Director of Interior Design

KBR Design & Build; New York (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Professional development assistance

Job summary

KBR Design & Build in New York City is seeking a Director of Interior Design to lead our established design team and drive the next growth phase of the department. This hands-on leadership role combines team mentorship, design oversight, client relations, operational improvements, and execution of select high-end residential projects from concept through construction.

The right candidate will blend strong design judgment with leadership, organization, and client communication, with NYC luxury

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional interior design experience, with significant experience in high-end residential renovations.
• Experience leading, mentoring, or managing designers.
• Strong understanding of design development through construction and completion.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of interior designers, creating a collaborative and accountable culture.
• Oversee the design department's projects and review design work for quality, accuracy, creativity, and constructability.
• Manage a select portfolio of high-end residential renovation projects directly.
• Serve as a senior design advisor to clients and support designers with presentations, selections, and design decisions.
• Establish and improve design standards, workflows, templates, quality control, and department processes.
• Collaborate with sales, project management, construction, architects, engineers, consultants, vendors, and trades.
• Ensure design intent is carried through construction, including kitchens, bathrooms, cabinetry, millwork, lighting, finishes, and other details.
• Help improve department efficiency, client satisfaction, and profitability.
• Support sales consultations and help prospective clients understand the value of our design and build approach.
• Identify new materials, vendors, products, technologies, and design opportunities.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Client communication

Design oversight

Project coordination

AutoCAD

Tools

AutoCAD

Job description

Director of Interior Design | Luxury Residential

Location: New York City, In Person

About the Role

KBR Design & Build is seeking an experienced Director of Interior Design to lead our established design team and help shape the next stage of growth of our design department.

This is a hands-on leadership position combining team management, design oversight, client relationships, operational improvement, and select high-end residential projects.

We are looking for an experienced design leader who understands not only how to create exceptional spaces, but how to lead people, manage clients, improve processes, and successfully carry design from concept through construction.

What You'll Do

As Director of Interior Design, you will lead and develop our design team while establishing a high standard for design quality, client experience, accountability, and and project execution.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of interior designers, creating a collaborative and accountable culture.
• Oversee the design department's projects and review design work for quality, accuracy, creativity, and constructability.
• Manage a select portfolio of high-end residential renovation projects directly.
• Serve as a senior design advisor to clients and support designers with important presentations, selections, and design decisions.
• Establish and improve design standards, workflows, templates, quality control, and department processes.
• Collaborate closely with sales, project management, construction, architects, engineers, consultants, vendors, and trades.
• Ensure design intent is successfully carried through construction, including kitchens, bathrooms, custom cabinetry, millwork, lighting, finishes, and other architectural details.
• Help improve department efficiency, client satisfaction, and profitability.
• Support sales consultations and help prospective clients understand the value of our design and build approach.
• Help identify new materials, vendors, products, technologies, and design opportunities that strengthen the company's capabilities.

What We're Looking For

This position is for a design leader, not simply an experienced designer.

The right candidate should combine strong design judgment with leadership, organization, construction knowledge, and excellent client communication.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional interior design experience, with significant experience in high-end residential renovations.
• 3+ years of experience leading, mentoring, or managing designers.
• Strong hands-on experience with complete residential renovations, including kitchens, bathrooms, cabinetry, millwork, lighting, fixtures, finishes, and space planning.
• Experience taking projects from initial concept and design development through construction and completion.
• Strong understanding of construction documentation, detailing, materials, and how design decisions are executed in the field.
• Experience coordinating with architects, engineers, project managers, contractors, vendors, and trades.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating completed residential projects and a high level of design quality.
• Excellent client presentation, communication, and relationship management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, designers, priorities, and deadlines.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD.

Preferred Experience

Experience with NYC apartment renovations, Manhattan and Brooklyn co-ops and condominiums, and design-build environments is highly preferred, but we are open to accomplished design leaders with strong luxury residential and construction experience from related backgrounds.

Who Will Succeed in This Role

We are looking for someone who enjoys both designing and leading.

You should be comfortable reviewing a millwork detail with a designer, presenting a kitchen concept to a client, working through a construction issue with a project manager, mentoring a team member, and improving the process so the next project runs better.

You should be someone who inspires confidence, makes decisions, holds people accountable, and understands that exceptional design requires creativity, communication, organization, and a deep understanding of how projects are built.

This is an opportunity to take an important leadership role within an established NYC design and build company, influence the direction of the department, and help us continue raising the level of our design work and client experience.

Benefits

• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance

Work Location: In person, New York City