Landscape Designer

What We’re Looking For:

Help shape thoughtful, buildable landscapes where communities, natural systems, and infrastructure meet.

Michael Baker International is seeking a motivated Landscape Designer to join our collaborative Landscape Architecture team in Santa Ana, California. This position will support transportation, public works, and federal infrastructure and facility projects through site analysis, conceptual design, planting and irrigation design, technical production, and construction documentation.

You will work directly with landscape architects and collaborate with our in-house civil, traffic, structural, and stormwater engineers. This role offers exposure to multiple phases of project delivery, from early studies and design concepts through construction documents and construction-phase support.

The ideal candidate combines creative design thinking with technical accuracy, communicates effectively, takes ownership of assigned work, and is eager to grow within a collaborative multidisciplinary environment.

A Hybrid working arrangement is available.

What You’ll Do:

• Prepare landscape architecture construction documents using AutoCAD for federal and public works projects and MicroStation for Caltrans projects.
• Compile and analyze site information, including land use, site context, soils, vegetation, drainage, utilities, and existing structures.
• Develop landscape concepts, planting and irrigation plans, grading concepts, technical details, illustrative plans, diagrams, renderings, exhibits, and presentation materials.
• Assist with preparing technical specifications, quantity calculations, and construction cost estimates.
• Coordinate design and production activities with civil, traffic, structural, stormwater, and other technical disciplines.
• Communicate professionally with clients, agencies, subconsultants, and internal project teams.
• Participate in project meetings, site visits, agency coordination, and construction-phase services.
• Complete assigned tasks on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with project quality requirements.
• Perform careful self-checks and support ongoing quality assurance and quality control throughout project delivery.
• Balance design quality with constructability, maintainability, schedule, and budget.
• Communicate progress proactively, ask thoughtful questions, and follow assignments through completion.
• Build technical knowledge while contributing positively to a collaborative team environment.

What You Need to Succeed:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from an accredited program.
• Approximately 3-5 years of professional landscape architecture experience. Strong entry-level candidates with relevant internship experience and a compelling portfolio may also be considered.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD.
• Working knowledge of SketchUp, Bluebeam, Microsoft Office, and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Understanding of planting design, irrigation design, grading and drainage fundamentals, construction documents, and technical detailing.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary teams and respond constructively to redlines and design direction.
• Strong written, verbal, graphic, and visual communication skills with careful attention to detail.
• Ability to organize assignments, manage workload across multiple projects, and meet project deadlines.
• Portfolio or work samples demonstrating both design/presentation graphics and construction-document or technical-detailing capabilities are required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience or demonstrated interest in transportation, public works, federal facilities, civic landscapes, or other complex multidisciplinary projects.
• Experience with MicroStation, particularly on Caltrans projects. Candidates without MicroStation experience should be willing to learn.
• Experience with additional 3D modeling, visualization, or graphic design tools.
• Demonstrated ability to produce clear, coordinated, and accurate work with increasing independence.

Compensation:

The approximate compensation range for this position is $102,400.00 - $161,280.00 per year. This compensation range is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation is dependent upon factors such as education, qualifications, experience, skillset, and physical work location.

Why Choose Us:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Life, AD&D, short-term, and long-term disability
• Professional and personal development
• Generous paid time off
• Commuter and wellness benefits