Area Design Studio Senior Manager

Taylor Morrison; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Taylor Morrison in Houston seeks an Area Design Studio Senior Manager to lead all Southeast design studios, set strategic direction, and ensure consistency in scheduling and product offerings.

You will staff, onboard, and evaluate design consultants while coordinating with Sales, purchasing, and architecture to maintain high standards and customer satisfaction across the region.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead large design studios and cross‑functional teams.
• Experience in scheduling, product offerings, and operations across multiple studios.
• Strong people leadership, onboarding, and performance management skills.

Responsibilities

• Ensure design studios align with the Design Studio Playbook and scheduling requirements.
• Lead, coach, and develop design studio teams, setting priorities and accountability.
• Oversee daily design operations for efficiency and consistency across the area.
• Manage studio remodels, flow, product selections, and customer experience.
• Collaborate with Sales VPs, purchasing, and architecture to optimize offerings.
• Prepare monthly reporting on KPIs and identify strategic improvement opportunities.
• Analyze design data to uncover insights on customer preferences and revenue drivers.
• Partner with third‑party studios to ensure brand execution and support.

Skills

Design management

Leadership

Strategic planning

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Design/Architecture or related field

Homebuilding experience preferred

Job description

Job Description Summary

The Area Design Studio Senior Manager is responsible for managing and leading all design studios across the Southeast Area and their design studio teams, and for setting the operational and strategic direction of the area. This role ensures consistency across studios in scheduling, product offerings, and operations, while partnering with internal teams such as sales, purchasing, and architecture to maintain high standards. The Senior Manager also leads staffing, onboarding, and performance management across the area, while setting area strategy and driving corporate design initiatives and maintaining compliance with the Design Studio Playbook.

Job Details

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Alignment

• Ensure all design studios across the Southeast Area are aligned with the Design Studio Playbook, meeting all scheduling and appointment requirements.

• Lead, coach, and develop the design studio teams across the Southeast Area, setting priorities and holding teams accountable to results.

• Oversee day-to-day design operations, ensuring smooth processes and efficiency.

• Manage studio remodels, considering appointment flow, product selections, and customer experience.

• Collaborate with Sales VPs to update studios based on changing market needs or product availability.

• Work closely with regional purchasing and architecture teams to manage product lineups, which may vary by division.

• Complete monthly reporting to division and area leadership based on design studio KPIs, analyzing performance trends, and identifying strategic opportunities for operational improvement.

• Strategically analyze design studio data to uncover insights on customer preferences, conversion patterns, and revenue drivers; use data-driven findings to inform recommendations that enhance the customer experience and unlock revenue opportunities.

Staffing & Team Management

• Responsible for hiring, onboarding, and training new Design Consultants to ensure they meet company standards.

• Approve back-office timesheets and manage commission payouts for design consultants.

• Manage staffing levels to ensure optimal studio performance and customer satisfaction.

• Conduct Monthly Studio Commitments reviews, ensuring consultants complete three monthly goals by the 5th of each month.

• Complete Monthly Design Studio Commitments with consultants, ensuring all commitments are signed via DocuSign and stored appropriately in the Division Teams channel to maintain accurate documentation of goals and performance accountability.

Product & Design Expertise

• Educate respective divisions—including design studio, sales, construction, and warranty teams—on product lineups and product knowledge.

• Lead efforts in curating and supporting Canvas collections and other product offerings in the respective divisions.

• Stay updated on national product selections and work as part of the Area Design Studio Council to drive procurement efforts.

• Support and implement corporate design initiatives, ensuring their successful rollout across the divisions.

Meetings & Collaboration

• Attend quarterly meetings with the regional purchasing team to discuss product updates and alignment.

• Participate in Monthly and Weekly Design Studio Leadership meetings to report on progress and discuss improvements.

• Attend Starts Meetings to provide support to the Area Coordinator and escal

• Collaborate with corporate and regional leadership to ensure design studios remain at the forefront of industry standards and customer expectations.

Administration & Documentation

• Manage and update contact lists for divisions to ensure all teams are in sync with design operations.

• Ensure compliance with all corporate guidelines and maintain accurate documentation of processes, goals, and achievements.

Third-Party Studio Partnership & Support

• Partner with third-party design studios across the Southeast Area to ensure they have access to proper support and tools required to follow Taylor Morrison procedures, standards, and the Design Studio Playbook.

• Provide ongoing coaching and resources to third-party studio leadership to ensure consistent brand execution and operational excellence.

IT & Employee Onboarding Management

• Responsible for ordering and approving all IT and new employee onboarding materials for design studio teams, ensuring all staff have the necessary tools and resources on day one.

• Drive new employee onboarding processes in partnership with the other Area Design Studio Managers to ensure consistent, standardized onboarding aligned with Taylor Morrison procedures and the Design Studio Playbook.

Model Team Support

• Support model home teams with model option selections and paperwork completion, ensuring accuracy and timeliness in coordinating design choices for model homes across the Southeast Area.

Education and Experience

• Minimum of 5+ year management experience with Design experience required.

• College Degree and experience in Homebuilding preferred

*Taylor Morrison experience and/or successful completion of training program may override required education and/or experience requirement.

Job descriptions are not intended as, nor should be construed to be, exhaustive lists of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with a job. They are intended to be accurate reflections of those principal job duties and responsibilities essential for making fair pay decisions about the job.