Project Interior Designer V

CannonDesign; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

CannonDesign is seeking an Interior Designer V to lead and mentor multi-disciplinary interior design teams on high-visibility projects. You will shape design direction, storytelling, and quality standards, while collaborating with architecture, engineering, branding and consultants to deliver compelling spaces.

You will drive client relationships, oversee production, and participate in business development, with a focus on sustainability and design excellence across all project phases.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Interior Design, Interior Architecture, or related field.
• NCIDQ certification preferred.
• Ability to provide interior design leadership across multiple projects.
• Strong experiential design, storytelling and technical skills; knowledge of building and life safety codes.
• Exceptional presentation, organizational, teamwork, collaboration and communication skills.
• Ability to build and maintain client relationships; experience leading a high performing team.
• Conceptualization and ability to set direction for finish and furniture palettes.
• Production oversight and discipline coordination.
• Proficiency with Revit, Enscape, Bluebeam, Microsoft Office, and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Travel as required.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to the client and project team in establishment of project goals and vision.
• Operate with autonomy and influence, guiding firm-wide standards and mentoring teams.
• Lead interior design across multiple projects with strong conceptual strategy rooted in the client’s vision.
• Guide and motivate teams, lead the creative process, and promote firm strategies and procedures.
• Conceive design direction and oversee production and discipline coordination.
• Lead interior design across all project phases from pursuit to completion.
• Evaluate client needs and document design objectives and spatial requirements.
• Coordinate and delegate project design work and code compliance.
• Collaborate with architecture, engineering, strategy, branding, and consultants.
• Review drawings against time, budget, and quality constraints.
• Oversee design visualization production and lead client meetings.
• Develop project work plans for interior design components and ensure schedule adherence.
• Implement and enforce interior design standards across all project aspects.
• Lead development of furniture and finish palettes; manage material palettes to tell client stories.
• Oversee production and quality control; mentor junior staff.
• Engage in business development, marketing activities, and industry events.
• Participate in site visits, submittals, shop drawings, and punch lists; support sustainability goals.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring teams

Client relationships

Communication

Conceptual design

Strategic influence

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Interior Design/Interior Architecture

Tools

Revit

Enscape

Bluebeam

Microsoft Office

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE

This senior-level position is a leadership role within our multi-disciplinary team, responsible for guiding and mentoring project teams across multiple interior design projects. The Interior Designer V will demonstrate expertise in design leadership, storytelling, and strategic impact. This role requires proactive communication, independent conceptualization, and a commitment to quality and standards. The individual will collaborate with design leaders and contribute to business development and community engagement.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Provide leadership to the client and project team in establishment of the project goals and vision.
• Operates with high autonomy and strategic influence, guiding firm-wide standards, mentoring teams, and setting design direction independently.
• Provide interior design leadership across multiple projects, building a strong conceptual strategy for the project that is rooted in the client’s vision and aspirations.
• Guides and motivates teams, leads the creative process, and promotes firm strategies, policies, and procedures.
• Expected to conceptualize, set direction for design, and oversee production and discipline coordination.
• Lead the interior design approach of the project’s goals through all phases of the project (the Pursuit, Programming and Visioning, Concept Design, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Design, Construction Administration).
• Evaluate client needs, analyze and effectively document design objectives and spatial requirements.
• Coordinate and delegate project design work and code compliance.
• Collaborate work with other disciplines, including architecture, engineering, strategy, experiential branding and consultants.
• Conduct a review of drawings and support functions in conformance with project time, budget and quality constraints.
• Delegation and oversight of and production of design visualization.
• Collaborate with project leaders to develop project work plans for the interior design components of the project and monitor design staff adherence to schedule. Lead client meetings and maintain strong client relationships.
• Implement, follow, maintain, and enforce interior design standards used throughout interior design team in all project aspects/phases.
• Lead the development of furniture and fixtures) throughout all phases of the interior design work, as required.
• Lead the development of material palettes that communicate stories and support the client’s objectives
• Specification oversight.
• Mentor and guide less experienced interior design staff.
• Actively participate and promote design excellence and firm strategies.
• Collaborate with design leadership and participate in business development opportunities, and industry events
• Consult with product vendors and industry partners, building strong relationships in the design community.
• Lead and/or participate in marketing activities, including proposal development and interviews.
• Participate in construction administration activities, including site visits, review of submittals and shop drawings, and conducting punch lists. Site visits frequently require a physical walk-through of site.
• Ensure sustainability metrics goals are met for projects.
• Work within project budgets and schedules to meet profitability goals.
• Maintain 80% billable time and 10% marketing time.
• May perform other duties as required.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• Bachelor or Master's degree in Interior Design, Interior Architecture, or relevant field required.
• A minimum of 10 years of related experience is required.
• Current NCIDQ certification or applicable certification/licensure preferred.
• Ability to provide interior design leadership across multiple projects.
• Strong experiential design, storytelling and technical skills as well as the knowledge of building and life safety codes required.
• Exceptional presentation, organizational, team building, collaboration and communication skills are a must.
• The ability to build and maintain client relationships is essential.
• Experience leading a high performing team and mentoring staff is required.
• Conceptualization and ability to set direction for finish and furniture palettes.
• Application of standards and quality process adherence.
• Production oversight and discipline coordination.
• Critical thinker and highly analytical.
• Must be a fully qualified professional able to perform work with a high degree of self-motivation, autonomy and strategic influence.
• Proficiency with Revit, Enscape, Bluebeam, Microsoft Office, and Adobe Creative Suite required.
• Travel as required.

For a general overview of our benefits, please visit our careers page at https://www.cannondesign.com/careers/benefits.

ABOUT OUR FIRM

CannonDesign is a design practice where strategy, experience, architecture, engineering, and social impact converge. We don’t just dream up solutions — we create and bring them to life in ways to solve some of the biggest challenges facing our clients and the society. At the heart of everything we do is Living-Centered Design, a bold commitment to using our talents to not just improve the world but to truly reshape it for the better. It’s more than a philosophy — it’s who we are, and it drives us to make a meaningful, lasting difference every day.

ABOUT WORKING HERE

• We are relentless in our pursuit of client adoration (not simply satisfaction). Consistent delivery of the best service is what we are about.
• We are committed to ensuring our practice provides equal opportunities for all employees, as we strive to connect with communities around us and focus on the future of design. We support equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts that benefit all employees through the leadership of our DEI Council, our Employee Resource Groups which are open to everyone, and other community initiatives.
• We’re about communication and transparency here. If you want to talk to someone about an idea you have, or a challenge that needs addressing, we’re ready for you.

As a condition of employment, all employees are expected to complete mandatory training, including compliance training, within required timeframes and adhere to our internal policies and our Code of Conduct.

CannonDesign is an Equal Opportunity Employer. CannonDesign is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free from any and all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. It is therefore the firm’s policy to prohibit discrimination and harassment against any applicant, CannonDesign employee, vendor, contractor, or client on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. It is also CannonDesign’s policy to prohibit any and all forms of retaliation against any individual who has complained of harassing or discriminatory conduct, or participated in a firm or agency investigation into such complaints.