Principal Architect (construction industry), Residential Design and Planning in US (Head of India Office):

Job Description

Head Architect, Residential Design and Planning in US (Head of India Office): Job Title: Head Architect (Head of India) Location: Bangalore, India (Hybrid / Remote with regular in-person strategy & execution sessions) Company: zHeight – The Infosys of Architecture & Design for American Homes Read Time: ~10 minutes. If you read to the end and apply thoughtfully, your chances of moving ahead go up 10x. We’re looking for the real ones. What is zHeight? We’re not building a typical architecture firm. We're redesigning what it means to design homes . zHeight is a high-growth, US-based startup reimagining architectural design and permitting for the American residential market. We’re merging deep architectural expertise with a cross-border operating model and Silicon Valley speed. Our India team—built from the ground up with IIT and NIT architects—is the engine powering fast, precise, affordable designs for homeowners and contractors across the U.S. We’ve crossed 100+ permitted projects, greater than 5x revenue this year, and are just getting started. But what we’re building is not easy. It takes judgment. Grit. High ownership. A sharp eye for design. A bias for outcomes. And a hunger to make something way bigger than yourself . About the Role: Principal Architect (Head of India) This is not a job. This is a foundational leadership seat at the table. You will lead our India office. From scaling a 6-member team to a 50+ person design and operations engine. From daily reviews of design output to defining systems that catch errors before they happen. From hiring A-players to shipping permit-ready sets on deadline with zero compromise on quality. And yes, you'll own the P&L and profitability of the entire delivery org. If your dream is to build , own , and lead — not just execute what’s given — this role was written for you. What You’ll Do Architect the Architecture Team: Lead and grow the India team from 6 to 50+. Hire designers, drafters, checkers, reviewers, and team leads. Mentor deeply. Own Delivery End-to-End: Ensure all U.S. projects are delivered on time, on spec, and with U.S.-grade quality. Set the Quality Bar: Build QA systems. Review and audit plan sets. Lead corrective workflows and flag patterns before they hurt. Run the Machine: Own workflows, delivery cadences, team rituals, escalation paths, and tooling decisions. Think in Numbers: Run your own India P&L. Optimize for speed, quality, and profitability. Be the Bridge: Interface with the U.S.-based founder and sales teams. Translate vision to execution and back. Lead From the Front: Be hands-on. Review plans. Coach team members. Create training loops. Show how it’s done. Who This Role Is For 4–8 years of experience, at least 1-2+ managing design teams or architecture studios. Ability to start from zero in a new geo, learn and inculcate completely new construction method and Residential Building codes in the US. Bachelor’s (or Master’s) in Architecture or Civil Engineering from a Tier-1 school (NITs, IITs, CEPT, etc.). A high-agency operator who doesn’t wait for permission to lead . Comfortable juggling architecture, operations, hiring, delivery, and reviews — all in the same week. Obsessed with process, but not at the cost of progress. Genuinely excited about building something for scale, not prestige. Has tasted startup chaos before — and liked it. This is NOT for you if: You prefer executing what someone else has figured out. You get overwhelmed by ambiguity or pressure. You are not willing to work across time zones and manage multiple stakeholders. You’re looking for a “regular architecture job.” YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ""WORK-LIFE BALANCE"" Why Join zHeight You’ll build and lead the India org — not inherit it. Work directly with the founder (ex-BCG, IIT Bombay, Kellogg). Team up with other top-tier architects from IIT/NIT/SCI-Arc. Be part of a global design business rewriting the rules of how homes are planned. Include the word archdriven in the subject line — we’ll know you read this. Massive ownership, zero micromanagement . This is your chance to do the best work of your career — and know it actually matters . First 90 Days 30 Days Understand zHeight’s U.S. client workflows and permit system. Conduct reviews of at least 10 active projects. Present a 30-day roadmap to improve delivery and QA. 60 Days Hire your first 3 direct reports. Lead the India delivery standups. Put in place a repeatable QA review process. Take ownership of weekly delivery metrics. 90 Days Deliver 100% of projects with on-time and zero-redesigns. Run a tight P&L for India ops. Launch v1 of a playbook for India hiring, onboarding, and training. Start preparing your #2. How to Apply Email aditya@zheight.com with: Your CV (PDF, please). A short note on why this role excites you. A short note to showcase your proficiency of India Building Code (or any Building Codes that you are proficient in, bonus point for US residential building codes), with an actual example share how you applied your knowledge of building codes to design and planning in a specific project, try to include as many codes as possible or applicable in the project. Show more Show less