Design Manager - Interiors

Arena Americas; Fort Irwin (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Pay

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with Company Match

Paid Time Off & Holidays

Flexible Work Options

Career Growth Opportunities

Supportive Team Culture

Employee Perks

Job summary

Arena Americas is seeking a senior designer to lead client conversations from the initial meeting through proposal and design development. You will help set the vision, curate furnishings and finishes, and collaborate with a skilled team to transform mood boards into buildable spaces.

With a focus on hospitality interiors and experiential design, you’ll balance creative goals with budgets and timelines, while traveling to showrooms and project sites as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in interior design or related field.
• 5+ years in event, experiential, trade show, hospitality, or branded-environment design.
• Strong visual sensibility for interiors, materials, color, scale, and composition.
• Experience creating client-facing presentations, mood boards, design concepts, or visual proposals.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and CAD or 3D design software.
• Excellent communication and project-tracking skills.
• Team-oriented with ability to collaborate across departments.
• Balancing design goals with budget, schedule, fabrication, and installation considerations.
• Willingness to occasional trips to showrooms, vendors, venues, or load-ins, up to 25 lbs.

Responsibilities

• Lead client design meetings and draw out creative direction, priorities, brand requirements, and budget.
• Translate client feedback into clear next steps for the design team.
• Source furniture, lighting, décor, materials, finishes, and specialty items.
• Present recommendations to clients and guide them through the design and approval process.
• Track progress and follow up on feedback and approvals to keep proposals and designs on schedule.
• Collaborate with designers, renderers, CAD artists, production, project managers, and estimators.
• Review floor plans, renderings, and graphics to stay true to the approved direction.
• Support design resources, templates, and processes; assist on special projects.

Skills

Presentation skills

Communication

Teamwork

Practical thinking

Design eye

Mobility

Education

Bachelor’s degree in interior design

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

CAD / 3D design software

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Full Time Senior Management California, Barstow, CA, US

5 days ago Requisition ID: 1255

Salary Range: $85,000.00 To $110,000.00 Annually

Work on Events the World Talks About

At Arena, we turn bold ideas into unforgettable experiences. Our teams design, build, and deliver world‑class event spaces for global names like Formula 1, the Ryder Cup, and the PGA Tour — and we do it on some of the biggest stages in the world.

With projects across the US, UK, Middle East, and Asia, you’ll gain hands‑on experience, work with industry experts, and see your work come to life in real time. If you’re looking for a fast‑paced environment, real responsibility, and the chance to be part of something exciting from day one, Arena is the place to grow your career.

You’ll Love This Role

• Shaping the hospitality environments, branded spaces, and event interiors at Production Elements, an Arena company, that turn a gathering into an experience people remember
• Being the creative voice from the very first client conversation through proposal and design development — you’ll help set the vision, not just polish it
• A role that blends design and people: talking concepts with clients, curating furniture, materials, and décor, and partnering with a talented crew of designers, renderers, and CAD artists
• The satisfaction of seeing a mood board become a real, beautiful space — designed to be both stunning and buildable
• Room to grow into the technical side of design, with a team that supports your learning and a company that promotes from within

How You’ll Support the Structure

• Lead the conversation: Guide client design meetings and draw out creative direction, priorities, brand requirements, and budget so every project starts on solid ground
• Turn ideas into direction: Translate client feedback into clear next steps the design team can run with
• Source the good stuff: Find furniture, lighting, décor, materials, finishes, and specialty items that fit each project’s look, budget, and timeline
• Present with confidence: Share your recommendations with clients and guide them smoothly through the design and approval process
• Keep things moving: Track progress and follow up on feedback and approvals so proposals, revisions, and design materials land on schedule and nothing stalls
• Collaborate across teams: Partner with designers, renderers, CAD artists, production, project managers, and estimators to create designs that are beautiful and executable
• Protect the vision: Review floor plans, renderings, and graphics to make sure everything stays true to the approved creative direction
• Lift the whole team: Support project development, sourcing, revisions, presentations, and design reviews, and help build and refine our design resources, templates, and processes
• Pitch in: Support special projects as assigned to help the team and company win

The Foundation You Already Have

We’re looking for a creative, organized, client-focused designer with a sharp eye and a love for talking design.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in interior design, interior architecture, architecture, industrial design, event or experiential design, or a related field — or equivalent experience
• Experience: 5+ years in event, experiential, trade show, hospitality, or branded-environment design
• Design eye: A strong visual sensibility and a natural feel for interiors, furniture, materials, color, scale, and composition
• Presentation skills: Experience creating client-facing presentations, mood boards, design concepts, or visual proposals
• Tools: Experience with Adobe Creative Suite and/or CAD or 3D design software
• Communication and organization: Excellent communication and project-tracking skills, and the ability to juggle multiple projects, deadlines, revisions, and client follow-ups without losing the details
• Teamwork: A collaborative mindset and real appreciation for working with creative, production, estimating, and project management teams
• Practical thinking: A knack for balancing design goals with real‑world budget, schedule, fabrication, and installation considerations
• Getting around: Comfortable with mostly desk‑based work on a computer, plus occasional trips to showrooms, vendors, the warehouse, venues, or load‑ins, and occasionally moving samples or materials up to 25 lbs

Arena Americas is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need an accommodation, we’d love to talk it through with you.

Bonus Points If You Have These

• Experience in event design, experiential design, hospitality interiors, interior design, or branded environments
• Working knowledge of Vectorworks, AutoCAD, Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, Twinmotion, V-Ray, Enscape, or similar drafting, modeling, and rendering programs — a strong plus, but not required. If you’re not there yet, a real interest in learning these technical skills is what matters

We Take Care of Our People

• Competitive Pay – Your skills and experience are valued
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance to support your health and well‑being
• 401(k) with Company Match – to help you plan for the future
• Paid Time Off & Holidays – Work hard, recharge often
• Flexible Work Options – We support work‑life balance
• Career Growth Opportunities – Learning, development, and advancement
• Supportive Team Culture – Collaboration, respect, and inclusion
• Employee Perks – Monthly appreciation meal, event tickets, and more

Location: Onsite, with occasional visits to showrooms, vendors, and event sites Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00AM

Ready to take the next step in your career? Apply today and let’s build together!

Arena Americas is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.