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What does an architectural job captain do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Dak Kopec Ph.D.

An architectural job captain is someone who oversees the pre-design construction process. This position requires experience in handling both people and the creative demands of architectural design. One of an architectural job captain's primary roles is to direct the team in completing projects, offer design advice, and determine whether the plan is both aesthetically and structurally sound. An architectural lead's added task is to gather feedback from the team and the management, incorporate tested architectural principles, and report every daily activity to management for evaluation.

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Architectural job captain responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real architectural job captain resumes:

  • Lead production team and coordination effort with associate architects, and MEP and maintain organization and archiving of cad documents.
  • Review and respond to RFI's.
  • Work closely with MEP team to produce complete coordinate documents.
  • Assist in BIM project set up and produce drawings for tri-weekly meeting presentation.
  • Respond promptly and accurately to construction and design phase contractor generate RFI's.
  • Involve in design process, including sketch design, digital 3d model making.
  • Convert researched/as-built information into AutoCAD database.
  • Design presentations including 2D and 3D colore renderings and simulations using AutoCAD.
  • Project responsibilities include designing and developing construction documents, as well as, render images and animations using Revit and Lumion.
  • Edit and render high quality video animation to provide the story frame-by-frame of modeling and surroundings.

Architectural job captain skills and personality traits

We calculated that 35% of Architectural Job Captains are proficient in Revit, Building Codes, and Adobe Creative Suite. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Math skills, and Time-management skills.

We break down the percentage of Architectural Job Captains that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Revit, 35%

    Create interior and exterior building renderings to communicate design solutions utilizing Revit, 3ds Max, SketchUp & AutoCAD.

  • Building Codes, 13%

    Researched building codes and adapted building designs accordingly.

  • Adobe Creative Suite, 9%

    Promoted intern to job-captain while training marketing professionals on Adobe Creative Suite.

  • Sketch, 6%

    Cooperated with consultants to sketch and draft documents for customer evaluation to troubleshoot layout parameters.

  • Construction Administration, 6%

    Supervised coordination of all disciplines and assisted in construction administration.

  • Construction Drawings, 4%

    Interpreted schematic design drawings to create design development and construction drawings.

Most architectural job captains use their skills in "revit," "building codes," and "adobe creative suite" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential architectural job captain responsibilities here:

Detail oriented. The most essential soft skill for an architectural job captain to carry out their responsibilities is detail oriented. This skill is important for the role because "drafters must take care that the plans they convert are technically accurate according to the outlined specifications." Additionally, an architectural job captain resume shows how their duties depend on detail oriented: "involved in detailed code review/ research for multiple projects that included code review for new york city projects. "

Math skills. Many architectural job captain duties rely on math skills. "drafters work on technical drawings," so an architectural job captain will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways architectural job captain responsibilities rely on math skills: "output file gathers statistics like cache hit rate, mesi state, and lru state of cache lines with snoop response. "

Time-management skills. architectural job captains are also known for time-management skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to architectural job captain responsibilities, because "drafters often work under deadline." An architectural job captain resume example shows how time-management skills is used in the workplace: "assisted drafting personnel as required to complete project deadlines using autocad 2012. "

Creativity. architectural job captain responsibilities often require "creativity." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "drafters must be able to turn plans and ideas into technical drawings of buildings, tools, and systems." This resume example shows what architectural job captains do with creativity on a typical day: "draw preliminary 3d models using both revit and sketchupcreative skill set allows me to"

Technical skills. Another crucial skill for an architectural job captain to carry out their responsibilities is "technical skills." A big part of what architectural job captains relies on this skill, since "drafters in all specialties must be able to use computer software, such as cad, and work with database tools, such as building information modeling (bim)." How this skill relates to architectural job captain duties can be seen in an example from an architectural job captain resume snippet: "review technicalities and prepare specification data for the design development. "

Most common architectural job captain skills

The three companies that hire the most architectural job captains are:

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Compare different architectural job captains

Architectural job captain vs. Autocad designer

Typically working in the construction and manufacturing industry, an AutoCAD designer specializes in designing and developing 2D and 3D drawings using AutoCAD software. It is their duty to coordinate with architects and engineers to discuss ideas and project needs, create and prepare designs for client approval, generate models through the AutoCAD software, and prepare progress reports and presentations for the clients. Furthermore, as an AutoCAD designer, it is essential to adhere to the company's standards and regulations, especially the clients' vision.

The annual salary of autocad designers is $12,620 lower than the average salary of architectural job captains.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both architectural job captain and autocad designer positions are skilled in revit, sketch, and construction drawings.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, architectural job captain responsibilities require skills like "building codes," "adobe creative suite," "construction administration," and "sustainable design." Meanwhile a typical autocad designer has skills in areas such as "auto cad," "civil engineering," "elevations," and "gis." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Autocad designers really shine in the construction industry with an average salary of $57,565. Comparatively, architectural job captains tend to make the most money in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $68,114.The education levels that autocad designers earn slightly differ from architectural job captains. In particular, autocad designers are 6.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an architectural job captain. Additionally, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Architectural job captain vs. Drafting internship

Drafting interns perform jobs like designing engineering drawings and visual aids, forming the detailed layout execution of distinct mechanical parts, resolve design problems in BIM models and visual presentations. Also, the pattern of new products, alter existing products using SOLIDWORKS, estimate the shipboard pipe systems, and develop a superficial model of NIDA glider using CATIA V5. Additionally, they aid field technicians in gathering field information points with GPS units, counsel less experience BIM designers in discrete parts of the country through the phone, and enhance drawings in both Revit and AutoCAD in line with the instructions provided by the architect.

On average, drafting interns earn a $26,122 lower salary than architectural job captains a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both architectural job captains and drafting interns have skills such as "revit," "building codes," and "sketch. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real architectural job captain resumes. While architectural job captain responsibilities can utilize skills like "adobe creative suite," "construction administration," "sustainable design," and "leed," drafting interns use skills like "powerpoint," "solidworks," "engineering drawings," and "technical drawings."

Drafting interns may earn a lower salary than architectural job captains, but drafting interns earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $47,037. On the other hand, architectural job captains receive higher pay in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $68,114.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Drafting interns tend to reach lower levels of education than architectural job captains. In fact, they're 8.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for architectural job captains in the next 3-5 years?

Dak Kopec Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Coordinator, BA Interior Architecture and Design and Master of Design Program, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

COVID-19 has changed the playing field, and future skills will need to include creative ways to use materials and systems for enhanced infection control. This will consist of thinking differently about ventilation systems, space planning, and material specifications.

Architectural job captain vs. Senior drafter

A truss designer's major responsibility is to design layouts for floors and roofs. They work with architects and engineers to ensure the feasibility of new designs. They also develop schematics through computer-aided design (CAD) software. They are required to work on layouts for roofs and flooring for both residential and commercial buildings.

On average scale, senior drafters bring in lower salaries than architectural job captains. In fact, they earn a $23,418 lower salary per year.By looking over several architectural job captains and senior drafters resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "revit," "sketch," and "construction drawings." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from architectural job captain resumes include skills like "building codes," "adobe creative suite," "construction administration," and "sustainable design," whereas a senior drafter is more likely to list skills in "autocad," "layout drawings," "engineering drawings," and "autodesk. "

When it comes to education, senior drafters tend to earn lower degree levels compared to architectural job captains. In fact, they're 9.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Architectural job captain vs. Truss designer

Truss designers tend to earn a lower pay than architectural job captains by an average of $17,540 per year.While both architectural job captains and truss designers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like architectural design, construction process, and commercial buildings, the two careers vary in some skills.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. An architectural job captain uses "revit," "building codes," "adobe creative suite," and "sketch." Truss designers are more likely to have duties that require skills in "mitek," "design software," "auto cad," and "layout design. "The average resume of truss designers showed that they earn lower levels of education compared to architectural job captains. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 9.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.7%.

Types of architectural job captain

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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