Job Description
Our Charlottesville-based landscape architecture firm is looking for an experienced Land F/X Power User / CAD Administrator to execute a clean-slate overhaul of our system standards. We want to stop patching fragmented legacy files together and establish a pristine, unified office template so that when our team starts a new project, everything is optimized and ready to go.
We're structuring this as a two-phase engagement: you build and prove out the system; our in-house staff (under your SOP) handles the bulk of the remaining repetitive detail conversion afterward. This keeps your hours focused on the judgment-heavy work where experience actually matters.
What We Already Have (The Foundation)
- A finalized CAD title block built into the AutoCAD Sheet Set Manager
- An active color-based plotting (.ctb) system with established line weights
- A vetted library of pre-sized plant blocks natively saved in Land F/X
- Licenses: Planting F/X (includes Detail F/X) and Irrigation F/X — full RefNotes/Site & Hardscape functionality included
- Land F/X Cloud Data (please confirm during onboarding that we are not still on a Local Data/MySQL install, as Land F/X discontinued support for Local Data installs as of May 2026)
- A large catalog of standard CAD details not yet configured for Land F/X (roughly 20–30 most-used details to start)
- Preferred font sizes, type faces, and lineweights.
- Standard Layer naming convention layers but they’ve gotten messy over the years
Your role is to structurally map, link, and lock these existing components into a flawless database configuration — and prove the workflow so our team can extend it on their own afterward. And have a standard blank LandFX file structure including LandFX files including a base linework, planting, grading, lighting, furniture, etc.. associated with corresponding sheets in sheet set manager so all we need to do is xref base files and draft.
Phase 1: Core System Build (Consultant Scope)
1. Master Global Preference Set — built from a clean slate, covering:
- General Preferences (Text Styles, font sizes for Detail Text, Detail Title, Detail Number, Detail Subtitle, Callout Text, Callout Title) based on existing office preferences.
- Details Preferences (Detail Template size/format, integrated with our existing Sheet Set Manager title block)
- Planting Preferences
- Irrigation Preferences
- RefNotes Preferences (callout style, schedule formatting)
2. Hardcode our existing layer colors, line weights, and CTB system into the global Preference Set so they apply automatically to every new project.
3. Master Project Template, built for one-click import into new projects, including:
- Our existing plant palette/blocks, organized for instant import
- Civil & Survey (grading) categories — standard spot elevation abbreviations (e.g., TW, BW, FG), slope callouts — pre-configured with data so they import cleanly into new projects
- Standard hardscape material hatches via RefNotes/Save Hatch
- Standard project template file in sheet set manager with titleblock so all we need to do is xref the files. And for each sheet; eg: planting, materials, grading/drainage, etc… some go-to details, plants, etc… that we commonly use so we can match properties or copy and paste.
4. Legacy Detail Conversion — Proof Set. Convert a representative sample of 5–8 details spanning a range of complexity (simple line/text details through more complex ones with dimensions, hatches, and multiple callouts), using Land F/X's documented conversion workflow (Detail Template placement at correct scale, Mimic Object conversion of dimensions/MText/MLeaders/hatches, layer cleanup, Save Detail). These serve as both finished deliverables and the reference standard for Phase 2.
5. Internal Training SOP ("cheat sheet") — a clear, step-by-step guide our staff can follow to convert the remaining legacy details on their own, written against the proof-set examples from Step 4.
6. Cloud Data sync validation across our workstations to confirm settings, templates, and the Preference Set all sync correctly.
7. Pre-work backup. Before any changes are made, back up our current Preference Set and detail library so we have a clean rollback point.
8. Scope clarification on in-progress projects. Confirm and document whether currently active projects should be migrated to the new standard, or whether the new standard applies to new projects going forward only (Land F/X Preference changes do not retroactively affect placed items unless those items are deleted and replaced).
9. QA sign-off. Before final delivery, print a test sheet from a sample project demonstrating that fonts, scale, layers, and templates all plot correctly per the new standard.
Phase 2: Detail Library Completion (In-House, Post-Handoff)
After Phase 1 delivery, our in-house staff will convert the remaining legacy details using your SOP and the proof-set examples as a reference. This is not part of your billable scope, but we'd welcome an optional add-on quote for limited follow-up support (see below).
Compensation & Tiered Pay Scale
We are offering a sliding pay scale mapped to your Land F/X deployment and template configuration history. Please let us know which tier fits your background when applying:
- Tier 1 ($65–$85/hr): 2–4 years of experience using Land F/X, with 1–3 successful office template setups under your belt
- Tier 2 ($85–$115/hr): 5–8 years of experience, with 4–9 office-wide standards or database migrations successfully deployed
- Tier 3 ($115–$150+/hr): 8+ years of dedicated Land F/X power-user/admin experience, having rolled out unified standards for 10+ professional firms
Project Scope
We estimate Phase 1 (Preference Set build, layer/CTB mapping, Detail Template, Master Project Template with grading/hatch setup, proof-set detail conversion, SOP, sync validation, and QA) at roughly 35–45 billable hours. We recognize the detail-conversion line item can vary significantly depending on file complexity, so we'd like finalist applicants to review 3–5 of our sample detail files and our current CTB/title block before locking in a final quote — we're open to adjusting the estimate based on that review rather than holding to a number quoted blind.
A limited follow-up support window (e.g., 1–2 weeks of email/Zoom availability after handoff) to answer questions as our team begins using the new standard and converting remaining details. Please quote this separately if interested.
Requirements
- Proven experience managing office standards and database configurations in Land F/X
- Deep knowledge of AutoCAD layer management, Sheet Set Manager, and Cloud Data preferences
- Ability to connect remotely (via Zoom, Teams, or LogMeIn) to review our active workstations
- Must provide references or clear examples of previous office template rollouts you have executed (sample Preference Set screenshots welcome)
- Comfortable working under an NDA, as this engagement involves remote access to workstations with active client project data
To Apply
Please reply to this post or message us with:
- Your target hourly tier
- A brief overview of your Land F/X administration history — specifically how many office templates/standards rollouts you've completed
- Your current availability to begin
- Whether you're available for a brief (15–20 min) call to review a few of our sample files before finalizing scope and pricing
Pay: $65.00 - $150.00 per hour
Benefits:
Work Location: Remote
