Senior Design Lead

The Senior Design Lead is essential to the gardens we design and embodies our brand’s ethos, and keep our mission as the north star at all times: using plants and materials in their rawest form to (re)connect humans with earth. They are constantly seeking new ways to approach landscapes and how we can present design and approaches that embody the ORCA aesthetic. This position will visually communicate the design direction to our team and clients, then work in tandem with design development (both in-house and contractors) overseeing the details that make our designs come to fruition. Reports to the Operations Director.

Conceptual Design:

• Creative lead for residential and commercial landscape architecture projects
• Work with Creative Director to drive ORCA’s conceptual design services: hardscape, softscape, and land uses
• Ability to convey design through mixed mediums such as sketches, renderings, and conceptual imagery
• Manage and direct mood boards throughout concept and concept revisions with junior designer assist
• Present conceptual design work to clients
• Oversee rendering creation to convey design intent of concept in R1 and R2 phases of project
• Design and prepare schematic layouts in AutoCAD for client presentations
• Oversee design team sample pulls, organization, and cataloging

Plant Design:

• Direct plant design for ORCA’s gardens  
• Work in tandem with junior designers to produce construction ready planting plans and schedule
• Work closely with the build team during procurement of plants to answer any design questions or substitutions 
• Onsite layout of plant material / site visits for design management as needed 

Design Development:

• Lead creation of general construction documentation including elevations, sections and design details
• Redline and manage feedback on design in 50% and 100% CD sets
• Manage junior designers and freelance drafters as needed
• Oversee procurement requests with accurate material specifications and hand-off information for procurement
• Review and submit construction sets to clients and contractors
• Comfortable discussing budgets and reviewing bids with clients and builders
• Field questions and perform construction administration site visits as needed

Key Qualifications:

• Love for plants, rock, and wood
• Manage client services, feedback and expectations 
• Onsite/field time management, travel required
• Present clear thoughts and directions to clients (external) and team members (internal)
• Comfortable with a small team and start-up culture. We are a small studio!
• Excellent communication skills and proactive work ethic
• Ability to problem solve and think creatively and critically
• Experience with SketchUp, AutoCAD, Figma and Google Documents 

Location: 

• Hybrid work environment - 3 target in person days in the Studio 
• Based in Los Angeles
• Studio in Highland Park 
• Onsite/field time and some travel required

To apply, please email hello@orcaliving.com with the subject line: ORCA Senior Design Lead. Please include your resume, location, and a short note about why you think you'd be a good fit.