Design Director

dancker; Somerville (NJ); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

dancker, based in Somerville, NJ, is seeking a strategic and collaborative Design Director. This role involves guiding the design team and ensuring alignment with broader business goals while fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability.

The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in commercial furniture design, including leadership roles. Responsibilities include managing resources, ensuring project quality, and engaging with clients to elevate design strategy within the sales process.

A competitive salary range of $125,000–$150,000 based on experience is being offered, alongside opportunities for professional development.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in commercial furniture design, with at least 5 years in leadership.
• Proficient in design software including CET, AutoCAD, and SketchUp.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead design direction and team development.
• Ensure high-quality project deliverables.
• Foster collaboration across departments for cohesive workflows.

Skills

Leadership

Collaboration

Design Expertise

Project Management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design, Architecture, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

CET

AutoCAD

SketchUp

BlueBeam

ZOHO Projects

Job description

Design Director

Location: Somerville, NJ

The difference you’ll make

We’re looking for a strategic and collaborative Design Director to join our leadership team at dancker. In this role, you’ll provide direction for the design function, foster collaboration across departments, and ensure the team’s work supports dancker’s broader business goals. You’ll balance team development and operational oversight with hands‑on engagement, mentoring, and process improvement, while guiding direct reports in project execution, resource alignment, and the delivery of accurate, timely, and high‑quality design work. If you’re an experienced design leader who is passionate about developing people, strengthening processes, and driving client‑centered design excellence, we’d love to hear from you.

How you’ll make an impact

Leadership & Team Management

• Provide mentorship, coaching, and technical guidance to foster a high‑performance, collaborative team culture.
• Model and promote accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement across departments.
• Conduct monthly one‑on‑one meetings with direct reports to review the Design Performance Matrix.
• Address performance issues with clear documentation, initiating weekly one‑on‑ones and Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) when necessary.

Onboarding & Development

• Create a two‑week onboarding orientation schedule for new hires reporting directly to this position.
• Generate and manage a 12‑week development plan with identified deliverables to ensure new designers are progressing in their training.
• Ensure Design Managers are actively managing onboarding, coaching, and development within their teams.
• Conduct regular check‑ins with all direct reports to assess training needs and plan for continuous development.
• Identify opportunities to enhance collaboration, engagement, accountability, and client focus across departments, and partner with leadership to develop and implement improvement plans.

Project & Resource Management

• Assign project work through ZOHO once project scope, product solutions, and timeline have been validated.
• Ensure effective resource alignment to balance workload, optimize utilization, and support timely, high‑quality deliverables.
• Monitor workload and capacity and align resources to ensure teams have the support they need and can meet deadlines with accurate, high‑quality deliverables.
• Monitor team capacity and collaborate with leadership to proactively address resourcing challenges.
• Provide guidance and strategic oversight on key or complex projects/accounts.

Process & Quality Oversight

• Ensure all direct reports are actively tracking tasks in ZOHO, updating comments, meeting deadlines, and closing tasks appropriately.
• Oversee MxT Utilization Tracking to ensure alignment with billable goals of 85% minimum utilization.
• Support and lead problem‑solving efforts across departments to maintain high output standards and resolve project obstacles.
• Champion innovation in processes, design thinking, and technology adoption.

Collaboration & Engagement

• Foster strong working relationships across departments to ensure open communication and enterprise alignment.
• Promote collaboration between design, sales, operations, and project management to deliver cohesive client experiences.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships with clients, partners, and team members.
• Assist in guiding teams to appropriately engage with dancker's Growth Ventures (e.g., DBE, ForBuild, dePloy).

Client‑Facing & Business Development Support

• Partner with sales leadership on strategic accounts, providing design expertise and support for business development initiatives.
• Serve as a design resource in key client engagements, presentations, and strategic planning sessions.
• Strong product knowledge of commercial furniture, including market trends and innovations.
• Elevate the role of design as a strategic differentiator within the sales process.

Skills & Competencies

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and design software (CET, AutoCAD, SketchUp, BlueBeam, etc.).
• Comfortable using ZOHO Projects or equivalent project management platform.
• Ability to think strategically and make recommendations that align with the goals of sales and design teams.
• Organized, proactive, and able to manage multiple designers and their workload.

What you’ll bring to this role

• Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design, Architecture, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in commercial furniture design, with at least 5 years in a leadership or management role.
• Excellent communication, organization, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and mentor a team while meeting individual project responsibilities.

Key Behaviors to succeed in the role

All Employees: Collaborates | Accountable | Innovative | Customer Focused | Self Development | Courage

People Leaders: Builds Effective Teams | Sets Vision & Purpose

Salary Range

$125,000–$150,000, based on skills, capabilities, and experience.