Architectural Director of Design

Job Description

Job Description

Westside Design, in partnership with Westside Build, is a Santa Monica–based design and construction firm rebuilding homes across the Pacific Palisades in the wake of the wildfire. We bring architecture, design, and construction under one roof, with a strong emphasis on technology, speed, and craft.

We are seeking a Director of Design to lead the design vision across our growing portfolio of custom single-family homes, ADUs, and residential rebuilds. This is a senior leadership role spanning concept design, schematic design, and client management. Ideal for someone energized by building a design culture and team from the ground up at an early-stage, fast-moving company.

The Director of Design will directly lead our Project Managers and Project Architects, who are responsible for BIM model development, construction documentation, and permit-ready deliverables in Revit. You will set the design intent and quality bar that the team documents and executes against, review their work at key milestones, and serve as the design authority they escalate to on coordination, code, and client-facing design decisions.

Role Summary

The Director of Design is a licensed architect with a thorough command of architectural practice who develops firm-wide design standards and leads the design department. The role oversees design presentations, monitors design development across all projects, and provides the direction and support needed to ensure consistent, high-quality design firm-wide. A deep working knowledge of design, building materials, construction methods, the integration of engineering disciplines, and building costs and codes is essential.

Requirements

Design Leadership

• Lead and maintain the design vision and quality across all active projects, from concept through construction documentation.

• Set and uphold design standards, detailing conventions, and material and finish direction.

• Review and approve design at each milestone before projects advance.

• Lead client presentations and serve as the senior design voice in client relationships, balancing vision with budget, schedule, and code realities.

• Partner with the Managing Principal on overall studio direction, design culture, and the firm’s positioning in the Palisades rebuild and the broader LA residential market.

Leading the Project Team

• Translate design intent into clear direction the team can execute, and serve as the point of escalation when design questions arise during documentation, consultant coordination, or construction administration.

• Review team-led QA/QC on drawings and models before permit submission, ensuring design intent is preserved through to construction-ready sets.

• Support the team in resolving design-related clashes surfaced through coordination with structural, MEP, and civil consultants.

• Help develop and refine office-wide design and documentation standards alongside the Managing Principal, and ensure the team is equipped to deploy them consistently.

Client Relationships

• Build relationships with clients early and serve as the steady design voice they turn to as their project moves from first sketches into permitted construction documents.

• Translate each client’s goals, taste, and lifestyle into a clear design direction, and keep that vision intact as the project passes through engineering coordination, code review, and value engineering.

• Be the calm, confident presence in difficult conversations, budget tradeoffs, schedule pressure, and site surprises, keeping the focus on the client’s original intent.

Process & Delivery

• Help define how design technology is used to improve design quality and speed across projects.

• Participate in jobsite visits as needed to confirm that design intent is being realized in the field.

• Contribute to scheduling and resourcing decisions that affect design quality and delivery timelines.

Required Qualifications

• Professional architecture degree (B.Arch and/or M.Arch); licensed architect in California.

• 15+ years of professional architectural experience, including significant time focused on residential architecture (custom single-family homes, ADUs, and/or rebuilds).

• Demonstrated experience leading design on residential projects from concept through construction, including managing or mentoring project managers, project architects, or designers.

• Strong working knowledge of BIM workflows in Revit—enough to direct and review the documentation work of the team, even if you are not modeling day-to-day.

• Strong understanding of residential construction methods, detailing, and constructability.

• Experience producing or overseeing permit-ready residential construction document sets and supporting permitting in LA County.

• Excellent client-facing communication and presentation skills.

• Authorized to work in the United States.

• Willing and able to perform as-needed on-site jobsite visits.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in a design leadership role (Design Director, Director of Design, Principal, or Design Principal) at an architecture or integrated design-build firm.

• Proficiency with Bluebeam and Procore.

• Experience working on rebuild or disaster-recovery housing.

Who You’ll Lead

You will be the direct manager and design escalation point for the firm’s Project Managers and Project Architects—the staff who lead BIM model development, produce permit-ready construction documentation, coordinate consultants, run QA/QC, and mentor junior staff on their own projects. Your job is to give them clear design direction, unblock design decisions quickly, and review their work at the key milestones.

Benefits

Benefits

• Hybrid work schedule: four days in-office, one day remote.

• Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, and vision).

• Paid time off and holidays.

• Professional development opportunities.

• A collaborative, innovative work environment with a supportive culture focused on mentorship and growth.

• A rare opportunity to shape the design leadership and culture of a company from the start, while doing meaningful work rebuilding a community.

Compensation: Commensurate with experience and scope of leadership responsibility. The salary range for this role is $130,000–$170,000.