General Contractor turned Architectural Designer

Job Description

Job Description

Is pre-production and planning your favorite part of being a general contractor? Is your superpower building up details to make awesome houses? Do you love setting your project managers up for success by drawing and designing the right details for your clients? Do you enjoy collaborating with designers, engineers, HVAC specialists, and other trade partners? Do you have a keen eye for imagining and drawing smart details?

We’re looking for an architectural construction professional, a person with two equal strengths:

1. Deep, field-based residential remodeling knowledge.
2. The ability to translate construction solutions into permit and buildable drawings.

"We're looking for a GC that can draw and has opinions"

We are looking for a creative residential designer who also has deep, practical experience in general contracting and home remodeling.

This person will help homeowners reimagine their spaces, develop thoughtful and original design solutions, and translate those ideas into clear permit and construction drawings. The ideal candidate combines design creativity with a strong understanding of how homes are actually built.

We are looking for someone who can see possibilities others may overlook - whether that means improving the flow of an older home, introducing natural light, solving a difficult addition, creating an unusual architectural detail, or finding a simpler and more elegant way to meet a homeowner’s goals.

This is an Architectural Designer position, with an emphasis on real-world residential construction experience. This position is responsible for designing and drawing accurate plansets.

Key Responsibilities

• Meet with homeowners to understand their goals, lifestyle, priorities, and aesthetic preferences.
• Develop creative design concepts for residential remodels, additions, and whole-home renovations.
• Explore multiple layout and design solutions rather than defaulting to the most obvious approach.
• Improve space planning, circulation, natural light, functionality, and architectural character.
• Create sketches, floor plans, elevations, sections, renderings, and construction details.
• Prepare accurate drawing sets for permitting and construction.
• Visit existing homes to document dimensions, materials, conditions, and architectural details.
• Develop practical solutions for unusual or challenging remodeling conditions.
• Select and develop architectural elements such as windows, doors, built-ins, cabinetry, stairs, trim, ceilings, and interior transitions.
• Balance design quality with budget, schedule, constructability, and building-code requirements.
• Coordinate with engineers, interior designers, project managers, trade partners, and building departments.
• Obtain all necessary permits. Has a deep knowledge of local codes.
• Support field teams when design or construction questions arise.
• Help establish and maintain company design standards and a construction-detail library.

Required Experience

• Five or more years of experience in residential remodeling, residential design, design-build construction, general contracting, architecture, or a related field.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating creative residential design and technical drawing ability.
• Significant knowledge of residential construction methods, materials, sequencing, and detailing.
• Experience designing renovations for existing and older homes.
• Ability to develop original ideas while respecting the character of the existing home.
• Experience preparing or contributing to residential permit and construction drawing sets.
• Familiarity with residential building codes and local permitting processes (Boulder preferred).
• Ability to measure and accurately document existing buildings.
• Strong presentation, listening, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to receive feedback and continue refining a design without becoming overly attached to the first idea.
• Competent creating drawings and plansets in a BIM software, ideally Chief Architect.
• Own and operate your own vehicle.
• Experience in Google Suite and JobTread is a bonus.

This is not an entry level architectural design position. Experience must include drawing and designing. We are especially interested in candidates whose drawing experience is supported by meaningful field or project management experience.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to work on distinctive residential remodeling projects.
• A role that combines technical drawing, construction problem-solving, and project involvement.
• A collaborative design-build environment.
• Competitive compensation based on experience, with starting pay $90,000-$110,000.
• Health insurance, paid time off, retirement benefits, gas/toll allowance, cell phone reimbursement, profit-sharing program
• Opportunities for professional development and increased responsibility.
• This position is exempt.
• This position is considered hybrid: At minimum you must be in the office for client and team meetings, which is typically 4 days/week. SoBo will not help to set up a home office. An in-office workspace is available to you full time.

SoBo Homes is an award-winning residential design-build firm in Boulder, CO. We make home life different through collaborative remodeling, architecture, and design. We love - and consistently get 5-star reviews for - remodeling homes in and around Boulder. 99% of our work is remodels and additions on single family homes. If this excites you, please apply.

Company Description

SoBo Homes is an award-winning residential design-build firm in Boulder, CO. We make home life different through collaborative remodeling, architecture, and design. We love - and consistently get 5-star reviews for - remodeling homes in and around Boulder. 99% of our work is remodels and additions on single family homes. If this excites you, please apply.