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Job Title: Designer (Residential Focus)
Location: Pasadena, CA / Hybrid
Reports to: Creative Director
Employment Type: Full-Time

About The Organization
The Foothill Catalog Foundation is a mission-driven architecture nonprofit dedicated to fire recovery, housing equity, and resilient design. We’re a small, collaborative, and growing team based in Pasadena, focused on implementing a catalog of pre-approved homes for communities across California—starting with Altadena. We are grounded in technical excellence, mutual respect, and shared purpose.

Position Overview
The Foothill Catalog Foundation (TFCF) is seeking a technically skilled and detail-oriented Designer to support the documentation and implementation of pre-approved single-family home designs. This role is centered on high-quality production work—developing coordinated permit and bid documents using BIM, integrating consultant input, and ensuring compliance with design standards and applicable codes. Ideal candidates are confident in Revit, thrive in a production-focused role, and bring a strong foundation in single-family residential design. You’ll work closely with the Creative Director and broader team to ensure consistency, clarity, and technical precision across all drawing sets.

Responsibilities

Design Documentation & Quality Control

• Produce and refine home plan sets using Revit with shared templates, families, and detail libraries
• Coordinate with other designers to review and redline documentation to ensure completeness and consistency
• Translate conceptual design direction into precise technical drawings aligned with TFCF standards

Consultant & Builder Coordination

• Integrate inputs from structural, MEP, energy, and other consultants into coordinated construction drawings
• Support responses to builder feedback and incorporate feasible revisions
• Identify conflicts between consultant and builder recommendations and propose technical solutions

Specification Development

• Assist in drafting and refining shared project specifications (materials, assemblies, finishes, performance standards)
• Ensure consistency with TFCF’s sustainability and resilience priorities
• Support the implementation TFCF's design guidelines

Code Compliance & Coordination

• Ensure all documentation aligns with applicable California Building Code (CBC), CRC, WUI, and local permitting requirements
• Communicate proactively with the Creative Director about project progress, coordination needs, and emerging issues

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture or equivalent, Master's preferred but not required
• 2-5 years of relevant experience in residential design preferred
• Experience with California codes, permitting processes, and local jurisdictions preferred

Skills & Tools

• Excellent interpersonal skills with a track record of effective collaboration and relationship-building
• Proficient in Revit, Adobe Creative Suite, and Bluebeam
• Knowledge of single-family residential permitting and construction; understanding of wood-frame construction and residential detailing
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills; ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Eagerness to contribute to a mission-driven practice and expand technical skills over time

Compensation
Relative to skills and years of experience

Why Join TFCF?

• Contribute to innovative housing solutions rooted in equity, resilience, and community
• Collaborate with experienced architects and designers in a supportive, growth-oriented environment
• Play a key role in shaping the technical execution of a pioneering residential catalog

Applications should include a portfolio and brief cover letter.