Interior Design Associate

Kaizen Lab Inc.; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaizen Lab Inc. in Irvine, CA is seeking a mid-level interior designer with 6+ years of hospitality design experience and a degree from an accredited interior design program.

The role features hands-on learning, mentorship, and increasing responsibility that is designed to evolve into a Senior position within a collaborative and design-focused studio. You will own design deliverables from concept through documentation, coordinate with the VP of Interior Design, maintain organized project files,

Qualifications

• Excellent customer service skills and comfortable interfacing with clients, consultants, vendors, and internal staff.
• Detail oriented, highly organized, with strong project management skills and ability to meet overlapping deadlines in fast-paced environments.
• Proactive decision-making and ability to take action when needed.

Responsibilities

• Own the execution of design deliverables across project phases, ensuring quality and timeliness.
• Collaborate with the VP of Interior Design to uphold creative direction and technical excellence.
• Maintain organized project documentation including budgets and schedules, keeping all stakeholders up to date.
• Foster consistency in brand and standards across all deliverables.
• Ensure materials are developed, reviewed, and submitted on time and to high standards.

Job description

Are you the One?

If you're a creative, organized, and technically skilled designer, this could be the opportunity you've been looking for. This role is essential to driving the quality and pace of our hospitality projects, requiring flexibility and the ability to shift seamlessly across project phases. We’re seeking a mid‑level designer with at least 6 years of hospitality design experience and a degree or certification from an accredited interior design program. With hands‑on learning, mentorship, and growing responsibility, this position is designed to evolve into a Senior role—ideal for someone ready to take the next step in their career within a collaborative and design‑focused studio.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the execution of design deliverables across all project phases, ensuring quality, timeliness, and alignment with Greens’ standards and client expectations.
• Collaborate closely with the Vice President of Interior Design to uphold creative direction, design integrity, and technical excellence throughout the process.
• Maintain accurate, organized project documentation, including budgets, schedules, and drawing sets, ensuring clarity across internal teams and external consultants keeping the project up to date in real time.
• Foster consistency in brand and Greens standards application across all deliverables.
• Serve as a key point of accountability for ensuring all project materials are developed, reviewed, and submitted on time and to the highest standard before VP review.
• Communicate effectively in meetings, providing timely updates on progress, documenting decisions, and ensuring clear follow-through on next steps.
• Support a collaborative, solution-oriented studio culture by promoting design quality, accountability, and professionalism across the team.
• Hold project team accountable for quality and timely deliverables throughout the project to ensure thorough and accurate documentation is reached before VIPD review.

Primary Functions

• Lead day‑to‑day development of multiple design projects in tandem, guiding everything from concept and planning through documentation, procurement, installation, and punch‑list review. Including but not limited to:
• Programmatic, conceptual, and schematic layout & planning, design presentations, development and submittals, consultant collaboration, FF&E specifications, finish selections and schedules, construction documentation, construction administration, procurement, shop drawings, CFAs, final installation, and site/punch list reviews.
• Prepare and supervise detailed construction documents that ensure design continuity, accurate transitions, and code compliance are all streamlined prior to redline review.
• Generate and refine presentation materials, specifications, schedules, and shop drawing reviews with speed and precision.
• Deliver professional, well‑structured presentations that clearly communicate design intent and rationale both visually and verbally.
• Interpret and implement redlines and feedback on all design materials with accuracy and initiative.
• Facilitate internal and consultant meetings, proactively identifying and addressing coordination or technical issues.
• Conduct site visits, field reviews, and on‑site meetings to support construction administration and ensure fidelity to the design vision.
• Stay informed and up to date on brand standards, applying them appropriately across all relevant aspects of project execution.
• Manage and maintain organized digital files, drawing sets, and design assets across project timelines.

The ideal candidate will:

• A proactive communicator who updates the VPID daily on project progress and flags potential issues early.
• Disciplined, strong work ethic, reliable, self‑motivated, and goal‑oriented with a passion for design.
• Technically skilled in all phases of design documentation, including construction drawings, detailing, FF&E specifications, finish and plumbing schedules, shop drawings, procurement, and punch list execution.
• Confident leading documentation efforts, providing constructive feedback, implementing redlines, and upholding Greens standards and procedures.
• Prepared and engaged in project meetings, tracking deliverables and key milestones.
• Able to manage multiple projects in a fast‑paced environment without compromising quality or deadlines.

To fulfill this role successfully, you must possess the following minimum qualifications:

• Excellent customer service skills and comfortable in interfacing with clients, consultants, vendors, and internal staff.
• Detail oriented, highly organized, and strong project management skills with the ability to meet overlapping deadlines in fast‑paced working environment without substituting quality or accuracy.
• Comfortable stepping up and taking action when needs arise; decision maker.
• Expert use of AutoCAD software to create high‑quality design drawings for building construction and project creation while including building codes and specifications for design.
• Motivated to succeed and always seeking opportunities for improvement of self and team in improving knowledge, expertise, and industry awareness.
• Manages conflict effectively and encourages a healthy team environment.
• Creative and strategic problem solver and is dependable to set goals for self and team pushing projects through to completion.
• Works well in a collaborative team environment and open to alternative ideas and constructive criticism/critique.
• Responsible and accountable for own actions.
• High level mastery in the use of AutoCAD, Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, SketchUp, Bluebeam, Microsoft Word, and Excel.