Design Manager - Interior Design

About the role

The Design Manager - Interiors manages interior design for hospitality and retail projects within the Development & Design department. The role oversees design quality, coordinates consultants and manages stakeholders so that designs meet brand standards, operational needs and customer experience expectations. It covers the full project lifecycle from concept to construction, includes trend research and the development of design management systems, and contributes to market research, strategy and financial performance.

Key responsibilities

• Define design briefs covering project context, brand positioning, guest and customer experience expectations and technical criteria.
• Guide projects from concept through schematic design and tender documentation, advising Project Management.
• Lead design reviews for quality, compliance, brand alignment and operational functionality, including FF&E, lighting, MEP coordination and fire-life-safety.
• Prepare commentary on deliverables for executive presentations, resolve conflicting feedback and secure statutory approvals with consultants.
• Support marketing and leasing collateral, including plans and presentation packages.
• Research hospitality and retail interior trends, develop design guidelines, templates and review processes.
• Support market research and strategy, define design briefs and budgets, advise on procurement and prepare summary presentations for executives.
• Manage project schedules, milestones and progress reporting, and support contract and commercial management.
• Define procurement strategy for FF&E packages and design services, preparing RFP documents and technical analysis.

Required profile

• Master's or bachelor's degree in Interior Design, Architecture or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in interior design and management roles, preferably in hospitality and retail.
• Strong understanding of MEP, fire-life-safety and FF&E coordination.
• Ability to present to executive management, manage stakeholders and conduct in-depth research on design trends.

Required skills

• Proficiency in MS Office.
• Adobe Suite and planning software such as Primavera are a plus.