Design Lead

About the Role

We're looking for a Design Lead to own permanent spaces projects end to end, from the first concept sketch to the final build on site. Think experience centres, museums, retail environments, and public projects, spaces that are meant to stand for years, not weeks. This is someone who can design, articulate the thinking behind the design to a client, and hold a project together through every stage in between.

What You'll Do

• Lead the design of experience centers, museums, retail spaces, and public projects from concept through to execution.
• Present and explain design narratives directly to clients, translating brand and institutional intent into a clear story and design language.
• Act as the primary client-facing point of contact for design, building trust and managing expectations through long project timelines.
• Think through space, materiality, and detail while keeping sight of how it will actually be built and maintained over time.
• Work through scope changes, approvals, and conflicting priorities between clients, consultants, and internal teams.
• Coordinate with architects, technical consultants, and production and site teams to ensure design intent survives execution.
• Oversee design quality and detail across large-scale, high-visibility (marquee) projects.
• Mentor junior designers on the team.

What We're Looking For

• Strong portfolio of permanent-space work, experience centers, museums, retail, or public projects, including projects you saw through to execution.
• Comfortable presenting and defending design decisions in front of clients, institutions, and stakeholders.
• Calm, solutions-oriented approach to conflict and pushback, whether from clients, consultants, or internal teams.
• High attention to detail, without losing sight of the bigger picture.
• Proven ability to handle scale, multiple workstreams, long timelines, and marquee projects at once.
• Understanding of durable materials, building codes, and long-term maintenance considerations.
• 5-8 years of experience in architecture, interiors, or experiential design for permanent spaces.
• Bachelors or masters degree in architecture, Interior Design, or a related design field.