Occupancy Planner / Design Manager

About the Role

JLL has an exciting opportunity for an Occupancy Planner / Retail Design Manager supporting a key financial services client across its branch and wealth management portfolio in the United States. This highly visible role combines strategy, occupancy planning, portfolio optimization, and design management responsibilities to deliver innovative, efficient, and future-forward retail environments that support business objectives, employee experience, customer engagement, and operational excellence. As a trusted advisor, you will translate business requirements into physical space solutions by leading occupancy planning initiatives and providing standards and branding governance for retail design projects from programming through construction.

Responsibilities

• Partner with business leaders to identify current and future space requirements.
• Create feasibility studies, scenario modeling, test fits, and space planning options to support retail branch initiatives across renovation, refresh, and new-build projects.
• Serve as a steward of the client’s design guidelines and branding standards across a dynamic portfolio, ensuring consistency in customer experience.
• Recommend, educate, and enforce planning standards, space policies, and design protocols.
• Support portfolio planning activities including expansions, consolidations, relocations, renovations, refreshes, and new build projects.
• Act as the primary point of contact for project-level design and planning matters.
• Collaborate with external architects, designers, consultants, and vendors to ensure consistent delivery of high-quality projects.
• Participate in all phases of design, including programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents, and permit review.
• Review and approve floorplans, test fits, furniture layouts, art, signage, and design packages to ensure alignment with client standards and workplace guidelines.
• Provide design oversight throughout project execution to ensure adherence to approved design intent.
• Work closely with construction teams and vendors as needed to resolve design challenges and maintain project quality.
• Ensure compliance with accessibility standards, local building codes, ADA requirements, and corporate design standards.

Relationship Management & Delivery

• Participate in requirements-gathering workshops, planning sessions, and design review meetings with stakeholders at all organizational levels.
• Develop and deliver executive presentations, floorplan reviews, test-fit recommendations, and approval packages.
• Establish trusted relationships with business leaders, project teams, and external design partners.
• Collaborate closely with:
  • Business Strategy teams
  • Project Management teams
  • Facilities Management teams
  • Interior Architects and Designers
  • Technology and Corporate Security teams
• Communicate design standards, planning principles, and portfolio strategies clearly and effectively.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Interior Architecture, Interior Design, or related field.
• Minimum 5-7 years of experience in space planning, occupancy planning, corporate real estate, architecture, interior design, or related disciplines.
• Experience supporting financial services organizations and retail portfolios is highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of planning methodologies, design standards, utilization analytics, and portfolio planning.
• Proven ability to create and evaluate feasibility studies, scenario models, test fits, and space allocation plans.
• Experience working directly with architects, designers, and project managers throughout project lifecycles.
• Strong understanding of design guidelines, spatial relationships, furniture planning, and building systems.
• Working knowledge of local building codes, ADA requirements, and accessibility standards.
• Knowledge of WELL Building Standard, LEED certification, and sustainability initiatives preferred.
• LEED Accredited Professional and/or PMP certification preferred.

Skills

• Strong PowerPoint skills with ability to develop executive-level presentations and planning recommendations.
• Experience with AutoCAD for test fits, floorplan review, and square footage calculations.
• Familiarity with Revit, Adobe Creative Suite, Bluebeam, and Matterport platforms.