Design Associate

Carmel Partners Management, LLC; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Carmel Partners seeks a Design Associate for its San Francisco office to support interior design across a national portfolio. You will coordinate documentation, schedules, and installations while collaborating with internal teams, consultants, and vendors.

The role requires a degree in a relevant field, 2+ years of interior design experience, and strong CAD/3D tool proficiency. Base compensation is $95K–$105K with a bonus incentive, commensurate with experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in interior design, architecture, construction or related field.
• Experience in interior design, FF&E, procurement, or project coordination preferred.
• Knowledge of interior finishes and products and ability to read drawings and specs.
• Proficiency with MS Office and design software; CAD/BIM tools a plus.
• Strong communication, organizational, and collaborative abilities.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate interior design initiatives across national portfolio under the Design team.
• Maintain project trackers, schedules, logs, and status reporting.
• Communicate with internal teams, consultants, and vendors on day-to-day project info.
• Lead meetings, prepare materials, and track deliverables and approvals.
• Review drawings and specs for completeness and resolve discrepancies.
• Prepare finish schedules, specification sheets, and sample sets.
• Track FF&E and finish selections against budgets and schedules.
• Support installations and ensure design intent is carried through.
• Visit active sites as needed and maintain documentation and libraries.

Skills

Excellent communication

Organizational skills

Team collaboration

Problem solving

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's degree in interior design, architecture, construction or related field

CIDA-accredited program / ASID affiliation a plus

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, Teams)

Bluebeam

Adobe Creative Suite

AutoCAD

Revit / AI-assisted visualization tools

Job description

Carmel Partners, one of the nation’s leading specialists in real estate investment management, with expertise in the investment, development and construction of multifamily real estate, is seeking a Design Associate in our San Francisco Office.

The Design Associate supports interior design execution across Carmel Partners national portfolio, including new development, renovation, and existing assets. Partnering with internal teams, consultants, procurement partners, and vendors, the Associate coordinates documentation, schedules, deliverables, and installations, managing defined workstreams and smaller-scope initiatives under the direction of the Design team and escalating design, budget, and schedule decisions as appropriate.

A place for you

Here at Carmel, we don’t just invest in real estate; we invest in careers. If you don’t meet all of the qualifications listed for this role, we encourage you to monitor our career page for upcoming opportunities. Research shows that women and individuals from underrepresented groups often hesitate to apply for roles unless they meet every qualification.

We’re committed to assembling diverse teams with exceptional talent, and we strongly encourage individuals from a wide range of backgrounds to apply. Everyone’s career journey is unique, so let’s explore how you could be a great fit for our team!

What You'll Do

• Coordinate interior design initiatives across the national portfolio under the direction of the Design team
• Maintain project trackers, milestone schedules, action-item logs, approval records, and portfolio-level status reporting
• Coordinate day-to-day project information among internal teams, interior design consultants, architects, contractors, procurement partners, and vendors
• Manage Design team and project meetings, including scheduling, agendas, presentation materials, notes, and follow-up on outstanding deliverables
• Perform initial review of drawings, finish schedules, specifications, shop drawings, submittals, and RFIs for completeness; route items for Design team review and elevate discrepancies for resolution
• Prepare and maintain specification sheets, finish schedules, sample sets, unit finish boards, and related design documentation, including approved pricing
• Track and document approved selections for residential units, corridors, amenities, model units, and exterior FF&E
• Coordinate smaller scope amenity refreshes and Asset Management design requests; research options and prepare preliminary recommendations for Design team approval
• Coordinate with vendors to obtain samples, lead times, substitutions, and order-status information
• Track FF&E and finish selections against approved budgets and schedules, identifying cost, availability, and schedule risks early
• Coordinate documentation, shop drawings, and finish and fabric samples related to furniture product development
• Support project installations and styling alongside procurement partners, vendors, and installation teams to confirm approved design intent is carried through
• Coordinate warranty, repair, replacement, and close-out needs following FF&E installation
• Periodically visit active construction sites and project installations, including elevated areas and uneven ground, wearing required personal protective equipment
• Maintain the Master Unit Finish Schedule, unit finish standards, product and resource libraries, project files, vendor and consultant records, and historical design documentation
• Support the documentation and rollout of design standards, preferred specifications, and national sourcing initiatives, and maintain lessons-learned documentation for future standards and processes
• Maintain the Design product room and coordinate sample requests and material distribution to outside consultants and project teams
• Provide coordination and administrative support for Design team travel, installations, presentations, and special projects
• Travel nationally by car or air as required, and occasionally lift or carry materials and samples of up to 50 pounds during installations
• Perform other related duties as assigned

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's degree in interior design, architecture, construction or a related field preferred; CIDA-accredited program and/or ASID affiliation a plus
• 2+ of experience in interior design, architecture, FF&E, procurement, or project coordination; multifamily, single-family residential, or hospitality experience preferred
• Working knowledge of interior finishes and products, including flooring, tile, cabinetry, countertops, plumbing fixtures, lighting, furniture, and textiles
• Ability to read and interpret architectural and interior design drawings, specifications, finish schedules, and floor plans; familiarity with construction documentation preferred
• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, and Teams, and in Bluebeam; Adobe Creative Suite and AutoCAD preferred; Revit and AI-assisted visualization tools a plus
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and exceptional attention to detail
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize multiple assignments against competing deadlines
• Proactive, solutions-oriented approach, with sound judgment on when to work independently and when to elevate
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify potential conflicts and elevate them promptly
• Comfort interacting with senior leadership and collaborating across diverse internal and external teams
• Collaborative, resourceful, and composed under pressure, with a service-oriented approach to design quality and consistency

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation and benefits play a key role in your choice of employer, and our goal is to invest in you and your experience here. You’ll find competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package at Carmel.

Base compensation range $95K to $105K. Total compensation for this role also includes a bonus incentive in addition to the base salary. Compensation will be commensurate with experience, qualifications and skills. The Company reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and to offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances unrelated to an applicant’s sex or other protected status under local, state or federal law.

Choose Carmel

AtCarmel Partners, our mission is to create exceptional multifamily communities that enrich lives and neighborhoods.

Founded in 1996, Carmel is one of the nation’s leading specialists in real estate investment management, focusing on U.S. multifamily development and construction, renovation and debt investments. Through its vertically integrated platform, Carmel seeks to achieve superior risk-adjusted returns across market cycles by investing in relatively supply-constrained, high-barrier-to-entry markets in the United States.

Visa Sponsorship: Carmel Partners is currently unable to sponsor or assume sponsorship of an employment visa for this role. We require that applicants be authorized to work in the U.S.A.

Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equitable hiring and promotion practices. We lead with integrity and believe in building a diverse and inclusive workplace, rooted in a culture of mutual respect. By welcoming varied backgrounds, perspectives and ideas, we cultivate engagement and a sense of belonging that creates community within, so Carmel can build communities that thrive.

Carmel Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. Employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion or belief, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy and reproductive decisions, family or parental status, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other status protected under local, state or federal laws.

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

Qualifications

Education

Required

Bachelors or better in Architecture or related field.

Experience

Required

2-3 years:

experience in interior design, architecture, FF&E, procurement, or project coordination; multifamily, single-family residential, or hospitality experience preferred Working knowledge of interior finishes and products, including flooring, tile, cabinetry, countertops, plumbing fixtures, lighting, furniture, and textiles Ability to read and interpret architectural and interior design drawings, specifications, finish schedules, and floor plans; familiarity with construction documentation