Careers at Virginia Tech

The Community Design Assistance Center (CDAC), an outreach center in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design is seeking a landscape designer to prepare conceptual landscape designs for the summer into early fall 2025 for about 30 hours per week.

Job Description:

Reporting to and in collaboration with the Director and Project Manager, the primary role of the landscape designer is to work as a member of a project team alongside student employees to create conceptual landscape designs for communities. This position creates conceptual landscape designs of varying scales supplemented by perspectives, cross-sections, planting plans and plant palettes, and helps prepare for community workshops and presentations. Other primary responsibilities of the position include involvement in the community participation process with communities, giving presentations at community meetings, and preparing project reports. 

A successful candidate will be team-oriented with the ability to work independently; be able to prioritize and manage multiple projects and deadlines; have strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; be detail oriented; and be willing to travel on a regular basis for project work, some of which may require weekend and evening travel.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture or training and experience commensurate to this degree
• Practical, applied knowledge of the design process from site inventory and analysis through conceptual design development 
• Ability to generate high quality design materials and presentation graphics
• Intermediate proficiency with design and other software platforms (AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite, GIS, PowerPoint)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with 3D modelling software (i.e.: Sketchup, Rhino)
• Knowledge of plant materials
• Ability to produce hand graphics

Job Responsibilities

As a CDAC Landscape Designer Emergency Hire, position responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following tasks for each community project:

• Obtain GIS or other data to create base maps
• Ensure that all files are labeled and organized according to CDAC operating procedures.
• Perform inventory and site analysis, which typically includes assessment of existing conditions such as topography, views, hydrology, existing infrastructure, measuring existing structures, etc.
• Research case studies/precedents for any given sponsored project on which the Emergency Hire is a team member
• Assist in planning, preparing for, and conducting community meetings/workshops
• Create conceptual designs, master plans, and planting plans
• Create computer and/or hand renderings
• Present design work at community meetings
• Write and prepare project reports

Other:

• Must have a valid U.S. driver’s license.
• Position will require driving, physical demands such as walking, sometimes on uneven terrain, environmental hazards such as periodically working outside in the elements (weather).
• Repetitive movement through the use of computer/keyboarding

Pay Range

$24-25 per hour

Application Materials:

Interested candidates are asked to submit the following:

1. One-page cover letter
2. A digital portfolio of design work is required.
3. Updated resume
4. 3 professional references

About CDAC:

The Community Design Assistance Center is an outreach center within the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design. The CDAC provides conceptual level design assistance to non-profit organizations, community groups, and government agencies in the areas of landscape architecture, architecture, and interior design. The participatory design process paired with the creative ideas of student and staff employees helps communities transform their ideas into graphic form.  The process also builds community capacity and positions the community to leverage funding for next steps.