Design Studio Manager

One Workplace; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 134,000 - 164,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

15 days PTO

9 paid holidays

Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance

401k + Employer Match

Paid Parental Leave

Wellness App with reimbursement of upb

Profit Sharing

Job summary

One Workplace is seeking a Design Studio Manager II to guide the design studio's operations, nurture a culture of creative confidence, and drive high‑impact projects. You will supervise Design Leads, manage workloads, and align studio activities with company goals.

You will mentor teams, lead talent development, and collaborate with clients, A&D partners, and internal stakeholders to deliver exceptional spaces that reflect clients' brands and aspirations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in interior design or a related field.
• 10+ years of design leadership experience preferred.
• Accredited credentials (CIDA/NAB) preferred; NCIDQ or LEED/AP a plus.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations of the design studio and lead Design Leads.
• Set budgets, goals, policies, and strategic plans for the division.
• Manage division financials and profitability targets.
• Act as hiring manager and shape staffing for the division.
• Partner with clients, consultants, and sales to drive project success.
• Champion design excellence and innovation across projects.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Budgeting

Stakeholder mgmt

Project management

Education

Bachelor's Degree

10+ years design experience

CIDA/NAB preferred

NCIDQ/CID/LEED etc.

Tools

AutoCAD

SketchUp

CET Designer

MS Office

Job description

Overview

We are One Workplace. We believe that people with a purpose need great spaces to perform their best work. We think big but work small, innovate through relentless curiosity, and treat each other – and our clients – like family. Over the past 100 years, we haven’t forgotten who we are, and we’ve never stopped changing. From big city skyscrapers to the west coast's premier universities and medical facilities, we design insightful work spaces with the latest technology to provide our clients an environment that embodies their image and encourages success. Our drive and dedication to providing our clients with innovative spaces and solutions has helped us expand our footprint, and now it is time to expand our team.

One Workplace is committed to the development of empathetic leaders, diversification of talent and increased representation at every level of our business. We believe in cultivating a culture of inclusion and are dedicated to building and retaining teams through removing unnecessary barriers to employment and providing opportunities for career growth. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status.

Position Summary

The Design Studio Manager II is a second-level managerial position. Ensures the effective operation of the design studio. Enables growth and development of the team and instigates a culture of creative confidence. Oversees day-to-day tasks, duties and responsibilities, workloads, and directly addresses personnel issues. Direct supervisor for Design Leads. Sets and implements the studio’s strategic goals, initiatives, and policies. Shares the responsibility for the performance of the team and individuals within.

Essential Responsibilities

• Second-level managerial responsibilities include Design Team network development, customer and A&D partner relationship development and management, enterprise-wide influence.
• Responsible for team and divisional performance and outcomes.
• Sets divisional budgets, goals, policies, processes, objectives, and strategic plans.
• Manages division financials to ensure profitability and achievement of financial goals.
• Ensure achievement of team member utilization, liquidation, and open issues targets.
• Manages standards, processes, and quality assurance.
• Manages divisional workloads, workflow, and project assignment.
• Provides feedback, critical assessment, and performance reviews (Partnership Alignments).
• Motivates, inspires, and directs internal and external teams
• Encourage and promote professional development and growth.
• Ensure access to training, coaching, and learning and development opportunities.
• Manages staffing needs for the division.
• Serve as hiring manager, including interviewing, and making hiring / firing decisions.
• Partners at a leadership level with clients, consultants, partners, and influencers.
• Develops deep/lasting professional customer relationships.
• Partners with One Workplace Marketing to develop internal and external communications that shape the One Workplace brand identity.
• Partners with Sales Leadership to identify market opportunities and shape and lead our RFP approach.
• Collaborates with executive and divisional design and sales leaders.
• Collaborates and develops peer-level relationships with enterprise design leaders.
• Active participant and contributor to Steelcase Design Communities of Practice.
• Serves as a principal member of the One Design leadership team.
• Establishes and reinforces team culture and be a culture champion.
• Promotes and evangelizes the OWP design engagement approach.
• Responsible for driving innovation and design excellence.
• Leads internal and external projects and process improvement initiatives.
• Partners with Sales Leadership and teams to ensure flawless execution of design services.
• Organizes meetings and meet with key customers and stakeholders, as well as serve as customer point of contact.
• Attend industry events and peer networking opportunities.
• Develops peer level relationships with A&D leaders and customer stakeholders.
• Membership in industry professional organizations required.

Education/Experience

Bachelor’s Degree from a four-year college or university. Associate Art’s Degree or equivalent from a two-year college or technical school will be considered. A minimum of 10 years’ Design experience desired. Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) or National Architecture Board (NAB) accreditation preferred. Two or more professional certifications required. NCIDQ, CID, LEED AP, WELL AP, EDAC, 6 Sigma, PMI, etc.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Requires an optimistic people-focused leader who leads by example as well as experience.
• Results-oriented motivator/team builder who can manage and embrace change.
• Strong interpersonal skills; adept at developing new relationships, and confidence to speak, negotiate, assert, and present to many stakeholders.
• Committed to the mentorship and development of others; prior experience leading and managing teams desired.
• Communicates a compelling and inspired vision or sense of core purpose.
• Inspires and rallies support behind the vision; makes the vision shareable by everyone.
• Understanding of business practices, trends, and strategies.
• Understanding of related markets and competitor positions.
• Able to settle conflicts and disputes equitably.
• Steps up to conflict, seeing it as an opportunity for growth, change, or alignment.
• Quickly reads situations and finds common ground and solves problems for the good of all
• Provides challenging and stretching tasks and assignments; holds frequent development discussions; is aware of each direct report’s career goals.
• Pushes direct reports to accept developmental moves; a people builder.
• Provides actionable, positive, and corrective feedback; ensures others know where they stand.
• Negotiates skillfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups.
• Establishes clear directions; sets stretching objectives; distributes the workload appropriately.
• Effectively manages complex projects with many players and objectives.
• Highly effective in formal presentation settings; one on one and in large groups.
• Effectively facilitates conversations and interpersonal engagements such as workshops.
• Stands up and serves as a champion for challenging ideas or positions.
• Knowledgeable of how to get things done through both formal and informal networks within the organization.
• Requires the ability to set strategic goals and adapt from a specific strategy in the face of uncertainty.
• Must be cooperative; works with and learns from others.
• Must believe in the ability of physical space to have a positive impact on the lives of others.
• Must have self-awareness and ability to self‑assess strengths and opportunities for growth.
• Must possess a growth mindset and the ability to adopt new habits and behaviors.
• Time management skills, ability to multitask and take ownership for multiple tasks and deliverables.
• Working knowledge in a variety of software: AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Microsoft Office. CET Designer, 20/20 CAP, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign desired.
• Mastery of commercial furniture products and systems furnishings.
• Mastery in the application of interior design principles, to include texture, color, form, function, materiality balance, rhythm, repetition, proximity, symmetry, biophilia, historical precedent, sustainability, Gestalt, symbolism, cognition, and perception.
• Mastery in understanding of building codes, regulations, ADA.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast paced, deadline driven environment.
• Ability to analyze complex information from multiple sources.
• Ability to draw/sketch by hand.
• Exceptional customer service skills with ability to provide solutions to client needs.
• Complex reading and writing skills, basic math skills, judgement/decision making, analysis/comprehension.

Employee Benefits

• 15 days of PTO
• 9 Paid holidays
• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
• 401k + Employer Match
• Paid Parental Leave
• Wellness App with reimbursement of up to $500/year
• Profit Sharing

Physical Requirements

Seeing, color perception, hearing/listening, clear speech, hand and finger dexterity, and ability to move distances within and between warehouses/offices, ability to get to project sites.

Working Environment

Regularly works with others face to face, over the phone and through email. Generally works in an office environment with moderate noise. Nature of work may require working off hours and significant time spent (50%) out of the office. Periodically works outside and may work around moving objects, dust and dirt.

The base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. Actual total compensation will be dependent upon the individual's skills, experience, and qualifications.

Compensation Range

$134,000—$164,000 USD

If you are based in California, we encourage you to read this important information for California residents linked here.