A Landscape Architect plans and designs outside spaces and land, including parks, private gardens, subdivisions, highways, and industrial sites. Uses architectural and design skills and knowledge of plants and trees; addresses land use issues; reviews the environmental impacts of construction projects.
$90,000.00 - $130,000.00 Most designers spend their careers handing off a set of plans and hoping the finished space resembles the idea. That is not this job. K&D has been building landscapes across the Monterey Bay region since 1986. We are family-founded, more than 160 people strong, and our Design Build division takes on high-end residential projects where the details matter and the budgets are real. We are looking for one person to lead our design department, shape how design work gets done here, and stay close enough to the field to watch their drawings come out of the ground. If you are the designer on your team who quietly fixes the process, chases the detail nobody else noticed, and wants a bigger canvas, keep reading.
WHAT YOU WOULD OWN
The design. Residential landscapes from first concept through construction-ready plans. Hardscape, planting, grading, drainage, lighting, structures, and outdoor living, draft accurately in Vectorworks, AutoCAD, or similar. The client relationship. Discovery through design approval. You lead the budget conversation, communicate the vision, and hold expectations steady across months of work. The process. You own the design workflow and the design sales process. You build it, measure it, and adjust it as we grow. The pipeline. You keep the design team supplied with clear direction and steady work, and you keep projects from stalling between phases.
WHY THIS SEAT IS DIFFERENT
You lead a department, not just a drafting queue. This is the design seat at K&D, and it comes with real authority over how the work gets done. You design to real budgets. We qualify projects up front, so you are drawing for clients who can build what you put on paper. You see your work built. Our production team is in-house, and you stay involved through construction instead of leaving after at handoff. You get modern tools. K&D invests heavily in technology, and we actively encourage AI to take the busywork out of the job. You get a leader who wants your input. The VP of Construction is looking for a partner in building this department, not someone to hand assignments to.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
You will thrive here if you bring: A strong portfolio of residential landscape design with real construction outcomes behind it. High proficiency in Vectorworks or AutoCAD, plus 3D modeling, rendering, and presentation tools. A track record of designing accurately to a defined budget. Genuine comfort in client conversations, including the money conversation. Experience directing outside designers, consultants, or partners and holding them to a deadline. Strategic instincts. You build systems, not just drawings. Real fluency with technology and curiosity about where it is going. Working knowledge of construction methods, grading, drainage, and permitting in coastal California.
WHAT WE OFFER
Competitive compensation based on experience, with the pay range listed above. Medical, dental, and vision 401(k) with company match, paid time off, and paid holidays Vehicle or mileage allowance, phone, and laptop Ongoing training, industry certifications, and a company that promotes from within. A stable, growing, family-founded company.
RAISE THE BAR K&D
Landscaping is built on safety, teamwork, professionalism, humility, hunger, and respect. We hire people who own the outcome, communicate early and often, and are never satisfied with good enough. K&D Landscaping, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.
Offered compensation:
$90,000/yr - $130,000/yr Experience and License Requirements Experience in a landscape architecture or design firm (optional) Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) (optional) Proficiency in AutoCAD (Vectorworks experience is a plus) (optional)
