Design Director

Aetwork; Culver City (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with generous matching

Full medical, dental, and vision coverage

Four weeks PTO

Nine paid holiday days

Job summary

A leading design firm in California is seeking a Design Director to drive architectural excellence and foster studio culture. The role involves mentoring staff, leading design reviews, and establishing strong industry connections to promote innovative design solutions. Candidates should have extensive experience in architecture, strong communication skills, and proficiency in design tools. This position offers a competitive salary in the range of $150k to $175k annually.

Qualifications

• 15+ years professional experience.
• Experience leading a team of designers.
• Excellent organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Champion strong architecture and design.
• Coordinate and lead internal design reviews.
• Set office strategy and define new markets.

Skills

Technical design skills

Team collaboration

Communication skills

LEED/WELL Accreditation

REVIT proficiency

Experience in commercial interiors

Education

Accredited degree in Architecture, Interior Design or Graphic Design

Licensed Architect in California

Tools

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Job description

Design Directors at Blitz champion conceptually and technically strong architecture, shaping studio culture in order produce exceptional design. This includes promotion of the Blitz Value (Tenacity), Training and Mentoring of staff, Design Leadership across projects, Participation in community design events, and crafting pitches for new work. During Programming, Concept, and Schematic Design phases, Design Directors are heavily involved with Project Teams, engaging Project Leaders to create new, life-giving experiences for our clients. Design Directors are well connected to the Architecture and Design Industry and are responsible for exposing Studios to new trends and modifying practices as needed.

Design Directors will coordinate, and on priority projects, lead internal design reviews. Through this they identify and establish studio design narratives to play back to the studio through internal presentations intended to deepen the conceptual rigor of the Blitz portfolio. Design Directors also play a role in maintaining and growing the reputation of Blitz in collaboration with Studio Principals and Directors. Through strategic relationships, event hosting and attendance, and speaking engagements Design Directors earn new work for the studio. Working with Studio Principals and Directors they set office strategy and define new markets and service offers. Additionally, they coordinate with the Project Managers to define team structures and interview for staff positions

Experience

• 15+ years professional experience.
• Accredited degree in Architecture, Interior Design or Graphic Design
• Licensed Architect in California. Additional jurisdictions and NCARB Certification a strong plus.
• LEED and/or WELL Accreditation a plus.
• REVIT proficiency is required.
• Proficient in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Experience in commercial interiors.
• Experience with core/shell, hospitality and retail a strong plus.
• Experience with workplace, hospitality, and retail a strong plus.

Design / Technical Design

• Excellent technical and design skills.
• Working knowledge of the California Building Code and/or Local Building Codes.
• Experience with programming and space planning.
• Experience with materials research and selection.
• Experience in construction documentation and detailing.
• Experience as the key design decision-maker for projects
• Experience leading a team of designers.
• Experience with the management of Design Fees and Staffing Plans.
• Ability to review construction for general conformance with the design concept.
• Experience coordinating with public agencies and jurisdictions related to planning and building approvals.
• Experience designing to a construction budget.
• Applies rigor and elegance to the resolution and execution of their design ideas.

Soft Skills

• Demonstrated history of Tenacity (our core value).
• Ability to work within a team environment.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and collaborate with clients, consultants, and contractors.
• Ability to work on several projects simultaneously with multiple deadlines.
• Experience cultivating and maintaining a positive, inclusive company culture.
• Ability to advise and facilitate decision-making amongst clients.
• Influence the future of the design by creating a culture that inspires thought leadership, progressive thinking, innovative design solutions and
  high-quality execution.
• Upholds the highest standards of project delivery and professionalism.

Basic Requirements

• Candidates must currently reside in and have unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.
• Excellent verbal, written, and graphic communication skills, as well as excellent organizational skills.
• Candidates must be able to travel to other studios as required.
• Full-time employees receive four weeks PTO (including the week between Christmas and New Years when the firm is closed).
• Nine paid holiday days.
• Distributed work model.
• Full medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401(k) with generous matching.
• Salary increase upon licensure (successfully passed licensing exams are reimbursed too).
• Salary range 150k to 175k.

How to Apply

Email your cover letter, resume, work samples inclusive of rendering samples, and salary requirements in a single document in PDF format [e-mail] . No phone calls or drop-ins please.

Blitz is an award-winning architecture and interior design firm headquartered in San Francisco. From start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, we are privileged to work with some of the best and brightest companies in the world and hope you will join us. The Blitz team works hard and we make sure we take time to have fun and keep learning. We support our industry through a variety of events and enjoy being part of the design and construction community. Blitz is delighted with the attention we get through awards and press, which highlight our workplace, hospitality, bio-tech, retail, higher education, international, and ground-up portfolio. Not to mention, our parties (virtual and in-person) are awesome.

Learn more about Blitz via Instagram (we love photos), LinkedIn, and of course our website.