Principal Architect

Compensation: Approximately $150,000 base salary + bonus, depending on experience

About AlphaX RE Capital

AlphaX RE Capital and its affiliated entities form a women-founded, integrated real estate firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area . Committed to creating innovative and sustainable housing solutions throughout California, our group manages an extensive and growing portfolio of assets and development projects. We are a leader in addressing the housing crisis by developing sustainable and affordable communities.Taking a comprehensive approach, we oversee the complete real estate lifecycle from end to end. AlphaX emphasizes diversity, equity, and social impact, with initiatives such as the AlphaX Foundation and Small Builders Association empowering future leaders, women, and minorities in real estate. Our headquarters is located in Cupertino, CA , with additional offices in Southern California and Arizona.

About the Role

This position is employed by Alignment Architects Inc , a brand of AlphaX RE Capital . We are seeking an experienced Principal Architect to lead single-family residential projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. This role will manage projects from feasibility and schematic design through planning, permitting, construction documentation, and construction administration. The ideal candidate combines strong residential design and technical expertise with advanced Revit skills, deep knowledge of California building codes, and hands‑on experience navigating Bay Area planning and permitting processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead architectural design for single-family homes, residential communities, and townhome projects.
• Maintain a high standard of architectural quality across projects.
• Balance design quality with budget, constructability, schedule, and development objectives.
• Review and guide the work of architects, designers, and project teams.
• Establish consistent architectural standards and best practices.

Technical Documentation & QA/QC

• Perform detailed technical reviews of architectural drawing sets.
• Review plans, elevations, sections, details, schedules, and specifications for completeness and consistency.
• Identify missing information, conflicts, and constructability issues before they reach construction.
• Coordinate architectural drawings with structural, civil, MEP, landscape, and other consultant drawings.
• Establish and maintain internal QA/QC standards and drawing review processes.Ensure drawing sets are technically sound and sufficiently detailed to clearly instruct construction .

Construction Documents & Drafting

• Personally review, redline, and improve construction documents.
• Be comfortable getting into the details of drawings and architectural detailing.
• Develop and improve drawing standards, templates, details, and production workflows.
• Help the team produce accurate permit and construction documents efficiently.
• Improve both the quality and speed of document production.
• Lead projects through the Bay Area building permit process.
• Coordinate with planning and building departments and plan checkers.
• Anticipate permitting issues and resolve them early.
• Manage plan‑check comments and responses.
• Help the team achieve fast and predictable permit approvals .
• Lead coordination between architectural and structural, civil, MEP, landscape, and other consultants.
• Review consultant deliverables for quality and coordination.
• Identify conflicts and drive issues to resolution.
• Ensure the architectural and consultant drawing sets remain coordinated throughout the project.
• Lead, mentor, and develop architects and designers.
• Establish clear expectations for design quality, technical documentation, and deadlines.
• Review team members' work and provide direct, actionable feedback.
• Build efficient workflows that allow the team to manage multiple projects without sacrificing quality.
• Develop systems and standards that improve consistency across the organization.

Qualifications Required

• Professional degree in Architecture (B.Arch, M.Arch, or equivalent).
• California architectural license (RA) or equivalent licensure.
• 10–15+ years of professional architectural experience.
• Significant experience with Bay Area residential development .
• Strong experience with single-family homes, residential communities, and/or townhomes .
• Proven experience taking projects from design through permit and construction documents .
• Strong technical knowledge of architectural detailing and construction documentation.
• Strong understanding of California building codes and Bay Area permitting processes.
• Extensive experience coordinating architectural drawings with structural, civil, MEP, landscape, and other consultants.
• Strong drafting and documentation skills.
• Proficiency in Revit, AutoCAD, or comparable architectural production software .
• Proven ability to lead and mentor a team.

Strongly Preferred

• Experience working on residential projects in Silicon Valley and the greater Bay Area.
• Experience with multiple-home residential communities and townhome developments.
• Experience working directly with real estate developers.
• Experience working with jurisdictions such as Cupertino, San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Saratoga, Campbell, or surrounding Bay Area cities.
• Strong understanding of residential construction methods and sequencing.
• Experience working directly with general contractors.
• Experience establishing or improving architectural QA/QC systems.
• Experience improving architectural production efficiency and document standards.

Preferred Qualifications

We are looking for someone who is both a strong architect and a strong technical leader .

You should be able to:

Document well.

Coordinate well.

Solve technical problems.

Lead people.

And get projects done efficiently.

You should know what makes a residential drawing set complete, coordinated, buildable, and permit-ready .

You should be comfortable identifying problems before they become construction issues, and you should enjoy improving the systems and processes that allow a team to consistently produce better work.

We value quality, technical rigor, speed, and accountability .

AlphaX RE Capital offers a benefits package and a welcoming office culture designed to support our team. Employees are provided with medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with access to a 401(k) retirement savings plan. Additionally, we offer great in‑office perks, including complimentary daily lunches, snacks, and coffee, as well as monthly team birthday celebrations to bring everyone together.

The expected salary range for this position is $150,000 base salary + bonus, depending on experience per year . The actual salary offer will be determined based on the successful candidate's geographic location, relevant experience, and specific skill sets, in accordance with California laws.

AlphaX RE Capital and its affiliates are Equal Opportunity Employers. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees in accordance with the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications.