Architect

Job role: Architect

Department: Transformation

Job experience: Min. 3 years

Location: Mumbai, HQ

About The Hosteller

The Hosteller is a people-first backpacker hostel brand built around travel, community, and shared experiences. We create spaces where travellers from across the world connect, stories are exchanged, and memories are made. Powered by passionate teams on-ground and at the corporate level, The Hosteller values ownership, empathy, collaboration and a deep respect for both people and places.

At The Hosteller, you’ll be part of a fast-growing, entrepreneurial environment where ideas matter, ownership is encouraged and growth is real. We offer hands-on exposure, opportunities to learn across functions and the chance to build meaningful experiences for both travellers and teammates—every single day.

Role overview

The Architect shall support the design and delivery of Hosteller properties from concept through to operational handover. Working within the design function of the Transformation team, this role is responsible for producing design drawings, layouts, and detailing that translate the Hosteller design language into buildable, standardised, and cost-efficient outcomes across India.

Reporting to the Head of Design & Architecture, the role works closely with the projects and procurement sub-departments and demands a balance of design competence and operational discipline. It requires someone who can produce clean, execution-ready drawings while remaining pragmatic about budgets, timelines, and site constraints. The role suits an early-to-mid career architect who is hands-on, detail-oriented, and has a genuine feel for the backpacker/youth-travel customer—someone who has either lived that travel style or clearly gets it.

A designer who has only ever done luxury hotels shall not be a great fit.

Responsibilities

• Support the Head of Design & Architecture in developing the design and architectural vision across Hosteller properties, balancing traveller experience and community feel with operational and commercial realities
• Prepare concept, schematic, and detailed design drawings, layouts, and 3D visualisations for new and existing properties
• Apply and help evolve the Hosteller design language and brand standards so every property is recognisably “Hosteller” without being a copy-paste of the last
• Develop and maintain standardised, modular design kits-of-parts—dorm layouts, common areas, F&B spaces, reception, and washrooms—that regional and Projects teams can execute consistently
• Produce accurate working drawings, detailing, and specifications for handover to Projects and Procurement teams
• Design to a budget and value-engineer solutions without compromising guest experience or brand standards
• Adapt designs to varied locations, climates, and building typologies across India, from coastal and hill destinations to metro cities
• Coordinate closely with Projects, Procurement, Operations, and Finance teams to ensure designs are buildable, sourced efficiently, and delivered on time and on budget
• Support the appointment and coordination of external architects, consultants, and contractors, and review their deliverables for design quality and consistency
• Ensure designs comply with the National Building Code, fire and life-safety norms, accessibility standards, and local statutory approval requirements
• Embed durability, ease of maintenance, cleaning, safety, and operational efficiency into every design decision
• Maintain proper design documentation, drawings, and specification records for audit readiness and knowledge continuity
• Support standardisation, design documentation, and process improvement to enable rapid and scalable expansion

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture (B.Arch); a Master’s in Architecture, Design, or Design Management is a plus
• 3–4 years of post-qualification experience in architecture and design, preferably with exposure to hospitality, hotels, hostels, co-living, or multi-site retail/F&B design
• Experience contributing to properties or outlets taken from concept through to operational handover is preferred
• Experience designing for multiple locations and climates is a plus
• Strong space-planning and architectural design competence, with proficiency in tools such as AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit, and rendering software
• Working knowledge of the National Building Code, fire and safety norms, accessibility standards, and local approval processes
• Basic budgeting and project-finance literacy, with the ability to design within defined cost parameters
• Good communication, stakeholder management, and collaborative abilities across cross-functional teams
• Willingness to travel to sites across India as required