Designer
Opticos Design, Inc.
March 9, 2015
Professional Area:
Architecture
Urban Design
Other topics not covered above
Experience:
Entry level
Contact person:
Karen Parolek
Email:
jobs-ds@opticosdesign.com
Location:
Berkeley, CA
Are you passionate about walkable neighborhoods and high-quality architecture rooted in climate and place? Are you enthusiastic, self-motivated, and want to make an impact? You may be just the person we are looking for.
Opticos Design, Inc. is an award-winning urban design and architecture firm in Berkeley, CA. We are a founding B Corporation, committed to a triple-bottom line of social, environmental, and financial responsibility. That commitment informs every project we select and each choice we make—both professional and personal. We don’t just ask others to go car-free; we bike, walk, or take public transit to our office located in a mixed-use urban center. We’re the first to admit that we’re far from perfect, but we are trying to make a difference. We shop locally, live small, and work responsibly. These decisions inform our work at every level, and as a result, we are delighted to help create communities that thrive and buildings that withstand the test of time. They also inform our own internal working culture. We all work hard to have a big impact and have fun while doing it. We’re creative, entrepreneurial, team-oriented, and fun.
We’re looking for a new Designer to help us make an impact by participating as part of the design team. This is an entry-level position that entails participation on urban design and architecture projects, from initial design through the final deliverables. We’re looking for someone with a passion for walkable, bikable, transit-oriented places and the architecture that makes them work. The ideal candidate will be a dedicated team player and great communicator who loves to engage in order to improve any process. They will have a degree in architecture and/or urban design and be eager to learn more to help raise Opticos’s level of impact.
Areas of Responsibility
Urban Design, Architecture, and Coding:
- Assist in the creation of exemplary walkable, transit-oriented urban designs, strategies, and solutions
- Help provide a full range of high-quality and sustainable architectural services for various building types, primarily for use in walkable neighborhoods and appropriate to the given location and climate
- Generate compelling presentation drawings that clearly illustrate design concepts in the Opticos style, via hand drawing and computer rendering
- Assist in developing Form-Based Codes, Specific Plans, and other planning documents using Opticos’s standards and templates, and participate in the continuing development of these templates and standards
- Assist on research and development projects
Qualifications
- Degree in Architecture and 0–3 years experience in an architecture or similar firm
- Good design skills in both architecture and urban design
- Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator; SketchUp; VectorWorks; and Microsoft Word and Excel. If no direct experience with these programs, then a qualified candidate will have demonstrable evidence of competencies in being able to quickly learn new software applications
- Good problem solving, design, and time management skills
- Competency in document writing and editing
- Solid interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills; articulate and professional, yet approachable in corresponding with others
- Self-motivated and service-oriented
- Stellar work ethic and a demonstrated penchant for getting the job done
- Great attitude and a sense of humor
- Passionate about sustainable urban design and architecture
Compensation
As with many other things at Opticos, our compensation methods may be a little different. All staff, from the Principals to the office staff, start with modest but reasonable salaries. This keeps our baseline reasonable, which helps us to weather storms as a team, including the recent recession in which we did not have any layoffs due to the recession. Then in good times, we all share in the bounty, with a portion of our profits distributed to the team as bonuses. We also offer benefits, including health insurance, long-term disability insurance, a Simple IRA retirement plan, paid time off, and paid holidays with an extra paid week off in December.
Our baseline compensation for this position is $22.60/hr, plus benefits as mentioned above. Opticos Design, Inc. is an equal-opportunity employer.
Process to Apply
Please send an email to jobs-ds@opticosdesign.com and address the following topics in a cover letter in the order described below (emails and cover letters that do not explicitly address the following questions will be dismissed without review). Please do not call about this position; only emailed applications will be considered.
- What most excites you about our company? Be specific about at least two aspects.
- What are you most interested in learning through this role?