Furniture Design Manager

Workscape; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Workscape in Pittsburgh is seeking a Design Manager to lead and develop the Design Team while delivering innovative workplace solutions. The role combines people leadership with hands-on involvement in project design and workload allocation.

You will partner with the Design Director, Sales, and Project Management to drive design excellence, ensure on-time delivery, and foster a collaborative, accountable team culture aligned with Workscape's core values.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Interior Design, Interior Architecture, or related field.
• Minimum five years in contract furniture or workplace design.
• Experience leading design teams and managing projects.
• Proficient in CET Designer and AutoCAD.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Design Team and manage workload while maintaining active project involvement.
• Coordinate with the Design Director, Sales, Project Management, and Project Coordinators.
• Oversee resource planning, workload balance, and quality oversight across projects.
• Support design excellence and foster a collaborative, accountable team culture.

Skills

Interior design leadership

Team management

Resource planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Interior Design

Tools

CET Designer

AutoCAD

Microsoft Office

Job description

At Workscape, we believe great spaces have the power to inspire, connect, and transform how people work, learn, and thrive. As the exclusive MillerKnoll dealership serving Western Pennsylvania and Northern West Virginia, and one of Pittsburgh's fastest-growing companies, we partner with organizations to create innovative, human-centered environments that support culture, collaboration, and performance.

We're seeking a Design Manager to lead and develop our Design Team while delivering innovative, thoughtful workplace solutions. This role combines people leadership, resource management, quality oversight, and cross-functional collaboration to drive successful projects and an exceptional client experience.

What You'll Do

As a player-manager, you'll balance departmental leadership with active involvement in allocating and assessing design workload while maintaining an active design workload on selected projects. This role is heavily focused on the operational leadership of the Design Department, with approximately 60% or more of time dedicated to resource planning, workload management, process improvement, quality oversight, team performance, and cross-functional coordination. You'll oversee team performance, manage design resources, review and assign incoming Design Requests, and ensure projects are delivered accurately and on schedule. Working closely with the Design Director, Sales, Project Management, and Project Coordinators, you'll help drive design excellence while fostering a collaborative, accountable, and continuously improving team culture.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, manage, and hold the Design Team accountable for performance expectations, quality standards, productivity goals, and professional growth.
• Recruit, interview, onboard, and develop designers to support current and future business needs.
• Conduct regular coaching conversations, quarterly touchbases, and annual performance reviews while incorporating technical feedback from the Design Director.
• Partner with the Design Director to identify ongoing training and development needs and coordinate opportunities that strengthen technical expertise, product knowledge, design capabilities, and professional growth.
• Recognize and celebrate team accomplishments while fostering employee engagement, accountability, and alignment with Workscape's Core Values.

Workscape Core Values

• Be Fred Rogers - Lead with kindness, respect, empathy, and authenticity in every interaction. Be a good neighbor.
• Problem Solver - Approach challenges with curiosity, creativity, and a solutions-oriented mindset.
• The Standard is The Standard - Hold yourself and others accountable to consistently deliver exceptional quality and service. Be a true professional.
• #WINNING - Embrace teamwork, celebrate success, and drive results for our clients, partners, and each other. We hate to lose.

• Assess department workload, project priorities, and team capacity to ensure effective resource allocation and project execution.
• Conduct weekly Design Team meetings to assign and balance outstanding workload, align priorities, and address operational needs.
• Review, prioritize, and assign incoming Design Requests based on project requirements, timelines, team expertise, workload, and client fit.
• Monitor project deadlines, department workload, and team performance to ensure timely completion of deliverables and exceptional client service.
• Provide guidance and support to designers throughout project execution, helping remove obstacles and ensure successful outcomes.
• Coordinate department resources with the Design Director and SVP of Sales and Design to support strategic project assignments and balanced team utilization.

Design Excellence & Quality Assurance

• Maintain high standards of design quality, specification accuracy, and documentation consistency across all projects.
• Conduct quality reviews of design deliverables to ensure alignment with client requirements, manufacturer standards, and Workscape best practices.
• Partner with the Design Director to ensure consistent application of design standards, technical requirements, manufacturer guidelines, and specification quality across the Design Team.
• Support implementation of evolving workplace trends, manufacturer standards, and design technologies through collaboration with the Design Director.
• Contribute to project work by maintaining an active design workload on selected projects while balancing leadership responsibilities and supporting the Design Team.

Department Operations & Process Improvement

• Manage departmental resources, support team performance, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Collaborate closely with Sales, Project Management, Project Coordinators, and the Design Director to support successful project outcomes and exceptional client experiences.
• Lead implementation of department process improvements in partnership with the SVP of Sales and Design and the Design Director to improve efficiency, communication, consistency, and project performance.
• Monitor departmental processes and recommend adjustments to workflows, staffing, and resource allocation to support business needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Interior Design, Interior Architecture, or a related field required.
• Minimum of five years of experience within a contract furniture dealership, workplace design firm, or related commercial interiors environment.
• Previous leadership, supervisory, or team management experience required.
• Strong knowledge of furniture specification, workplace design principles, project delivery processes, and dealership operations.
• Proficiency in CET Designer, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office Suite, and other industry-related design technologies.
• Excellent communication, presentation, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, lead teams, and deliver high-quality results in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership, mentor design professionals, and share expertise effectively across a team.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback and navigate difficult conversations with professionalism and respect.
• Self-motivated and consistently demonstrates initiative, drive, sound judgment, and perseverance in achieving objectives.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy, organization, and attention to detail.