Full-Time | San Francisco, CA (On-Site, 5 Days/Week) | $160,000–$200,000
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About the Company
This is a vertically integrated real estate development, design, and construction platform focused exclusively on 100% affordable multifamily housing in California. The company operates as one integrated team across development, design, and construction, rather than as separate entities fighting over scope and budget.
The delivery model is built around standardized, componentized building systems: repeatable unit types, prefabricated and mass timber components, centralized BIM production, and automation tools designed to compress timelines. The goal is to start construction on thousands of affordable units across California in the coming years.
This is a company where architecture is expected to perform, not just inspire. If you have spent your career navigating adversarial developer-architect-GC dynamics, this environment will feel structurally different.
The Role
The Director of Architecture leads the architectural function at the center of this integrated platform. This is a player-coach position: you will carry technical project responsibility while simultaneously managing, recruiting, and developing a growing in-house architectural team.
This is not a conceptual studio leadership role. The work is technical, execution-oriented, and deeply cross-functional. You will own documentation quality, building performance standards, and alignment between design intent, structural systems, MEP coordination, and prefabricated components. You will also sit in the room where development and construction decisions are made.
The right person for this role wants proximity to the full system, not just the design phase of it.
What You'll Do
Lead multifamily projects through all phases, from feasibility through construction administration, with hands-on technical involvement across mid-rise and high-rise typologies
Manage in-house architects directly, setting standards, running QA/QC, and building a culture of technical clarity and accountability
Recruit and hire architects as the team scales, including developing the interview process and architectural standards that define who belongs on the team
Establish and maintain architectural workflows, documentation standards, and coordination systems across internal and external stakeholders
Collaborate daily with development and construction teams, translating architectural intent into buildable, cost-aligned solutions
Act as architectural lead in meetings with consultants, local Architects of Record, and permitting agencies across California jurisdictions
Support feasibility studies and early-stage site analysis; evaluate building systems including mass timber, modular, and prefabricated strategies
Drive repeatability and systemization across the portfolio, improving how projects are delivered, not just completing them
Who You Are
You have deep technical expertise and you lead from that expertise. Your approach to architecture is structured and logical. You make decisions under time pressure and you hold others accountable to the same standard. You are not primarily motivated by design recognition; you are motivated by seeing complex projects delivered well.
You have managed architects before and you understand that team building is a distinct skill from project delivery. You know what a high-functioning architectural team looks like and you know how to build one. You have hired before and you care about who you bring in.
You are comfortable operating in a fast-moving, design-build environment where the boundaries between architecture, construction, and development are intentionally blurred. You see that as an asset, not a constraint.
Qualifications
Professional degree in Architecture (B.Arch or M.Arch)
10+ years of architectural experience, with demonstrated leadership on mid-rise or high-rise multifamily projects
Direct experience managing architects and building architectural teams, including hiring
California licensure strongly preferred; active pursuit required if not yet licensed
Strong Revit proficiency and BIM leadership capability required
Deep knowledge of Type I, II, III, IV, and V construction typologies
Experience with California codes and municipal entitlement processes preferred
Exposure to mass timber, modular, or prefabricated building systems a plus
Bluebeam required; Procore or Autodesk Build helpful
Compensation and Benefits
Base salary: $160,000–$200,000, commensurate with experience
Project equity / promote participation
Medical, dental, vision
401(k) (no employer match)
PTO, holidays, sick leave
Commuter benefits and FSA
Free lunch four days/week
Dog-friendly office in Oakland
