Lead Architectural Designer

LeadArchitectural Designer

Position Summary:

The Lead Architectural Designer is the creative and technical anchor of the design and pre-construction teams. This roleis responsible fororiginating new residential floor plans and elevations for our production and semi-custom homes, while alsomaintainingand refining existing plans across single-family and multi-family projects. The Lead ArchitecturalDesignercombines strong draftingexpertisewith creative design vision to develop buildable, cost-effective, and market-driven homes that meet company standards, building codes, buyerpreferencesand community guidelines. Successrequiresthe ability togeneratefresh design concepts, translate them into complete construction documents, manage the design team and multiple deadlines whilecollaboratingwith other departments to ensure plans areaccurate,deficientand ready forconstruction.

In this role, theLeadArchitectural Designeris the primary designer, responsiblefor creatingnew home designs,modifiesplans to meet lot-specific and homeowner needs, andsupportsupdates for inventory homes.Additionalduties include managing the plan library, preparing lot fit guidelines, and contributing to new community launches. Success in this position requires strong attention to detail,proficiencyin drafting software, and the ability to efficiently handle multiple projects and deadlines.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead the conceptual design process by developing original floor plans, elevations, and architectural features for new production and semi-custom homes.

• Collaborate with product development, interior design,salesand marketing teams to translate market research, buyerfeedbackand design trends into practical, buildable home designs.

• Evaluate and incorporate value-engineering opportunities, energy-efficiency improvements andcost-savinginnovations whilemaintainingaesthetic appeal and structural integrity.

• Mentor andprovidetechnical guidance to other members of the design team and drafters on plan accuracy, companystandardsand best practices.

• Develop, update, andmaintaindetailed construction drawings that align with current residential designs, company standards, and all applicable codes.

• Prepare andmodifyplans based on homeowner selections, community guidelines, and feedback from the field.

• Complete all drafting work accurately and on schedule, following established checklists and jurisdiction-specific requirements.

• Perform job site visits alongside construction managers and trade partners to review new products and homes in progress,identifyingopportunities to improveplanquality and efficiency.

• Address city review comments promptly by returning revisions within two businessdays andensure all requested field details are clearly drafted and communicated.

• Maintain up-to-date marketing exhibits and bid sets to ensure alignment across sales, estimating, and marketing teams.

• Develop and manage drafting templates, base plans, and design options in collaboration with the Product Development team to support consistency and scalability.

• Support new community launches by reviewing master plans and ensuring construction documents are complete and ready for implementation.

Qualifications and Experience:

Technical Skills:

• Proficiencyin Chief Architect

• Working knowledge of AutoCAD and Revit

• Strong understanding of residential construction practices, architectural detailing, and building code requirements

• Ability to develop complete, permit-ready construction document sets for field execution

• Design and Creative Skills

• Demonstrated ability tooriginatecreative, market-responsive residential designs for production and semi-custom homes.

• Strong conceptual and visualization skills with the ability to balance innovations,costand constructability.

• Experience incorporating current design trends, buyerlifestylesand sustainability features.

Professional Skills:

• Exceptional organization skills witha high levelof accuracy and attention to detail

• Self-motivated, deadline-oriented, and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously

• Effective communicator with the ability to collaborate across cross-functional teams

• Education:

• Degree or certification in Drafting, Architecture, or a related field preferred; equivalent hands-on experience in residential drafting will also be considered.

• Experience:

• 3 or moreyears of experience producing construction drawingsand developing original designs for residential homebuilding,production, semi-customhomesorcustom homes.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to read and interpret detailed construction drawings and field markups with accuracy.

• Regularly required to sit, stand, bend, reach, and move throughout an office environment.

• May be asked to perform other related duties as assigned.