Design Principal

TREEPEOPLE INC•Los Angeles, CA

2d•$85,000 - $90,000

About The Position

The Green Infrastructure Design Principal will manage projects in TreePeople’s innovative and impactful green infrastructure portfolio. These include our existing school greening, green streets, public parks, and lawn to landscape projects. Our green infrastructure projects center community-led design processes and bring together complex teams of stakeholders, agencies, and partners to design and implement change making projects across Los Angeles. We are looking for someone with a Landscape Architecture background who has experience with construction processes and landscape design. TreePeople is an environmental nonprofit whose mission is to inspire, engage and support people to take personal responsibility for the environment, making it safe, healthy, fun and sustainable; we share our process as a model for the world. TreePeople is among the largest independent environmental organizations in California. Sustained by a team of educators, foresters, organizers, and administrators as well as thousands of trained “Community Foresters,” TreePeople plays a leading role in mobilizing individuals, private businesses, and government agencies to work together to create resilient communities capable of withstanding the mounting challenges of climate change. For almost 50 years, TreePeople has partnered with community volunteers to plant and care for millions of trees throughout the cities and mountains of Southern California. The Green Infrastructure Design Principal leads multi-disciplinary teams to design and implement impactful community-led green infrastructure projects including green streets, schools, and parks. Successful candidates will have strong experience in and sound working knowledge of green infrastructure design and construction processes. Demonstrated experience should include developing and maintaining clear and effective communication between contractors and consultants, and should also include effective supervision of and leadership for internal project teams.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in landscape architecture or equivalent experience
At least 5 years of professional experience managing projects that involve civil/landscape engineering, landscape architecture, and related fields
Knowledge and experience with green infrastructure and nature based solutions.
Highly organized, detailed oriented, strong work ethic, friendly, smart, proactive and a quick learner
Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
Experience working with community members, their representatives and advocates to assess their needs and strengths
Experience working and communicating with project engineers and related technical staff at public agencies and private firms and translating (in relatable terms) for staff and other interested parties
Experience in construction management and administration
Ability to work with flexibility in teams and independently toward completion deadlines
Proficiency in AutoCAD, Adobe Suite, GIS and/or other project design software

Nice To Haves

Licensed landscape architect
Bilingual Spanish/English

Responsibilities

Lead and manage all phases of green infrastructure projects, ensuring delivery on schedule, within budget, and in alignment with grant requirements and TreePeople values
Lead in-house green infrastructure design efforts, from concept design through construction documents and specifications
Set and communicate a clear design vision aligned with TreePeople's values
Produce presentation materials such as renderings, illustrative plans, and diagrams to communicate design intent
Ensure designs comply with all applicable rules, regulations, and permitting requirements through agency coordination and research
Lead permitting, approvals, and agency coordination processes
Develop and maintain project work plans, schedules, and task assignments
Develop and track project budgets; review and approve expenditures; develop or commission cost estimates as needed
Lead regular project meetings, ensuring they are efficient, well-documented, and result in clear next steps
Lead coordination with subcontractors to achieve deliverables on time, on budget, and in compliance
Coordinate project changes in budget, schedule, or scope with the Director of Green Infrastructure
Facilitate regular coordination with public agencies, funders, and community stakeholders; ensure feedback is incorporated into design
Lead progress reports to agencies and funders as required; coordinate submittals and any contract amendments or extensions with the Grants team
Assist other TreePeople departments with landscape design-related tasks as needed
Select contractors and consultants through interviews, RFPs, and competitive bidding
Coordinate with the Director of Green Infrastructure to develop subcontracts, MOUs, and other legal project documents
Ensure subcontractors, consultants, and vendors comply with all contracts throughout the project
Attend construction sites to verify work is being built in alignment with approved designs
Document construction progress through photographs and meeting notes
Oversee construction communications including RFIs, submittals, and bulletins
Respond to RFIs and field questions during construction
Supervise final inspections, punchlists, and completion reviews
Support project close-out documentation and reporting
Conduct regular one-on-ones and annual/90-day performance reviews
Monitor workloads, set clear expectations, and assign tasks through Asana
Approve timesheets and time-off requests
Address performance issues in partnership with HR and the Director of Green Infrastructure
Support professional development and identify growth opportunities
Foster a positive, inclusive, and productive team culture
Supervise coordination with internal departments (education, marketing/communications, forestry) as needed
Help recruit, interview, hire, and onboard new team members as needed.
Coordinate with Marketing/Communications for social media, press releases, media inquiries, and events
Participate in interviews and presentations to share project details
Supervise project website updates to keep content current
Coordinate with the Development team to keep donors informed of project progress
Oversee planning of project events such as groundbreakings, ribbon cuttings, workshops, and tree plantings
Represent TreePeople at meetings, fundraising, marketing, membership, and volunteer events
Lead and coordinate site walk-throughs with internal teams, contractors, agencies, and community groups
Contribute to project proposals as requested
Help identify, cultivate, and strengthen strategic partnerships
Meet deadlines and proactively flag potential delays
Respond to internal and external communications within 2 business days
Contribute ideas and improvements to projects, workflows, and systems
Support teammates and contribute to a positive work culture
Participate in annual workshops and all-staff meetings