Associate Draftsman - Vermont Frames

Client: Vermont Frames, Foam Laminates of Vermont

Website: vermontframes.com, foamlaminates.com
Position: Associate Draftsman
Reports to: Design Team Leader
Location: Starksboro, VT
About Vermont Frames
Established in 1976, Vermont Frames has been handcrafting timber frames in the mountains of Vermont for over 46 years. We are dedicated to hand crafting the highest quality timber frames that will stand the test of time for our customers. We are proud of the team we have built and are looking for hardworking, detail-oriented team players to join us.
Role Summary
The Design Team designs and lays out the technical drawings for the timber frames and structural insulated panels (SIPs) that the SIPs Team and Timber Cutting Team use to manufacture our products. Those drawings are also used by our Field Install team to assemble the timber frames and SIPs into completed structures. As such, their drawings are crucial to the success of the whole team.
Additionally, the design team is the primary interface for the company with our customers. They are often the first people to pick up the phone or respond to an online inquiry about building a timber frame or SIPS structure with us.
The Design Team has a can-do attitude and strives to do their best to meet the exacting standards of our customers.
They work closely with architects, engineers, suppliers, and builders, as well as the customers themselves, to refine the customer’s vision for their home or commercial building. They often make thoughtful edits to the design in order to take advantage of the unique aesthetics and properties of timber frame and SIP structures. Frequently, they adjust designs provided by external sources to optimize the structure based on how Vermont Frames and Foam Laminates of Vermont manufacture and assemble buildings. They apply their industry knowledge and know-how to develop thoughtful and nuanced edits that make the cutting and assembly of our products simpler and stronger.
This role will report to the Design Team Leader and receive on-the-job training in our design process. This role will involve working closely on a daily basis with all the other teams across the company to ensure all aspects of a project are properly planned for, resourced and delivered on time and on budget.
Interested applicants will be expected to complete an onsite skills and technical assessment at our shop in Starksboro as well as in person interviews with the team. References will be asked for.
The Design Team is fun, dynamic and everchanging environment, involving building structures in beautiful locations across the northeast United States. We value a strong work ethic and attention to detail, as the work this team fundamentally shapes the building that our clients will live or work in for decades to come.
Responsibilities

• Engage with clients, builders, engineers, vendors, and architects to develop drawings that exceed customer expectations, including answering phones and fielding questions.
• Knowledgeably answer detailed technical questions from clients, builders, engineers, vendors, and architects related to the structures we design.
• Follow up with client inquires in a timely manner.
• Manage complex projects with many interdependencies, including communicating across functional areas to ensure that projects are properly planned, with appropriate lead times accounted for, materials purchased sufficiently ahead of time, and all deliverables completed on time and on budget.
• Create and appropriately file and record important documents related to client projects.
• Draft client proposals, internal cost estimates, leveraging a thorough understanding of the scope of work for each project.
• Manage bid pricing for vendors, and maintain strong vendor relationships to ensure we receive favorable treatment.
• Draft project drawings.
• Help maintain public facing websites, and other media.
• Help manage inventory to support multiple concurrent projects, ensuring the company does not run out of critical supplies.
• Identify and proactively solve problems, shortfalls or gaps in plans or projects before they impact deadlines or quality.

Requirements

• Strong CAD and other design software skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word, and Adobe software
• Strong organizational and record keeping skills
• Good client relationship skills
• Positive upbeat attitude – critical for getting clients excited to work with us
• Experience developing estimates with working knowledge of industry benchmarks and pricing
• Willingness to travel across the northeast US occasionally (less than once/month) to support onsite projects
• Strong teamwork and communication skills
• A sturdy professional attitude
• Experience working with and supporting manufacturing teams with thoughtful, clear, and executable drawings

Recommended

• 3+ years of carpentry / timber framing / construction experience
• Advanced CAD, and other design software skills
• Experience with website development
• Vocational or technical school training and certification in construction or manufacturing related fields
• Experience with developing carpentry / timber design plans
• Military experience

Vermont Frames is proud to be a Veteran Owned Small Business. We celebrate diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.
Gallagher, Flynn, & Company, LLP has been retained to conduct this search. Interested candidates may apply by sending a resume and cover letter. While we appreciate all interest in this exciting opportunity, only candidates most closely aligned with our search will be contacted.

Disclaimer: What is listed above is representative of the position's responsibilities but is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Responsibilities may change during employment at the company's discretion. Gallagher, Flynn & Company, LLP, and our client do not discriminate in employment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.