Architectural Designer III / Job Captain - PreK-12

Harley Ellis Devereaux • San Diego, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

HED is seeking a passionate Architectural Designer III / Job Captain to join its growing PreK–12 Education practice in the San Diego office. This is a mid-level technical architecture role supporting PreK–12 project teams from early design through construction under the supervision of a seasoned Architect and/or Project Designer. The professional is expected to work with increasing autonomy while receiving guidance from senior staff on more complex elements. The ideal candidate has experience delivering California PreK–12 educational facilities and a strong understanding of Division of the State Architect (DSA) requirements.

HED is an integrated design firm bringing together architects, engineers, planners, and designers. Its PreK–12 practice creates learning environments intended to support educational excellence, community engagement, and student success. The firm emphasizes collaboration, inclusion, meaningful impact, adaptability, professional growth, and strong performance. The role offers the opportunity to design educational environments, collaborate across disciplines, work with school districts and other stakeholders, and contribute to mentorship and continuous learning in a flexible hybrid environment.

The position is based in a professional, open-space office environment and follows a hybrid model, allowing work from home alongside regular in-office days for collaboration. The role includes travel to project sites for meetings, observations, investigations, and evaluations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and licensure or being in the process of licensure required.
• Minimum seven years of experience in the architecture/engineering industry required.
• Proficiency in Revit required.
• Demonstrated experience delivering California PreK–12 educational facilities projects required.
• Strong working knowledge of DSA procedures, the California Building Code, the California Accessibility Code, and educational facility design standards.
• Comprehensive understanding of coordination aspects and related requirements across all design disciplines.
• Good written and verbal communication skills and strong organizational skills.
• Ability to motivate and mentor staff and delegate work assignments.
• Detail-oriented, self-motivated, enthusiastic, and flexible.
• Ability to work well with others under deadline situations.
• Ability to travel to and from project sites and access existing and new sites for observation, investigation, and evaluation.
• Ability to use equipment for communication and documentation purposes.
• Visual acuity to perform job responsibilities.

Nice To Haves

• LEED Accredited preferred.
• Passion for sustainable and resilient design.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and coordination of the architectural scope of work, including developing and maintaining the Discipline Work Plan in collaboration with the Project Manager.
• Produce and manage coordinated construction documents that meet firm quality standards, technical accuracy, and code compliance in accordance with the HED Design Process.
• Coordinate with internal team members and external consultants to support technical alignment, design integrity, and consistency across disciplines.
• Support code interpretation and regulatory compliance, and coordinate with Authorities Having Jurisdiction for permitting and approvals.
• Research materials, products, and building systems to inform detailing and specification development.
• Oversee construction administration activities, including RFIs, submittals, and field reports, under senior technical leadership supervision.
• May serve as Architect of Record as determined by project leadership and sign and seal documents as appropriate.
• Provide technical mentorship to junior team members and support the development of technical standards.
• Travel to project sites to attend client, project, and construction meetings and to conduct observations, investigations, and evaluations.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level