Senior Design Strategist

HNI Corporation; Muscatine (IA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

HNI Corporation is seeking a Senior Design Strategist to lead immersive showroom environments and brand experiences. You will leverage advanced showroom design expertise and collaborate with cross-functional teams to turn product concepts into engaging, functional spaces.

The role requires strong leadership, strategic mindset, and a passion for creative problem solving to elevate the HNI brand across showrooms, campuses, events, and other experiences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Interior Design, Architecture, or related field.
• At least 4 years of relevant experience; 7 years preferred.
• NCIDQ Certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design development and execution of immersive showrooms and brand experiences.
• Utilize CET Designer, AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, KeyShot, and Adobe Creative Suite to create renderings and plans.
• Collaborate with WPA, product, marketing, and engineering teams to translate concepts into functional applications.
• Define project scope, timelines, and resources; drive cross-functional alignment and approvals.
• Partner with external design partners to develop concepts and material palettes.
• Present progress to stakeholders and senior leadership; gather feedback and align on objectives.
• Provide on-site design oversight to ensure alignment with project goals and milestones.
• Develop technical specs and documentation to maintain design intent throughout execution.
• Create working documents and visual guides for showroom and sales teams.

Skills

Design strategy

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Presentation skills

Brand experience

Showroom design

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Interior Design or Architecture

Tools

CET Designer

AutoCAD

Revit

SketchUp

KeyShot

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

HNI Corporation is a global family of brands for the workplace and home dedicated to enhancing the spaces where we live, work, and gather. Wepride ourselves on fostering an environment where we make a positive impact on others; upholding our beliefs in integrity, inclusion and belonging.

Your Impact Starts the Day You Do!

What We Need:

We are looking for a Senior Design Strategist to join our HNI Workplace Furnishings team.

The Senior Design Strategist leads the design development and execution of immersive physical environments, including showrooms, campus spaces, events, and other brand experiences that support HNI's business, marketing, and customer engagement objectives. Leveraging advanced expertise in showroom design and implementation processes, this role leads high visibility projects, influences showroom strategy and key design decisions, and serves as a subject matter expert across the organization. The Senior Design Strategist provides design leadership, fosters cross-functional collaboration, and helps establish best practices that elevate the showroom and brand experience. This position requires a dynamic individual with a keen eye for design, strong collaboration abilities, a strategic mindset to drive innovation and excellence, and a passion for creative problem solving.

What You Will Do:

• Lead the design development and execution of projects, fostering innovation, creative problem-solving, and design excellence. Influence showroom strategy and key design decisions through advanced expertise in product applications, space planning strategies, construction implementation, and customer experiences.
• Utilize CET Designer and other relevant software programs (including AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, KeyShot, and Adobe Creative Suite) to create high-quality sketches, renderings, planning scenarios, and presentation materials that effectively communicate product applications and design intent.
• Collaborate with WPA, product, marketing, and engineering teams to translate product concepts into relevant and functional applications and design solutions that reflect workplace trends, customer needs, and HNI's brand identity.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to define project scope, establish timelines, and align resources to support successful project execution. Facilitate cross-functional alignment and approval processes for new showroom environments, refreshes, and the integration of new product launches, ensuring timely decision-making and successful implementation.
• Partner with external design partners to develop design concepts, storytelling, and material palettes that align with brand objectives and customer needs.
• Lead presentations to key stakeholders, including executive leadership, communicate design progress, gather feedback, and ensure alignment with project goals and strategic objectives.
• Provide design oversight in key on-site project meetings and milestones to ensure alignment with objectives and making necessary adjustments to keep projects on track.
• Create and elevate evolving standards for technical specifications and other supporting documentation to ensure alignment of design intent and project requirements are maintained throughout project execution.
• Develop comprehensive working documents, presentation materials, and visual guides for showroom and sales teams, empowering them with effective sales tools.
• Serve as a subject matter expert, influencing best practices, improving processes, and driving consistency in how showrooms and immersive physical environments are developed and delivered.
• Manage project priorities, timelines, and workload independently while supporting broader departmental and organizational objectives.
• Build collaborative relationships across teams and contribute to HNI brand-building efforts, customer engagement, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Participate in activities as appropriate to ensure the success of the organization.

What You Have:

• Bachelor's degree in Interior Design, Architecture, or related field required.
• At least4 years of relevant experience required; 7 years of experience preferred.
• NCIDQ Certification preferred.