Vice President of Research & Design

Old Town Design Group

Vice President of Research and Design

Job Description

Primary Function:

The Vice President of Research and Design (“VP”) will lead the architectural planning for all product lines and continue to expand the price points in which OTDG builds homes in Central Indiana and beyond. The VP will manage the Drafting and Design team, coordinate across departments, lead research into current markets, trends, and drive innovative design for Old Town.

Contribution to Company Mission and Vision:

The Vice President of Research and Design shall work collaboratively to ensure that the Company continues to create communities that flourish, while supporting the foundational principles of pursuing outstanding locations and timeless designs. The VP shall maintain the integrity of the Old Town brand in all aspects of their position while contributing to the values of gratitude, ownership, perseverance, adaptability and innovation.

Role Absolutes:

1. Create and review innovative residential plans that demonstrate timeless designs in response to market demands, specific client preferences, and competitive threats, while aligning with Old Town’s goals for profit margin.
2. Adjust existing designs and lead the development of new product lines in response to Old Town’s proposed developments.
3. Train and lead the Drafting and Design Team to support exceptional client experience and long-term product development that ensures excellence, scalability and market differentiation.

Primary Responsibilities:

Design Innovation & Expertise:

• Lead the Drafting and Design team in a manner that promotes professional development, continuous learning, application of design principles, and responsible sourcing of materials
• Develop the minimum design standards for new and existing product lines
• Ensure successful design standards are met and refreshed on existing product
• Manage architectural development from schematic design to full construction plans
• Maintain a clear design philosophy and visual identity that distinguishes the Old Town brand
• Drive innovation in constructability and cost optimization while maintaining high end quality
• Adjust designs based on client feedback in the process, as well as post-occupancy to consider enhancing livability

Research and Market Insight:

• Monitor, forecast and appropriately incorporate design trends
• Conduct market research for all new neighborhoods before proposing appropriate existing products or new designs
• Demonstrate thought leadership in Old Town’s target areas to differentiate from other builders
• Propose an Annual Learning and Development strategy that ensures the Drafting and Design Team is exposed to the most up to date design trends and market insights
• Build, refresh and share out a formal research report that integrates demographic data, sales feedback, post-occupancy learning and competitive analysis into actionable product decisions
• Competitive landscape research assessed and shared at least biannually with leadership
• Leverage AI to deliver enhanced consumer experience

Drafting and Design Strategy:

• Generate great design that can scale with the needs of the company
• Coordinate with Land Development to understand the needs of upcoming neighborhoods and generate product launch timelines accordingly
• Guide the creative team in developing and sharing both new designs and iterations of existing
• Lead the Drafting and Design team in conducting as-builts to assess required process improvements, design changes, and service to field team and vendors
• Future-proof product lines by understanding changes in regulations and construction standards
• Leverage AI to deliver enhanced design

Cross functional Leadership:

• Serve as a liaison among Construction, Sales and Marketing, and Drafting and Design teams and in developing new products
• Work with the Land Development team to plan new and existing subdivision infrastructure based on new plan development
• Maintain informed and productive relationships with all subcontractors including architects, engineers, environmental companies, and general contractors
• Participate in weekly project meetings with agendas that include status updates, tasks to be accomplished, recommendations for selection of third-party subcontractors, consultants, expertise, etc., and clearly defined decisions needed from other leaders along with reasonable justifications and proposed timeframes
• Prepare and report out at Design Group Board Meetings on new product trends, acting as a key advisor to leadership and founders on product strategy and market expansion decisions
• Collaborate with Marketing on brand differentiators and product promotion
• Coordinate directly with Purchasing and Estimating on the implications of design costs and working within target project margins
• Support exceptional client experience in coordination with the Sales Team

Other duties as assigned.

Confidentiality:

Following the Employee’s acceptance of the Offer Letter, and prior to commencement of employment with the Company, the Employee shall execute the Company’s confidentiality agreement.

Reporting:

Directly to the President of Design Group

Additional Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant subject matter
• 10 years’ experience in residential design and construction
• Deep understanding of the Indianapolis market & national design trends
• Demonstrated leadership over multidisciplinary teams
• Inspires, guides and promotes creative thinking in team members
• Passion for learning, assessing and applying innovative practices in design
• Strong use of CAD, Revit, Bluebeam, Microsoft Office
• Ability to think strategically
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Exceptional ability to engage with clients