Senior Designer - High-End Residential Design-Build

Alair Washington DC I Blue Star; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

2 weeks PTO

14 paid holidays

50% company-paid health insurance

401(k) with company match

Growth opportunities

Collaborative environment

Job summary

Blue Star Washington, DC is seeking an experienced Lead Designer to support high-end residential remodeling and custom home projects from concept through construction-ready documentation.

This role requires deep understanding of residential construction, design documentation, space planning, permit requirements, and preconstruction. The ideal candidate will translate client goals and site conditions into buildable solutions and collaborate across production teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture required.
• 3-5 years of experience in residential design, architecture, drafting, design-build, remodeling, or custom home construction.
• Strong understanding of construction drawings, detailing, specifications, and residential building systems.
• Ability to create clear, accurate, and buildable design documents.
• Working knowledge of permitting processes, code basics, and residential construction methods.
• Experience with field measuring and existing-condition documentation.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with clients, consultants, project managers, superintendents, and trade partners.
• Ability to balance design intent with budget, schedule, and construction realities.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and a practical, solutions-focused mindset.

Responsibilities

• Develop residential design concepts, layouts, plans, elevations, and detailed construction drawings.
• Translate client goals and existing site conditions into practical and buildable design solutions.
• Support preconstruction through design development, scope clarification, selections coordination, and documentation.
• Prepare permit drawings and design packages for pricing, permitting, client review, and construction.
• Coordinate with architects, engineers, consultants, vendors, and trade partners.
• Assist with site verification, field measurements, and existing-condition documentation.
• Help identify constructability issues before projects move into production.
• Collaborate directly with project managers, superintendents, and field teams throughout the project lifecycle.
• Maintain organized project files, specifications, drawings, and design notes.
• Help ensure the final design aligns with budget, schedule, client expectations, and buildability.

Skills

AutoCAD

Revit

Chief Architect

SketchUp

Google Workspace

Education

Bachelor's degree in Architecture

Tools

JobTread

Buildertrend

CoConstruct

2020 Design

Google Workspace

Job description

Blue Star Washington, DC is seeking an experienced Lead Designer to support high-end residential remodeling and custom home projects from concept through construction-ready documentation.

This role requires deep understanding of residential construction, design documentation, space planning, permit requirements, and preconstruction. The ideal candidate will translate client goals and site conditions into buildable solutions and collaborate across production teams.