What are the responsibilities and job description for the Field Crew Junior Builder position at Riley Projects?
Multi-trade
About Riley Projects We're a small design-build firm doing high-craft custom residential work in Los Angeles. Designer, project manager, and field crew under one roof. We're building toward employee ownership — the people who help build this company have a real stake in what it becomes. We're serious about developing the people on our team, not just using them.
How This Crew Works
Each member of this crew takes the lead at their phase of the build — and steps back to support when the baton passes. As a Junior Builder, you will follow and support whoever is leading the current phase. That means you'll work under the Framing carpenter during structure, under the Systems Builder during rough-in, under the Finish carpenter during interiors, and under the Foreman throughout.
That's not a limitation — it's the fastest education on a job site that exists. By the time you've been through one full build with this crew, you will have worked alongside four different builders at the top of their respective phases. Pay attention. The right person for this crew will see that opportunity clearly.
Mission of the Role
You are here to do the work that needs doing, learn from the people doing it at the highest level, and earn your way into more responsibility. The range is the point. You are building the foundation of what you'll eventually be great at — and you're doing it by watching great builders lead, phase by phase.
Focus of the Role
By the time you close out your first build with Riley Projects, the following things are true:
We will not use you as a body to move materials and leave it at that. You will work alongside experienced builders who are invested in developing your skills. The rotating nature of this crew means you'll learn from four different builders in a single project — each one leading at their best. Come ready to learn and you will leave every project sharper than you arrived.
Core Competencies
We pay fairly and we develop our people. As Riley Projects moves toward employee ownership (ESOP), the team being built today is the team that will have a stake in what this becomes. We'll talk through the full picture when we meet.
- Full build cycle
About Riley Projects We're a small design-build firm doing high-craft custom residential work in Los Angeles. Designer, project manager, and field crew under one roof. We're building toward employee ownership — the people who help build this company have a real stake in what it becomes. We're serious about developing the people on our team, not just using them.
How This Crew Works
Each member of this crew takes the lead at their phase of the build — and steps back to support when the baton passes. As a Junior Builder, you will follow and support whoever is leading the current phase. That means you'll work under the Framing carpenter during structure, under the Systems Builder during rough-in, under the Finish carpenter during interiors, and under the Foreman throughout.
That's not a limitation — it's the fastest education on a job site that exists. By the time you've been through one full build with this crew, you will have worked alongside four different builders at the top of their respective phases. Pay attention. The right person for this crew will see that opportunity clearly.
Mission of the Role
You are here to do the work that needs doing, learn from the people doing it at the highest level, and earn your way into more responsibility. The range is the point. You are building the foundation of what you'll eventually be great at — and you're doing it by watching great builders lead, phase by phase.
Focus of the Role
- You support whoever is leading the current phase. That changes as the build progresses. Structure, rough-in, finish — you will touch all of it. Pay attention at every stage.
- You move fast, you stay alert, and you anticipate what's needed before you're asked. A good Junior Builder is one step ahead of the work, not one step behind.
- You take feedback well and act on it immediately. You don't repeat mistakes. You ask good questions when you're unclear, and you don't guess when precision matters.
- You are the most coachable person on the site. You are here to learn — from the Foreman, from the phase leaders, from the work itself. You pay attention to what right looks like when you see it. You are building a picture of the whole, one phase at a time.
By the time you close out your first build with Riley Projects, the following things are true:
- The crew relied on you. Not just for labor — for your attention, your pace, your follow-through. You made every phase leader's work easier.
- You've been a useful crew member in at least three phases of the build. You understand how each one sets up the next.
- Your instincts are better. You've made mistakes and learned from them. You've received feedback and used it.
- You've started to develop a sense for which phase speaks to you most. That's the beginning of a real career. The Foreman has already noticed.
We will not use you as a body to move materials and leave it at that. You will work alongside experienced builders who are invested in developing your skills. The rotating nature of this crew means you'll learn from four different builders in a single project — each one leading at their best. Come ready to learn and you will leave every project sharper than you arrived.
Core Competencies
- 1–2 years of site exposure — residential preferred, but what matters more is that you've shown up, worked hard, and paid attention.
- You are physically capable and willing. This is demanding work, in the heat, on your feet, all day.
- You take pride in doing small things well. The person who cleans up after themselves, stacks material cleanly, and listens the first time — that's who we want.
- You are here because you want to become a great builder. Not because it's a job. That difference shows up every day and we'll know it quickly.
We pay fairly and we develop our people. As Riley Projects moves toward employee ownership (ESOP), the team being built today is the team that will have a stake in what this becomes. We'll talk through the full picture when we meet.