If you think your skills, experience and aspirations make you a good match for this position, we encourage you to apply. This position may be filled anywhere in the United States. Preference may be given to candidates that can work in Minneapolis, St. Louis, Chicago, or Houston.
ABOUT THE ROLE
We are a seeking senior level creative leader for the interiors practice who has the skills, experience and reputation that reflects the importance of this role in our design practice. You will be responsible for the successful implementation of our goal to be one of the most innovative, creative, and highly regarded design firms in the world. You will be a senior member of the office leadership team(s) and part of a network of other creative leaders across the firm. You will help nurture and develop people and design culture and be a leading voice for design excellence firm-wide and to the outside world.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Your immediate assignment will be to a groundbreaking healthcare project. Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
- Accountable for design excellence and the overall design quality of our work. Perform in a lead design role communicating and representing design goals to the client and the team for the life of the project, with particular emphasis on early phase development. Partner with our most strategic thinkers, co-leading visioning, and setting conceptual direction. Collaborate with teams throughout all phases of development to ensure design quality.
- Create innovative design concepts that synthesize our clients’ culture, goals, and aspirations with the needs of people, community, society and the environment. Deliver solutions uniquely responsive to this expanded view of design impact.
- Prepare and direct the preparation of client presentation materials to convey the design in a compelling and sophisticated manner. Lead design presentations, with an emphasis on storytelling and aiding client understanding of the design. Capture and communicate key client goals and metrics and how our design solutions add value to our clients’ success. Collaborate with marketing and communications team to build strong narratives of our work.
- Work within our culture of being an integrated practice by collaborating with technical leaders, subject matter experts and others, creating holistic design solutions that fulfill the complex array of demands our projects require.
- Integrate performance-based and sustainable design strategies into design solutions. Further our goals to decarbonize the built environment and meet the AIA 2030 Commitment.
- Contribute to the firm’s portfolio with externally recognized design work. Publish projects in design and market-specific media outlets, as well as other potential opportunities for publication such as articles on research and innovation. You will be expected to regularly submit and successfully win design awards.
- Engage in activities that strengthen, differentiate, and promote our brand locally, regionally, and nationally. This includes cultivating your personal reputation as a creative leader in the profession. Presentation at and contribution to conferences is encouraged for our top design leaders.
Culture, Growth and Mentorship
Partner with us in creating a strong design culture in your office(s) and the firm. You will be responsible for:
- Mentoring and growing emerging through mid-career design professionals toward current and future creative leadership. You will set the standard for an environment that exemplifies collaboration, experimentation, innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship.
- Recruiting, retaining and growing entering through mid-career design talent.
- Creating a stimulating and rewarding environment that sets the tone for design excellence and demonstrates it across the firm.
- Empowering staff and delegating effectively; building high-performance teams by encouraging innovation and continuous improvement.
- Provoking critical thinking and critique of our work.
- Leading by example, pursuing and winning design work that represents our future selves and advancing our Living-Centered Design philosophy.
Client and Business Development
You will have a close working relationship with market and client leaders in the office(s) and firm, contributing to business strategy. You will be responsible for developing and maintaining client relationships; building client trust and loyalty; and collaborating in bringing in work. You will be expected to build upon CannonDesign’s legacy clients as well as your own prior relationships for these purposes. You will seek out and identify new client opportunities for CannonDesign in collaboration with the business development and marketing teams. You will be expected to actively lead and participate in client and project pursuit strategies from the early identification of target clients and opportunities through the proposal submittal and interview process.
In service of top line success, you will have a contributory goal of $2M annually in net signed fees, in collaboration with your partner practice and market leaders.
Business Plan Leadership
You will be responsible for the ideation and implementation of key strategies in our business plans, focused on creative process, imagination, improving our work, investing all our staff in design and innovation, and disseminating ideas both internally and externally that achieve firm distinction.
ABOUT YOUR QUALIFICATIONS
- Qualified candidates must have a bachelor's degree in interior design, interior architecture, or architecture. Bachelor's degree in interior design or interior architecture (CIDA accredited), or Bachelor of Architecture (NAAB accredited) is strongly preferred.
- Current NCIDQ certification required.
- 18 years minimum experience in related roles, of which a minimum of 5 years are leading others in a design studio or design practice segment required.
- Additional accreditation and/or training relevant to this role is preferred, including LEED.
- Design portfolio of significant built and unbuilt work. Third party recognition of your work as a lead designer with local, regional or national design awards programs and recognized design publications or digital platforms is required.
- Strong communication, presentation, and leadership skills required.
- Must have business acumen and proven ability to define and execute strategy.
- Must have professional acumen and maturity demonstrated by the ability to communicate authentically and respectfully.
- Professional business attire is required for all client meetings. Examples of professional business attire include suits, ties, collared dress shirts, dresses, and skirts.
- Travel required.
The salary range for this position is $178,000 to $222,500 annually. This salary range is the range we believe is the anticipated range of possible base compensation at the timing of the posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the anticipated salary range for the position. Employees may be eligible for discretionary bonuses. We offer a full benefit package including medical, dental and vision coverage and flexible spending account options and voluntary insurances. We have paid time off, flex-time summer hours, remote work options and a 401k plan and employee perk programs. For a general overview of our benefits, please visit our careers page at www.cannondesign.com/careers/benefits. Actual compensation may vary from posting based on geographic location, work experience, education and/or skill level.
ABOUT OUR FIRM
We’re a design solutions firm that awakens opportunities for impact. Whether creating building solutions, strategic transformations, new experiences or new operational models, we help clients achieve mountain-sized ambitions. Our Living-Centered Design ethos inspires us to go bigger and do better—for people, businesses, society and the planet. In 2021, 2019 and 2017, Fast Company named us one of the 10 most innovative design firms in the world.
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 is equitable for all employees, representative of the communities around us – and focused on the future of design. We advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts through the leadership of our DEI Council, Employee Resource Groups and other community advocacy 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.
Please note that candidates can only apply to our positions on our company Careers site. It's not uncommon for scammers to create positions that look legitimate on other sites; never enter your information or apply for CannonDesign positions on any platform. Should an issue arise that you feel we should be aware of, please contact us. Please provide your resume and portfolio when applying.
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 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.
