Café & Retail Design Lead — Architecture & Experience

Capital One National Association; McLean (VA); Hybrid; USD 121,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

Capital One seeks a Principal Associate, Design Manager for Cafes within Retail Bank to lead design and management of cafe and branch projects from concept to construction. You will deliver spaces that balance brand, hospitality, and customer experience while coordinating with stakeholders and external architects.

The role requires strong communication, budget management, and the ability to translate design concepts into constructable solutions across multiple sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or Military experience.
• At least 5 years of commercial retail design or architectural experience.
• At least 3 years of architectural project management experience supporting concept through construction administration.
• At least 3 years of experience selecting and sourcing architectural materials, furniture, fixtures, and equipment.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the end-to-end architectural design and documentation phases of new-build and renovation projects for Capital One café and branch formats.
• Conduct site analysis, feasibility studies, and develop conceptual layouts to assess program fit.
• Guide external architects through due diligence investigations, site visits and code reviews.
• Adapt Capital One design standards to a variety of site conditions and base building typologies, local market and customer needs, and develop site-specific design solutions as required.
• Lead exterior and interior design by using sketches, 3D visualization and presentations skills to align with leadership and provide guidance to supporting architects.
• Manage architects of record to ensure high quality construction documents and consistent implementation of design standards, while maintaining key milestones throughout the course of the design, bid, and permitting project phases.
• Supervise design execution during Construction Administration, ensuring alignment with the design intent through oversight and reviewing key submittals.
• Apply creative problem-solving and critical thinking to create functional and aesthetically pleasing design solutions within budget constraints.
• Foster strong communication and partnership with cross-functional teams and senior leadership to effectively manage, and influence outcomes.
• Ability to work as a resourceful, creative, flexible, and resilient team member, delivering direct support for the development and delivery of Capital One cafes and branches.
• Demonstrate organizational agility to adapt to changing demands.
• Display strong consulting and collaboration skills.
• 20% travel depending on project needs.

Skills

Problem solving

Creative thinking

Architecture

Interior design

Project management

Communication

Collaboration

Travel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Architecture or Interior Design

NCIDQ or NCARB certification

Tools

AutoCAD

Photoshop

Bluebeam Revu

SketchUp

Job description

Capital One seeks a Principal Associate, Design Manager for Cafes within Retail Bank to lead design and management of cafe and branch projects from concept to construction. You will deliver spaces that balance brand, hospitality, and customer experience while coordinating with stakeholders and external architects.

The role requires strong communication, budget management, and the ability to translate design concepts into constructable solutions across multiple sites.