Design Studio Director: Strategy, Mentorship & Impact

Paylocity; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Formcraft is seeking a Director of Design to shape the vision and lead the studio across large, complex projects. You will collaborate with the Design Principal to set standards, mentor designers, and guide teams from concept through delivery while engaging clients at a strategic level.

The ideal candidate brings a strong design point of view, executive storytelling, and the ability to translate goals into compelling design solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Interior Design, Architecture, or related discipline.
• 10–15+ years of related professional experience in commercial interior design.
• Proven ability to lead large, complex projects and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong design direction, critique, and mentorship capabilities.
• Experience presenting to executive leadership and clients.
• Proficiency with Revit, AutoCAD, Bluebeam Revu, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, and MS Office.
• NCIDQ Certification or architectural licensure preferred.
• LEED Accreditation preferred.

Responsibilities

• Shape the creative direction of the Design Studio, championing a culture of design exploration, collaboration, and constructive critique.
• Lead design reviews at key project milestones, providing clear direction and quality oversight of concepts, presentations, documentation, and the built work.
• Serve as the design lead on select large and complex projects, establishing the design vision with clients, guiding teams from concept through construction and protecting the strength of the design through each phase.
• Build strong client relationships, lead design conversations at all levels, including executive leadership teams, and translate client goals and feedback into compelling design solutions.
• Support Business Development in pursuit strategy, prospective client meetings, interviews, and presentations, clearly communicating Formcraft’s design approach, thinking, and the value it brings to clients.
• Partner with the Design Principal to advance the studio’s design direction, mentor designers and emerging leaders, and strengthen design skills across the team.
• Represent Formcraft’s design practice through industry events, professional relationships, and other opportunities to build visibility for the studio.
• Collaborate with Principals and leaders across design, preconstruction, and construction to align design ambition with project goals, budget, schedule, and delivery.
• Represent the firm in a professional manner consistent with firm values and culture.

Skills

Design leadership

Client relationship management

Communication skills

Mentorship

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Interior Design or Architecture

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

Bluebeam Revu

SketchUp

Adobe Creative Suite

Microsoft Office

Job description

Formcraft is seeking a Director of Design to shape the vision and lead the studio across large, complex projects. You will collaborate with the Design Principal to set standards, mentor designers, and guide teams from concept through delivery while engaging clients at a strategic level.

The ideal candidate brings a strong design point of view, executive storytelling, and the ability to translate goals into compelling design solutions.