | Interior architect | Designs interior space and detailing. In Germany the Innenarchitekt title is itself chamber-protected. |
| Landschaftsarchitekt / Paysagiste / Paesaggista | DE / FR / IT | Landscape architect | Designs open space, parks and public realm; a regulated title in several countries. |
| Restauratore / Restaurador | Italian / Spanish | Heritage / restoration architect | Specialist in conservation and restoration of historic buildings — a large field in Southern Europe. |
Search wider. If you only search “architect”, you miss the aparejador, geometra, Bauleiter and BIM roles that hire architects every week. Browse the live jobs — they’re already classified across all these titles — or start from the AEC employers who advertise them.
The jobs angle: the studios featured in these magazines and prize lists are exactly the ones worth a speculative application. Browse the studio directory, see who's hiring now, and check what roles pay.
More reference: magazines · awards · biennales & fairs · competitions & tenders · AEC employers · internships & research · job titles glossary · registering to practise. Compiled from public sources; corrections welcome.