Design Manager - Interiors - Senior

About the role

Gensler is seeking a Senior Design Manager with a proven track record of leading complex, large-scale corporate interiors projects and cultivating strong client relationships. This role is ideal for a strategic leader who thrives at the intersection of design excellence, business development, and team leadership.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead design manager for complex, high-impact projects, managing large-scale, high-impact work (e.g., $1M+ fee, 100K+ SF, multi-phase or multi-stakeholder projects, or multiple concurrent large projects)
• Drive successful project outcomes across all phases while ensuring alignment between client goals, design excellence, delivery quality, and business performance
• Lead multiple concurrent projects, including high-value and multi-phase engagements
• Ensure alignment between design intent, client goals, and execution
• Act as the primary point of contact and trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders
• Build, grow, and maintain long-term client relationships
• Provide account leadership (CR ownership) for key clients, identifying opportunities for expansion
• Navigate complex stakeholder environments and facilitate decision-making
• Support business development efforts by strengthening client relationships, identifying opportunities, and contributing to pursuits and proposals
• Lead and contribute to proposals, interviews, and pursuit strategies
• Partner with Marketing on lead generation, positioning, and storytelling
• Support sector growth initiatives (Tech Workplace, Advanced Tech, Critical Facilities, R&D/Labs)
• Partner with Studio Directors, Practice Area Leaders, and Office Leadership to support staffing strategy, workload forecasting, and resource planning
• Drive project health reviews and proactively identify risks to project performance, team capacity, and client satisfaction
• Identify recurring project delivery challenges and implement scalable solutions across multiple teams and projects
• Mentor and develop project managers, design managers, and emerging leaders
• Develop project managers and emerging design managers through coaching, delegation, performance feedback, and leadership opportunities
• Help establish operational rigor, accountability, and consistent delivery standards across project teams
• Serve as a key contributor to succession planning and leadership development efforts within the office
• Own project financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, and profitability
• Develop and manage project schedules, work plans, resource allocation, and staffing plans across multiple concurrent projects
• Oversee preparation and negotiation of proposals, contracts, and consultant agreements
• Review project accounting and manage billing processes while partnering with studio leadership to monitor delivery performance, utilization, and team capacity
• Build, lead, and inspire high-performing multidisciplinary teams while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Establish clear ownership, accountability, and decision-making across project teams
• Provide mentorship, coaching, and career development for junior, mid-level, and emerging leadership staff
• Contribute to recruiting and team growth efforts
• Help identify and develop future project, technical, and studio leaders
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance studio culture
• Guide coordination, documentation, and delivery to ensure quality and consistency
• Oversee quality assurance and technical review of project documentation
• Drive innovation in design process, tools, and delivery methods

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Interior Design, Architecture, or a related field
• 15+ years of design management experience within an architecture or design firm
• Proven success leading large, complex projects and multidisciplinary teams
• Strong client management and business development experience
• Expertise across all phases of project delivery
• Advanced skills in space planning, programming, and FF&ES
• Strong knowledge of building systems, codes, and accessibility requirements
• Experience delivering financially successful projects
• Demonstrated leadership and mentorship capabilities
• Sustainable design experience preferred (LEED or similar)
• Proficiency in Revit, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, and Microsoft Office
• Experience leading staffing, resource planning, and delivery operations across multiple projects
• Proven ability to balance client leadership, business development, project delivery, and talent development responsibilities
• Experience helping scale teams, studios, or practice areas through periods of growth