Senior Landscape Designer / Project Designer

We are seeking an experienced Landscape Designer / Project Designer who understands both sides of the profession: designing exceptional landscapes and actually getting them built.

This is not an entry-level position and it is not primarily a CAD drafting role.

We are an established landscape company serving Sarasota and the surrounding Gulf Coast market, with the crews, equipment and operational resources to take projects from initial concept through completed installation.

Our preference is to find the right person for a long-term, full-time position, although we are also open to working with an exceptional designer on a freelance or project basis.

The Role

We are looking for someone capable of taking ownership of the landscape design process.

Depending on the project, we may provide site photographs, measurements, existing conditions, client requirements and an initial concept or design direction. From there, you should be capable of developing that information into a thoughtful, detailed and buildable professional landscape plan.

For the right person, involvement extends well beyond producing drawings:

Site → Concept → Design → Client Revisions → Final Plan → Field Layout → Installation → Finished Landscape

We want a designer who enjoys seeing their work become reality.

You will work directly with company ownership, project management and experienced field personnel and have the opportunity to remain involved from initial concept through installation.

What You'll Do

Responsibilities may include:

• Develop professional landscape plans using DynaScape, AutoCAD or comparable professional software
• Create detailed planting plans and specifications
• Select appropriate plant material, sizes, quantities and spacing
• Develop hardscape concepts and layouts
• Incorporate landscape lighting into designs
• Conduct site visits and evaluate existing conditions
• Present and discuss designs with clients when appropriate
• Collaborate with ownership, project managers and installation crews
• Lay out plant material and design elements in the field
• Participate in project setup and installation oversight
• Make practical design adjustments as field conditions require
• Help ensure the completed landscape reflects the original design intent

Who We're Looking For

We are looking for a landscape designer first—not simply someone who knows how to operate design software.

You should understand scale, proportion, repetition, texture, massing, sight lines, circulation and how landscapes change and mature over time.

Just as importantly, you should be comfortable walking onto a job site, evaluating what you see and translating a two-dimensional design into a successful finished landscape.

The strongest candidates will typically have:

• Approximately 8–10 years of professional landscape design experience
• Strong Florida/subtropical plant and horticultural knowledge
• A portfolio of completed high-quality residential and/or commercial landscapes
• Advanced proficiency with DynaScape, AutoCAD or comparable professional design software
• Experience with hardscape design and material selection
• Experience incorporating landscape lighting
• Practical knowledge of landscape construction and installation
• Experience working directly with installation crews and project managers
• Ability to communicate effectively with clients and field personnel
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to manage projects and make sound design decisions independently

A landscape architecture degree or related education is welcome, but demonstrated design ability, practical experience and completed work are more important to us than credentials alone.

Your Portfolio Matters

We are particularly interested in seeing the relationship between what you designed and what ultimately got built.

Please provide:

• Examples of landscape plans you personally created
• Photographs of completed installations resulting from your designs
• A professional portfolio or portfolio link
• Résumé detailing relevant landscape design experience
• Details of the professional design software you currently use
• Professional references

Full-Time Opportunity

Our preference is to find an experienced designer interested in becoming a long-term member of our team.

For the right person, this position offers considerably more involvement and autonomy than simply producing drawings behind the scenes. The role can evolve around the individual's strengths and may include design, client interaction, site evaluation, estimating support, project planning, field layout and installation oversight.

Full-time benefits include:

• Company vehicle
• Paid time off
• Competitive compensation based on experience and capabilities
• Long-term, stable employment with an established company
• Significant creative involvement and project ownership
• Direct involvement from concept through completed installation

Freelance / Contract Designers

We are also interested in hearing from highly experienced independent landscape designers who prefer a freelance or project-by-project relationship.

We can provide site information, photographs, measurements, documentation and preliminary design direction. You would collaborate with our team to develop the concept into a professional, buildable landscape plan.

Compensation can be structured hourly or by project depending upon experience, scope and level of involvement.

Before Applying

This position is best suited to someone with substantial real-world landscape design experience, rather than primarily academic, rendering or drafting experience.

If you've spent years designing landscapes, have watched those designs move through construction and installation, understand what works in the field and take pride in the finished result, we'd like to see your work.

Please submit your résumé and portfolio or portfolio link showing both professional landscape plans and completed installations.

Pay: $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Application Question(s):

• How many years of professional landscape design experience do you have?
• Are you able to provide a portfolio showing landscape plans you personally designed and, where available, photographs of completed installations?
• Briefly, what professional landscape design software do you currently use?

Work Location: In person

Salary : $80,000 - $90,000