Architecture Associate, Opticos Design, Inc. - Berkeley, CA

Architecture Associate

Opticos Design, Inc.

May 5, 2015 

Professional Area: 

Architecture

Housing

Urban Design

Experience: 

5-7 years

Contact person: 

Karen Parolek

Phone: 

5105586957

Email: 

jobs-as@opticosdesign.com

Website: 

http://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, California. 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 Associate to make an impact by helping to develop and lead our architecture practice, while also project managing urban design projects and participating in the tactical leadership of the Opticos team and culture. The job entails full project management responsibility for architecture and urban design 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 solid experience in architecture and urban design, ready to bring it to the table to help raise Opticos’ level of impact. This role is at the heart of who we are, someone able to see the vision, design and develop the solution, prioritize the implementation, work with all the players, and make it happen–with finesse!

Areas of Responsibility

Urban Design, Architecture and Coding:

1. Provide full range, high-quality and sustainable architectural services for various building types, primarily for use in walkable neighborhoods and appropriate to the given location and climate
2. Create exemplary walkable, transit-oriented urban designs, strategies and solutions
3. Generate compelling presentation drawings that clearly illustrate design concepts in the Opticos style, via hand drawing and computer rendering
4. Develop Form-Based Codes, Specific Plans and other planning documents using Opticos’ standards and templates, and participate in the continuing development of these templates and standards

Project Management:

1. Plan, organize, direct and control projects, from initial scope, schedule and budget development through project delivery, to provide well-designed, high-quality, timely and profitable results
2. Establish and maintain good relationships and communication with the full project team, including clients, subconsultants, and the internal team
3. Procure and manage internal staff and allocate project tasks
4. Work with bookkeeper to bill clients and manage subconsultant contracts

Tactical Leadership:

1. Lead development of the Opticos architecture and building products library
2. Help procure new projects through existing client relationships
3. Lead or assist on assigned research and development projects
4. Help lead Opticos operations as part of the Tactical Leadership Team, which works to:

• Procure, assign and manage project staffing and their workloads
• Oversee and enhance office work environment and logistics
• Develop and implement tactical solutions to Opticos strategic plans
• Support and advise Principals on the development of strategic plans

Qualifications

• Degree in Architecture and five or more years experience in an architecture or similar firm
• Licensed architect preferred; Candidates who are close to completing their requirements for licensure may be considered.
• Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator; 
• SketchUp; VectorWorks; Evernote; ArchiOffice; 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. 
• Advanced competency in document writing and editing 
• Excellent problem solving, design, and time management skills. Able to interpret and apply complex policies and procedures in a timely fashion. 
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and client, consultant and project administration effectively. 
• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills; articulate and professional, yet approachable in corresponding within the company and with clients and vendors. 
• Proven ability to work with sensitive material in an open, collaborative environment. 
• Self-motivated and service-oriented. 
• Stellar work ethic and a demonstrated penchant for ownership and getting the job done. 
• Great attitude, natural leadership, 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 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 $70 – $80k, plus benefits as mentioned above.

Opticos Design, Inc. is an equal-opportunity employer.

Process to Apply

Please send an email to jobs-as@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). 

1. What most excites you about our company? Be specific about at least two aspects.
2. What role have you held in the past that you sense is most similar to this the role described or what life experiences have you had that you sense have prepared you most for this role?
3. What challenges would you anticipate, if any, in taking this role?
4. Describe one thing you’ve learned about our organization while researching this opportunity.