Job Description

We're growing, and we need a designer who's ready to grow with us. Enso Homes is an Austin-based design-build company rethinking how people remodel their homes. Non-toxic materials, mold-resistant methods, and a client experience that's genuinely transparent from the first conversation. Clarity Before Construction isn't a tagline we put on a mug. It's the whole design philosophy. Most people don't make it in a role like this one, and it's not because they're not talented or hardworking. There's no playbook yet for half of what this job actually requires, the ambiguity doesn't resolve on its own, and the pace doesn't slow down while you figure it out. You'll be making the call more often than feels comfortable, with less structure than you're used to having. That's genuinely hard, and it's not for most people. If that sounds stressful, we mean it as a compliment when we say this probably isn't your role. If it sounds like the first job post that's actually told you the truth, here's who we're looking for: someone who has already run their own design practice, in some form, owned the relationship, made the calls, carried the weight when a project got hard, and wants to do it again here. This time at a company still young enough for that ownership to actually shape how things get built. The Role You're the person a client meets first, and the person they trust for the entire process. Every intro call is yours, warm or cold. You walk the home, you sell the Enso Design Plan, and then you run our four-call design process: floor plans, material direction, finish concepts, all built through a client portal that carries feedback and call recordings forward so nothing gets repeated or lost between sessions. You're not producing the renderings yourself. A production designer handles that. A drafter turns our Matterport scans into floor plans. Your job is holding the bar on what they produce: catching what's off before a client ever sees it, and making sure the work actually reflects the standard Enso is known for. You're the reason the output is right before a client ever sees it. You'll also lead stone yard walks and in-person material selections with clients, and you'll build our supplier relationships around Austin as we grow. What You'll Own Client Relationship Every first intro call, and every walkthrough that follows Selling the Enso Design Plan after the walkthrough Being the client's one point of contact from kickoff through construction handoff Final punchlist walkthrough with the client at project closeout Three-month follow-up site visit to confirm quality holds up Design Process Running the four-call Enso Design Plan cadence, incorporating portal feedback and call recordings into each session Shaping design direction, materials, and layout choices, and speaking to how each one affects project pricing Leading stone yard walks and in-person material selection Building and maintaining local supplier relationships in Austin Quality Bar Reviewing production designer output (renderings, scope, pricing, floor plan adjustments, selections) against Enso's standard Reviewing architectural drafting output for accuracy and buildability Catching problems before they reach a client, not after What We Need From You You've held a genuine lead or primary designer seat before in residential remodeling. Not supported one, owned one. This is the one thing we're not flexible on. A natural instinct for building trust fast. Clients are about to spend real money on their home. You read the room, meet them where they actually are, and help them get to a decision with confidence, not pressure. Real comfort with ambiguity and pace, not just tolerance for it. Half of this job doesn't have a process yet. If unclear situations wear you down instead of engaging you, this role will wear you down fast. You can hold a quality bar on someone else's work without needing to be their manager. That's a specific skill, and not everyone has it. Based in Austin, or ready to be. This role is in-person: walkthroughs, stone yards, and supplier relationships all depend on it. Nice to have, not required: familiarity with non-toxic or wellness-focused building materials. We're building a curated palette now, and we'll get you fluent in it either way. What It's Like Here We're small, genuinely small, and everything you touch matters more here than it would somewhere bigger. You'll have real autonomy over how you run your day, built around your clients and walkthroughs rather than anyone standing over your shoulder. Compensation Base salary $95,000 to $115,000, depending on experience. Plus performance bonuses tied to how the design and sales pipeline is doing overall (not directly commission-based). On-target earnings for a strong year land around $130,000. Benefits include a healthcare allowance through our ICHRA program and PTO. #J-18808-Ljbffr

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