Associate Landscape Designer - PLA

Associate Landscape Designer - PLA

LJA is offering an exciting opportunity that will allow you to reach your full career potential. The structure of our organization is designed to amplify your capabilities while gaining the benefits of being an employee-owner. What truly sets this opportunity apart is the chance to collaborate every day with dedicated, skilled, and supportive leaders. Whether you are in the office, in the field, or behind the scenes, working at LJA gives you the chance to grow through hands-on experience and exposure to a broad range of clients and services.

At LJA, our employee-owners take pride in their work and their workplace. We're guided by leaders who foster a culture of respect, collaboration, and a shared vision of success. Our difference is evident in the experiences and opportunities we provide:

• Employee-owned. Client-focused
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Consistently ranked as a Top Workplace
• Internal recruitment team, in-house training, and a marketing department specific to our industry
• We celebrate flexibility, allowing every team and office to lead with their proven approach
• Our culture champions continuous learning and personal growth
• We believe success comes through constant evolution and communication
• We are passionate about having fun and making money, all while creating impact

As an Associate Landscape Designer at LJA Land Development, you will be leveraging internal departments like surveying, contract administration, and environmental engineering to work with various specialists to implement new technologies and software. The Landscape Architecture team is building the foundations for a future that integrates data, research, and the latest innovations in our design process.

A typical day might include:

• Manage task assignments from multiple projects on varied timelines.
• Maintain company design styles, aesthetics, and quality to ensure clients' needs in decision-making and marketing are met.
• Have a basic understanding of time needed to complete assigned tasks and effectively communicate issues with project managers.
• Have a basic foundation of appropriate construction, finishing, and planting materials in our geographic areas of work.
• Work with and assist Project Managers, Associate Project Managers, and project staff to produce graphic and construction documents based on project needs and requirements and maintain project files and documentation.
• Efficiently communication with project team members
• Possess basic skills in graphic communication, efficiency, and knowledge in areas of design including, but not limited to, site design, planting design, and constructability.
• Actively work with senior staff to implement new and improve existing techniques, tools, and processes in both delivery and administration of projects.
• Regularly communicate with PM's and Senior staff on issues and/or time delays occurring in projects so that they can properly adjust scheduling and workloads for the team.
• Participate in meetings, conversations, and initiatives with Senior Staff as needed/assigned.
• Attend internal and external leadership and management workshops as available.
• Begin to participate in the development of proposals and SOQs and work with more senior staff to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the process of bringing new projects to the firm.

Required education/license/certifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Landscape Architecture (or related fields)
• 1-5 years of experience. Capable of independent work and managing assigned tasks from multiple PMs/APMs on multiple projects.

Required qualifications:

• Ability to consistently perform in a fast-paced environment.
• Capable of exploring solutions to design problems and presenting options to Project Managers and Principals
• Proficiency in CAD and Project Assembly
• Strong foundation in Graphic Communication
• Strong Site and Planting Design Skills
• Strong foundation in Presentation skills
• Familiarity with commonly used software:
• AutoCAD, GIS
• SketchUp, Lumion
• Photoshop, InDesign
• Revit/Vectorworks/Rhino
• BlueBeam, PlanGrid

Ideally, you should also have:

• Actively work towards a positive environment and motivate team members to improve.
• Actively collaborate with senior staff in updating existing techniques, tools, and processes in both delivery and administration of projects.
• Mentor entry level staff on company culture and team design processes.
• Participate in relevant profssional, young professional, and community organizations to grow personal professional network & skills and to increase exposure to the team.
• Build a foundation of strong communication skills: verbal, written, & graphic
• Attendance of relevant regional/state conferences/workshops to keep up on current trends & techniques and to increase professional network and BD exposure
• Develop a basic understanding of relevant and appropriate regulations at local, regional, and federal levels.
• Work with Project Managers to develop and maintain libraries of construction details to maintain high quality standards and to keep up to date with changing trends, innovations, and technologies in the AEC industry.

At LJA, we're 100% employee-owned. This drives results, rewards ambition and supports long-term success for every team member. With almost 100 locations and 3,000+ employee-owners (and growing), we're building something big! We want you to be part of it. Your future grows here.

• Generous Time Off: PTO, paid holidays, and a full office closure between Christmas and New Year's.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Multiple plan options for health, dental, and pets. Along with mental health support.
• Family Support: Paid maternity and parental leave to help you focus on what matters most.
• Education Support: Tuition reimbursement and in-house courses provided by our Learning and Development team.
• Referral Bonuses: Know great talent? Get rewarded for helping us grow.
• Community Impact: Company-sponsored volunteer days and philanthropic initiatives.
• Professional Development: Memberships to industry organizations to keep you connected and growing.
• Career Growth: Great internal mobility opportunities to advance your career.
• Fun Culture: LJA social events, employee sports teams, bring your kid to work day, etc.