Design Manager

The ideal candidate will be located in the Midwest (Central Time Zone) or Eastern (Eastern Time Zone) United States.High Level Purpose Of The RoleIn this influential leadership role, you will lead a dynamic team of designers dedicated to supporting our dealer partners, end users, and the Architecture & Design community. You will oversee the creation of strategic design solutions that blend functionality, aesthetics, and competitive positioning—while leading a team that actively supports and drives revenue growth. This role goes beyond traditional design management. You will innovate how manufacturer designers partner with sales, leverage digital tools, and deliver scalable services that strengthen dealer relationships and enhance the overall design ecosystem. This multifaceted role requires strategic collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders across sales, products, digital tools, and dealer partners. You will cultivate a high-performing team culture while leveraging market insights, customer trends, and competitive intelligence to continuously evolve how design supports the business. Success in this role means strengthening relationships, modernizing service models, and delivering innovative, scalable design solutions that elevate the client experience and position design as a proactive driver of growth—not just a reactive support function. In partnership with Sales and senior leadership, you will ensure design resources are strategically aligned to high-value opportunities. You will establish clear prioritization frameworks, optimize team capacity, and position design as a measurable contributor to win-rate and revenue growth.Roles & ResponsibilitiesLeadershipInspires and motivates the design team to reach new heights and deliver exceptional solutions to our customersCreates & drives the business actions needed when business conditions change or new product categories are launchedProactively drives business enhancements & continuous improvements based upon customer requirementsMeasures & manages team performanceDesign Team Coordination & ProcessDrives development & continuous improvement on technology enablers, database, training & development platform that facilitates desired performance, best practices & key learnings across Design TeamCreates & drives the business actions needed to enable Design Strategists, Outsource Specifiers, Dealers, Designers the ability to create value-spec solutionsFacilitates best practices, key learnings & trends on products, specs, and project execution tips across Design team. Drives information & feedback to Technical team, Product Development/ Positioning & MarketingDirects the internal Design Strategists and assigned to areas of Marketing, Product Development/Positioning & TrainingDesign Team Training & DevelopmentCreates & maintains a training & development platform for Design StrategistsDocuments training plan for each team member, inclusive of approximate timeline dependent upon type of skill set entering into the roleCollaborates with Sales and A&D Leadership on additional training & development to improve performance in specification accuracy, speed, application usage & business needs to improve win ratioDrives sharing of tips & best practices amongst Design TeamOutsource Specification NetworkOrganizes & maintains an audited outsource network for specification overflow.Works directly with Sales Leaders to source & manage outsource specifiersDrives common understanding & execution of adjusting business processes to align with dealer, A&D, & Sales Leadership needsAssess outsource specifiers through use of formal audit process, or Design Team feedbackMeasurements of PerformanceCollaborates with Sales teams on continuous improvement efforts related to Design TeamOutsource Efficiency: Data guides decisions on when and where to outsource design work for cost-effectivenessProgress Tracking: Uses data-driven metrics to measure team progress on projects. Ensure proper information is being shared from field sales to move a project through the funnel in a timely mannerResource Allocation: Analyzes data to optimize the use of design resources, aligning skills with project needsProject Hour Oversight: Monitor team hours per project to ensure projects stay on schedule, field sales properly utilizes design resources and maintain a balanced workload for Design StrategistWork/Educational RequirementsSkills to Perform This RoleBachelors Degree in Interior Design, or equivalent practical experience10+ years Interior Design experience10+ Office furniture specification experienceTravels to customer & dealer sites as neededTechnical SkillsConfigura/ CET, AutoCAD & CAPInterior Design space planning and codesSolid knowledge of Alternative workplace strategies & Activity Based DesignAbility to listen to customer needs & create product applications based upon discussionLearns & reinforces the use of new technologies related to the entire sales processStrategic, sales-driven mindset that understands how design influences win ratesExperience leveraging AI resources related to designExperience utilizing Salesforce and Salesforce reportingExperience using Teamwork, or other workload management programsLeadership SkillsFosters an environment of trust and respect with peers, leaders & employees; has integrity.Self-starter, identifies & drives desired resultsDrives progress to hit targeted deadlinesEnsures the sharing of product, spec and project execution tips to various functionsProvide coaching & feedback to improve resultsAbility to facilitate conflict resolutionAbility to co-lead with Sales Leaders to drive resultsSeeks out personal development opportunities to enhance your skills and those in Design Team roles.Experience leading remote team membersInterpersonal SkillsConsults with Sales leaders to understand business needs & drives actions to aid in hitting region based targetsUnderstands & anticipates customer needs based upon market realities, builds training, processes, & centralized tools to meet those needsCommunication & Presentation SkillsExcellent verbal, written and listening skillsEffectively presents to small groupsAdjusts communication & style for audiencePrepared with objectives & anticipates questionsJ-18808-Ljbffr