Design Director – Residential Interiors

TREASURE IN THE DETAIL, LLC; Mesa (AZ); On-site; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Bonus and/or profit-sharing

Paid holidays and vacation/PTO

401(k) with company match

Monthly travel stipend

Sabbatical after five years

Professional development and growth

Team events and community service

Employee discounts through Home Decor

Job summary

Treasure in the Detail seeks an experienced Design Director to lead our residential interior design studio in Mesa, AZ. This hands-on leadership role centers on elevating design quality, client experience, and team performance while guiding multiple projects from concept through completion.

The successful candidate will mentor designers, steward project budgets and schedules, and partner with the Founder and Operations Manager to shape the firm’s future.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Interior Design, Architecture, or related field preferred.
• 8+ years of professional residential interior design experience.
• Experience mentoring, managing, or developing other designers.
• Strong understanding of residential construction, plans, detailing, and budgets.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex residential projects from concept through construction, furnishings, and installation.
• Provide creative direction and maintain high design standards across projects.
• Lead client presentations, meetings, and site visits.
• Collaborate with architects, builders, contractors, vendors, and trades.
• Review drawings, specifications, and documentation for quality and accuracy.
• Oversee timelines, design hours, priorities, and project health.
• Mentor and develop the design team; conduct performance reviews.
• Manage design-team workload, capacity, and resource allocation.
• Monitor project performance and profitability while maintaining client experience.
• Lead prospective-client consultations and support proposals with the founder.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Client communication

Project management

Budgeting

Problem-solving

Emotional intelligence

Decision making

Ownership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Interior Design, Architecture, or related field

Tools

AutoCAD

SketchUp

Job description

Treasure in the Detail is seeking an experienced Design Director to join our growing residential interior design studio in Mesa, Arizona.

This is a hands-on leadership opportunity for an accomplished residential designer who loves being close to the creative work but is ready to expand their impact beyond their own projects - leading designers, strengthening project performance, elevating the client experience, and helping shape the future of an established design firm.

Initially, this role will take an active lead on several residential projects while learning our processes, standards, team, and approach to design. Over time, the Design Director will assume increasing responsibility for the leadership and performance of our design department.

About Us

Treasure in the Detail is a full-service residential interior design studio specializing in custom homes, large-scale renovations, and full-service furnishings projects.

We partner closely with homeowners, architects, builders, and trades to create elevated, approachable interiors that are thoughtful, personal, and designed for the way our clients live.

We're a collaborative, design-driven team that values trust, accountability, creativity, teamwork, and excellence.

What You'll Do

• Lead complex residential projects from concept and space planning through design development, construction, furnishings, installation, and completion.
• Provide creative direction and maintain a consistently high standard of design across projects.
• Lead client presentations, key project meetings, site visits, and complex client conversations.
• Collaborate closely with architects, builders, contractors, vendors, and trades.
• Review design concepts, technical drawings, specifications, and documentation for quality and accuracy.
• Oversee project timelines, design hours, priorities, and overall project health.
• Mentor, coach, and develop our growing design team.
• Conduct mid-year and annual performance reviews and establish development goals for design team members.
• Help manage design-team workload, project assignments, priorities, and capacity.
• Monitor project performance and profitability while maintaining exceptional design and client-service standards.
• Participate in and increasingly lead prospective-client consultations.
• Partner with the Founder and Operations Manager to develop project scopes, estimated design hours, service recommendations, and proposals.
• Help strengthen design processes, quality-control standards, and accountability across the team.
• Support the continued growth and evolution of the firm.

The Design Director works closely with our Founder & Principal Designer and Operations Manager as part of the studio's leadership team.

The Design Director leads and manages the design department, design quality, project performance, designer development, and design-side client experience, while our Operations Manager leads procurement, logistics, systems, and operational execution.

This partnership allows the Design Director to focus on what they do best: leading great design, great projects, and great people.

What You Bring

• 8+ years of professional residential interior design experience, including custom homes, large-scale renovations, and full-service furnishings.
• Proven experience independently leading complex residential projects from concept through construction and installation.
• Experience mentoring, managing, or developing other designers.
• Strong understanding of residential construction, architectural plans, detailing, documentation, materials, and field conditions.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD, SketchUp, and related design tools or comparable platforms.
• Strong knowledge of cabinetry, millwork, lighting, plumbing, finishes, FF&E, textiles, and custom furnishings.
• Exceptional client communication, presentation, and relationship-management skills.
• Confidence collaborating with architects, builders, contractors, vendors, and trades.
• Strong project-management, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Understanding of project budgets, design hours, resource allocation, and profitability.
• Ability to delegate effectively while maintaining accountability and high standards.
• High emotional intelligence and the ability to navigate challenging situations with professionalism and composure.
• A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with the confidence to make decisions and take ownership.
• A collaborative, low-ego leadership style and genuine desire to help others grow.
• Bachelor's degree in Interior Design, Architecture, or related field preferred.

You’ll Thrive Here If...

You still love designing, but you're ready for your impact to extend beyond your own projects.

You're energized by developing people, solving complex problems, creating exceptional client experiences, and helping a design team perform at a higher level. You know when to dive into the details and when to step back and empower someone else.

You believe great design requires not only creativity, but also strong communication, accountability, thoughtful leadership, and exceptional execution.

• Competitive salary, commensurate with experience and leadership background
• Performance-based bonus and/or profit-sharing opportunities aligned with studio performance
• Paid holidays and vacation/PTO
• 401(k) with company match
• Monthly travel stipend
• Sabbatical after five years of full-time service
• Professional development and leadership opportunities
• Team events and community service opportunities
• Employee discounts through our Home Decor Shop

Interested?

This is an opportunity to do more than lead beautiful projects. You'll have a meaningful voice in the future of an established and growing residential design firm - developing designers, strengthening our design department, elevating our client experience, and helping shape what comes next.