---
title: 'Architectural Designer at Saxbys'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/architectural-designer-saxbys-philadelphia-mzed3vmecypa'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-25'
---

# Architectural Designer at Saxbys

- **Company:** Saxbys
- **Location:** Philadelphia, PA
- **Posted:** 2026-10-09
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-25
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/saxbys/jobs/8879885002

## Job description

Saxbys | Philadelphia, PA | $70,000/year + Bonus & Benefits | Occasional Travel

## ABOUT THE ROLE

Saxbys is more than a cafe company. It’s an Experiential Learning Platform. Every Saxbys cafe is run by a Student CEO who operates the location as a real business, and every cafe begins as a design challenge: fitting a working cafe into an existing library, student center, or academic building on a university campus, each with its own constraints.

As our Architectural Designer, you’ll be the design engine of the Design & Construction team. You’ll turn early concepts into the plans, models, and renderings that help university partners say yes. You’ll develop approved concepts into schematic packages that hand off cleanly to our architects and engineers of record (AOR/EOR), and you’ll make sure the design intent carries through to what gets built. You’ll work side by side with our Construction Administrator, who keeps you connected to schedules, submittals, and field conditions. This is a hands-on role for an early-career designer who wants to see their drawings become real spaces, and who wants to grow into project management over time.

## WHAT YOU’LL OWN

- Concept Development & Existing Conditions: Turn sketches, verbal direction, site surveys, and photos into base drawings, test fits, space plans, and design options for new cafe locations.
- Partner Presentation Materials: Produce renderings, 3D views, material boards, and presentation drawings that bring the Saxbys brand to life and help university partners say yes.
- Schematic Design Packages: Develop approved concepts into schematic design packages, including plans, elevations, equipment layouts, finishes, and design intent, for partner approval and clean handoff to the AOR/EOR.
- Design Intent Through Construction: Be the team’s point of coordination with the AOR/EOR from construction documents through punch. That means reviewing consultant sets, tracking revisions, reviewing submittals and shop drawings, coordinating RFIs, and walking punch lists.
- Design Standards: Build and maintain concept templates, Revit families, typical layouts, and our finishes library, so every project starts further ahead than the last.

## WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

- 100% of schematic design packages reach the AOR/EOR on schedule
- Test fits and design options delivered within 5 business days of direction
- 80% of partner presentations approved within 2 review rounds
- Design-intent reviews of submittals and shop drawings returned within 3 business days

## WHO YOU ARE

You’re an early-career designer with 1–3 years of experience at an architecture or interior design firm. Strong internship experience counts. You’re fluent in Revit and AutoCAD, and you can take a space from a blank floor plan to a polished presentation set without needing someone to walk you through the software. You’re comfortable with rendering tools like Enscape, Twinmotion, V-Ray, or Lumion, along with Adobe Creative Suite and Bluebeam. You know how construction documents come together, and how codes and accessibility shape early design decisions. You’re a collaborator who gives credit where it’s due, you take feedback well, and you’re excited to learn what makes a great cafe work. Hospitality, retail, food service, or higher-ed experience is a plus, but it isn’t required. Our standard modules and equipment layouts are very learnable.

## WHAT’S REQUIRED

- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in architecture, interior architecture, or interior design
- A project portfolio showing your recent work, submitted with your application. Applications without a portfolio won’t be considered.
- Occasional travel to campus project sites for existing-conditions surveys, progress walks, and punch lists. A valid driver’s license and reliable transportation are required.
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, stoop and kneel, lift up to 35 lbs, and climb ladders and stairs on job sites
- Support, exhibit, and promote Saxbys Mission and Core Values in all daily activities

## WHY SAXBYS

This is the chance to design spaces that change how students learn, working in-house where you’ll see your test fits become open, busy cafes on campuses across the country. You’ll work directly under a licensed architect, so your hours count toward licensure (AXP for architecture, CIDQ for interior design). Along with the compensation and comprehensive benefits, you’ll get a clear path to grow from design into project management as our cafe portfolio grows.

Ready to design something great? Apply today!

## About Saxbys

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Saxbys is a hospitality company disguised as an education company that operates student-run campus cafes through its Experiential Learning Platform®.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Venture-funded)
- **Headquarters**: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- **Founded**: 2005
- **Founders**: Nick Bayer

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Education / Hospitality (experiential learning & food & beverage)
- **Target customers**: B2B (colleges and universities), B2C (students and campus communities)
- **Mission statement**: “Make Life Better” by empowering the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs through experiential learning. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/our-mission/)

## Products & Services
- **Saxbys Cafes**: 30+ campus-based coffee shops that are entirely student-run, offering food, beverages, and catering. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/saxbys)
- **Experiential Learning Platform (E.L.P.)®**: A paid, credit-bearing program where students serve as Student Cafe Executive Officers (SCEOs) and manage all aspects of a cafe, gaining real P&L responsibility. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/the-saxbys-elp/)
- **Microcredentials / Badges**: Corporate microcredentials in fields like supply chain management, designed to supplement traditional classroom learning. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/the-saxbys-elp/)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue estimated at **$98.0M** (LinkedIn data, 2025/2026) | Total Funding: **$600K** (Venture round in December 2022). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/saxbys)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Partners with leading universities (Drexel University, Temple University, University of Pittsburgh, etc.). Founder Nick Bayer is Entrepreneur in Residence at Cornell University and serves on multiple academic boards. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/our-mission/)
- **Growth Signals**: 506 employees (+3.8% YoY), 30+ cafes nationwide, over 3,000 student leaders developed, served 9 million+ guests. Active job postings: 65. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/saxbys)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Unique student-run model**: All cafes are 100% student-operated, providing a genuine experiential learning environment that differentiates Saxbys from traditional coffee chains.
- **Academic integration**: Students earn both wages and academic credit, with SCEOs graduating on time and reaching leadership roles 7x faster than the national average. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/the-saxbys-elp/)
- **Strong university partnerships**: Long-term contracts with top universities create a moat against competitors.

## Strategic Focus
- **Expansion of the E.L.P.**: Scaling the experiential learning model to more campuses and developing microcredential programs.
- **Social impact**: Deepening community engagement and servant leadership as core to the brand.
- **Growth from within**: Prioritizing internal promotion and career development for team members. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/careers/)

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Core values include “Embrace being O.D.D. (Outgoing, Detail-Oriented, Disciplined)” and “Servant Leadership.” Emphasis on entrepreneurial spirit and hustle. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/careers/)
- **Career development**: Mentorship, hospitality training, and clear growth paths – “no ceiling on growth here.” Many roles are student-facing (SCEO, team member) with real business ownership.
- **Work environment**: Most roles are on-campus at partner universities; headquarters in Philadelphia. Hybrid/remote policy not specified but likely location-dependent.
- **Employee ratings**: 4.1/5 on LinkedIn (325 reviews) with high marks for culture (4.3) and work-life balance (4.2). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/saxbys)

## Sources
1. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/)
2. [saxbyscoffee.com (Our Mission)](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/our-mission/)
3. [saxbyscoffee.com (E.L.P.)](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/the-saxbys-elp/)
4. [saxbyscoffee.com (Careers)](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/careers/)
5. [linkedin.com (Saxbys Company Profile)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/saxbys)

## Other roles at Saxbys

- [Team Member (RADFORD UNIVERSITY)](https://feeny.ai/job/team-member-radford-university-saxbys-radford-f61s81h06zgj) — Radford, VA
- [Student CEO (SCEO) - RADFORD UNIVERSITY](https://feeny.ai/job/student-ceo-sceo-radford-university-saxbys-radford-hfmgrn2gfymh) — Radford, VA
- [Senior Leadership Training Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-leadership-training-manager-saxbys-philadelphia-17wkk7mtnca0) — Philadelphia, PA
- [Senior Operations Implementation Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-operations-implementation-manager-saxbys-philadelphia-mwc1s0hfqsfv) — Philadelphia, PA
- [Team Member (SIENA UNIVERSITY)](https://feeny.ai/job/team-member-siena-university-saxbys-loundonville-d77njdx02m9z) — Loundonville, NY
- [Student CEO (SCEO) - SIENA UNIVERSITY](https://feeny.ai/job/student-ceo-sceo-siena-university-saxbys-albany-m2st4r8wr743) — Albany, NY
- [Student CEO (SCEO) - VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY](https://feeny.ai/job/student-ceo-sceo-virginia-commonwealth-university-saxbys-richmond-64jcwh2bqz0p) — Richmond, VA
- [Team Member (VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY)](https://feeny.ai/job/team-member-virginia-commonwealth-university-saxbys-richmond-gyq993cdb1cj) — Richmond, VA
- [Team Member (UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY)](https://feeny.ai/job/team-member-university-at-albany-saxbys-albany-jkxzkn129vtq) — Albany, NY
- [Student CEO (SCEO) - UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY](https://feeny.ai/job/student-ceo-sceo-university-at-albany-saxbys-albany-z0akvg3cehqh) — Albany, NY