Torres Architects Inc.™ always welcomes the disciples of Architecture at any level. Listed below are position outlines to help guide you when applying for a team position.

INTERN DRAFTER OR DESIGNER
Interns are most often described as employees who are still in school and working part time such as in a work-study program, or gaining work experience through summer employment. Their pay is typically at the low end of the scale for entry-level employees.

Sometimes there is no pay for those who are extremely inexperienced or who are receiving special educational experience at the office. This is equivalent to the position of "Apprentice Draftsman" of a couple of generations ago. In rare cases where an office or studio offers a dedicated educational program, the apprentice may pay the employer.

Interns' nominal responsibilities are essentially the same as those listed further on for Junior Level Drafters or Designers. They may have some expertise, but very little is expected at this level. They have the fewest and lightest responsibilities of the possible job roles listed in the Junior category on the next page.

ENTRY-LEVEL DRAFTER OR DESIGNER
Entry-level means fresh out of high school, technical school, community college, or university. University graduates are sometimes less employable than those with two-year college training because of a lack of technical skills, but they are expected to learn fast and become productive within three to six months of hiring.

Nominal responsibilities are essentially the same as those listed on the next page for Junior-Level Drafters or Designers.

JUNIOR-LEVEL DRAFTER OR DESIGNER
Some firms use the designation "Architect I" or "Drafter I" for this job slot. It typically refers to someone who has up to two years' working experience. A Junior with school experience would be expected to move to Intermediate or Architect or Engineer II status within a year. Those with little or no schooling, or who are taking night courses, may remain in this category for a couple of years.

Juniors' nominal responsibilities in most offices may include:

• Transposition of redlined check set data to working drawing in progress
• Design and planning of simple structure
• Translation of engineers' site surveys into architectural plot plans
• Transposition of sketched details, sections, and notes to working drawing sheets
• Layout of floor plan drawings and elevations from schematic drawings
• Door, window, finish, and fixture schedules
• Hatching, texturing, and finish-up entourage from schematic drawings
• Model building
• Measurement of existing conditions (usually with supervision)
• Closely supervised CADD inputting
• Site and building photography
• Clerical tasks such as maintaining technical and job files
• Diazo printing and photocopy
• Paste-up drafting and other office graphics
• Word processing inputting
• Office facilities operations and maintenance
• Errands

INTERMEDIATE DRAFTER OR DESIGNER
Unlicensed, with two to four years or cumulative working experience who had a substantial amount of technical training in school and part-time work experience during school may receive Intermediate status within a few months of full-time employment.

A graduate of a Master of Architecture program might qualify as an intermediate upon graduation, depending on work experience accumulated during schooling. A graduate of a four or five-year program with little experience would probably require two to four years' office work to qualify for the responsibilities listed below.

Intermediate's nominal responsibilities in most offices include:

• Transposition of redlined check set data to working drawings in progress
• All phases of design and planning
• Completion of site, foundation and floor plans, elevations, sections, and schedules for smaller buildings.
• Transportation of sketched details, sections, and notes onto working drawings sheets
• Near completion of site, floor plans, etc. for larger buildings
• Detail design for simpler, smaller building construction
• Some site construction observation and construction administration
• Assistance at presentation meetings and some degree of direct client contact
• Coordination of architectural and engineering drawings for smaller buildings
• Self-directed CADD input and checking
• Word processing
• Outline specification writing
• Shop drawing review with close supervision

All work of an Intermediate staff member must be carefully supervised and checked.

SENIOR DRAFTER OR DESIGNER
Five to eight years of cumulative education and working experience. A graduate of a Master of Architecture program with little office experience would probably require two years of comprehensive office experience to qualify. An employee with a substantial amount of technical training in school and part-time work experience during school may have Senior status within a year or less of full-time employment. A Senior may be licensed, but usually not without having worked at least a couple of years in this job category. After licensing, the job role is often renamed as "Staff Architect," "Project Architect," etc. Nominal responsibilities in most offices include:

• Response to Requests for Proposal for smaller and medium-size projects
• Predesign project planning and programming
  
• Schematic design for projects of almost any size and complexity
  
• Complete original building design and client presentation
  
• Financing documents for small-to-medium-size projects
  
• Coordination of the permit and approval process for projects of most sizes
  
• Complete, self-directed, original construction detail design and drafting
  
• Drafting and supervision of working drawings for projects of all sizes
  
• Check-print phase checking for progress, errors, and omissions
  
• Comprehensive engineering drawing coordination and checking
  
• Comprehensive shop drawing review and coordination
  
• Specification writing for simpler building types
  
• Bid administration for small-and medium-size projects
  
• All phases of construction site observation and administration
  
• Client contact and liaison
  
• Post-construction reviews / post-occupancy surveys
  
• Production and design office administration for smaller offices

PROJECT MANAGER, JOB CAPTAIN,
PROJECT ARCHITECT OR PROJECT ENGINEER
Typically seven to ten years' combined school and work experience. An energetic employee who worked summers and part time throughout school, and who aggressively pursued work and continuing education after graduation from a four- or five-year program might qualify to be a project manager within one to three years of graduation.

The responsibilities usually include most of those listed below. Qualification for all the responsibilities listed below usually require eight years' combined work experience and education, and completion of all or most of the licensing exams.

• All phases of marketing, presentation, and client relationships
• All phases of permits and approvals acquisition
• Site planning and some degree of skill in landscape architecture and interior furnishings selection
• All phases of design for buildings of virtually any size or complexity
• Supervision of one or more design and/or production team
• Complete design and production of original construction details
• Drafting and supervision of working drawings for projects of virtually any complexity
• Checkprint phase review for progress, errors, and omissions
• Comprehensive shop drawing review and coordination
• Complete specification writing
• Bid administration
• Supervision of CADD teams or departments
• All phases of construction administration
• Post construction reviews and post occupancy
• Production and design office administration

PRODUCTION MANAGER
A special role comparable to what used to be called "Chief Draftsman"-an overall technical supervisor and coordinator of the design studio and drafting room.

Capabilities and duties include those previously listed for PROJECT MANAGERS, plus:

• Quality control checking of all documents for permits or bidding
• Management and maintenance of the standard detail system
• Management and maintenance of the office manuals and/or checklist system
• Enforcement of office graphic standards
• Management of the office master specifications (unless handled by a professional specifications writer)
• Management of CADD graphic standards, layering systems, production files, etc.
• Overseeing or conduction cross-checking and coordination of specifications and working drawings
• Production personnel allocation and employee reviews
• Technical training and continuing education of design and drafting staff members
• Continuing technical education of job captains and project managers
• Enforcement of production standards among job captains and project managers
• Maintenance of technical reference library
• Maintenance of building code library and distribution and enforcement of primary code rules
• Management of in-office reprographic systems