Multi-trade · Full build cycle

This isn’t the job for everyone. But for the right person, it’s more than a job.

If you’re the kind of carpenter who looks at the waste and inefficiency on a typical job site and thinks “there has to be a better way” — and you want to build somewhere that’s actually trying to find it — we want to hear from you.

About Riley Projects

We're a small design-build firm doing high-craft custom residential work in Los Angeles. Designer, project manager, and field crew under one roof — so the work that reaches you is resolved, not dumped on you to figure out. We're building toward employee ownership, which means the people who build this company have a real stake in what it becomes.

Mission of the role

You are here to prove that a small, disciplined crew — working from clear plans, with the right materials and real support — can build a better house than anyone thought possible. You lead from the front, tools in hand, holding every detail to a standard that compounds project after project. You don't just deliver a home. You help build a system that makes the next one even better.

Focus of the role

• Safety First - You will run a tight, safe site. Your crew gets briefed before work starts. Near-misses get noted — not to create paperwork, but because the next rep goes better when someone captured what happened on this one.
• Multi Trade - You will lead your crew across the full range of building trades. Framing, waterproofing, windows and doors, finish carpentry, tile — you have done all of it with your own hands and you know what right looks like in each one.
• Hands On - This is a bags-on role, leading by example. You will set the standard by doing, not by directing from the side — and you'll pass on what you know to a motivated team of builders.
• Execution Focused - Materials will be on site when you need them. Drawings will be resolved before they reach you. Inspections will be called when you're ready. Submittals will be managed. You will not spend your day chasing information that should already exist.

What success looks like

By the time you close out your first build with Riley Projects, the following things are true:

• Your crew trusts your hand and your eye. They know what's expected because you showed them — in the framing, in the flashing details, in the finish work. Standards didn't slip between trades because you were present through all of them.
• The schedule held — not because nothing went wrong, but because you flagged problems early and we solved them together. You helped build that schedule, and you owned it.
• The site ran clean and safe, every day. Briefings happened. Near-misses were captured. Nobody got hurt.
• You know our kit of parts cold. You've started forming opinions about what works, what could work better, and you're telling us. That feedback loop is already making the next project sharper.
• The PM and designer trust you completely. Communication flowed both ways without anyone having to chase it. You said what you saw, when you saw it.
• And the house — the house is built the way it should be built.

Our part
We plan collaboratively. You are not handed a schedule — you help build it, because you know what the work really takes to complete. When conditions demand changes, we figure it out together. We will give you real agency in putting together a great field team. What we ask in return is constant communication. Flag what you see coming — in the schedule, in the crew, in the work. The system works because information flows both ways and gets better each time.

Core Competencies

• You have broad, deep experience across the trades. 8+ years on jobsites. You've seen projects all the way through, so you know how it all fits together. You read and appreciate good plans. You’ve frequently thought “there must be a better way to do this.”
• You lead by doing and you hold everyone around you to the highest standard of craft. You are comfortable being the authority and comfortable asking for help. You are a steady hand on the wheel — calm and decisive and firm when you need to be.
• What this is not: A role where you do it the way it's always been done.
• We need all your experience and skill to push building to another level, and we'll give you the tools and the team to do that.

Compensation & Ownership

We pay competitively for the right person — this isn't a race to the bottom on rate. Beyond base pay, Riley Projects offers 401k matching, benefits, and is on a structured path to employee ownership (ESOP). The people who help build this company will own a piece of it. We'll talk through what that looks like in detail when we meet.