Lead Interior Designer

Job Details Department: Design (Interior Design) Reports To: Head of Design / Design Director Direct Reports: Junior Designers and/or Design Coordinators (as assigned); may lead contract designers on a project basis Location: In Person — Greater Raleigh Area (Morrisville, NC) Employment Type: Full-time Company Overview JM Hospitality Solutions LLC provides comprehensive services to clients in the hospitality sector, including interior design, procurement, and manufacturing. Our portfolio includes brand approval, 3D rendering, and FF&E (Fixtures, Furniture, and Equipment). We combine industry experience, service expertise, and geographic reach to deliver projects across the country. Purpose Deliver project-specific design from concept through documentation, ensuring approvals, budget alignment, and execution readiness. The Lead Interior Designer owns day-to-day design leadership for assigned projects and ensures design packages are complete, accurate, brand-compliant, and ready for procurement and production handoff. This role also provides people leadership, workflow oversight, and quality control for project design teams to ensure consistent delivery standards and team performance. Role Overview The Lead Interior Designer leads design development, documentation, and approvals for assigned hospitality projects. This role coordinates client and franchise/brand communications, supports value engineering (VE), maintains accurate specs and quantities for procurement, and reduces field issues attributable to design omissions or errors. The role partners closely with Procurement, Project Management, Production/QC, and Sales (pre-award support as needed) to ensure the design is feasible, buildable, on schedule, and aligned to budget. In addition, the Lead Interior Designer acts as a working team lead—assigning tasks, managing priorities, coaching junior staff, and enforcing documentation and quality standards across the design deliverables for assigned projects. Outcomes / Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • On-time milestone completion (concept, design development, final package) • * Approval success rate and revision cycles (client and franchise/brand) • * Field issues attributable to design (omissions, spec errors, unclear alternates) • * Client satisfaction on design experience (communication, responsiveness, confidence) • * Accuracy of specifications, finishes, and quantities for procurement handoff • * Contribution to value engineering outcomes without degrading design intent • * Team throughput and utilization (on-time delivery by assigned designers) • * Quality/rework rate of design deliverables (internal QA findings; revisions due to documentation errors) • * Development of junior staff (skill progression, adherence to standards, performance feedback completion) • Core ResponsibilitiesDesign Leadership (Concept Through Documentation) • Lead design development, documentation, and revisions for assigned projects from concept to final deliverable packages • * Translate client needs, brand standards, and site constraints into functional, safe, aesthetically pleasing interior solutions • * Develop design concepts and progress them into detailed plans, elevations, and specifications suitable for execution • * Maintain familiarity with hospitality design trends and major hotel brand standards and apply them consistently • Approvals and Design Communications • Coordinate approvals and manage design communications with clients and franchise/brand reviewers • * Prepare and submit design packages for franchise review and approval; incorporate feedback efficiently • * Maintain clear documentation of decisions, revisions, and approval status; escalate risks to the Design Director as needed • Execution Readiness and Procurement Handoff • Maintain accurate specifications, finishes, and quantities to support procurement handoff and reduce downstream change orders • * Partner with Procurement and Operations to confirm constructability, alternates, and lead-time feasibility • * Support value engineering exercises by proposing alternatives that achieve cost savings without degrading design quality • * Coordinate with contractors and vendors to ensure design intent is correctly implemented in the field • Project Meetings and Issue Resolution • Participate in key project meetings and contribute to issue resolution, including field questions, substitutions, and installation constraints • * Coordinate with architects, engineers, contractors, and other consultants as required to support successful implementation • * Manage project design timelines and support budget alignment; surface constraints and tradeoffs early • Team Leadership, Management, and Quality Assurance • Lead the day-to-day work of the assigned project design team, including task assignment, prioritization, and schedule coordination across concept, DD, and final package phases • * Provide direction and oversight to junior designers and design coordinators; ensure deliverables meet brand standards, JMHS templates, and documentation requirements • * Establish and maintain a QA/QC cadence (checklists, redlines, review gates) to reduce omissions, spec errors, and downstream rework • * Coach and mentor team members through regular feedback, skill-building, and constructive critique; document performance feedback as required • * Partner with the General Manager on staffing plans, workload balancing, and resource requests to support on-time delivery across multiple projects • * Support hiring and onboarding efforts as needed (interviews, portfolio reviews, ramp plans), and help maintain a high-performing team culture • * Set expectations for responsiveness, documentation hygiene, and communication standards across the team; address issues early and escalate when appropriate • Standards, Process Improvement, and Knowledge Management • Provide guidance to junior designers supporting the project; review their work for accuracy and alignment to standards • * Contribute to templates, standards, and the living design library under Design Director governance • * Identify workflow bottlenecks and recommend process improvements to increase speed, clarity, and consistency of design delivery • Key Interfaces • General Manager • * Procurement Team • * PM Lead / Project Managers • * Production / QC Team • * Sales (pre-award support as needed) • Authority Limits • Recommends design decisions; final approvals per Design Director governance • * Escalates major scope changes, high-risk decisions, and brand exceptions to the Design Director and/or GM as defined • * Provides day-to-day direction to assigned design team members; performance decisions, compensation changes, and terminations remain with Design Director/GM per company policy • Requirements • Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design, Architecture, or related field; CIDA-accredited program preferred • * NCIDQ certified (required to be titled Interior Designer, in good standing) • * Hospitality interior design experience required; strong knowledge of major hotel brand standards and trends • * Proven ability to manage multiple projects concurrently and work within strict deadlines • * Strong understanding of interior design principles/theory and applicable building codes, life safety, and accessibility requirements • * Strong documentation and specification discipline; ability to produce and review buildable packages • * Strong written and verbal communication skills; confident client-facing presence • * Demonstrated ability to lead and develop others (mentoring, assigning work, reviewing deliverables, and improving team performance) • Technical Skills • Proficient with Revit and/or AutoCAD; experience with SketchUp preferred • * Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (or equivalent tools) • * Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint • * Experience with 3D visualization tools (3DS Max and/or similar) is a plus • Work Location and Schedule • In-person role (no remote work available) • * Monday to Friday, standard business hours (8-hour shift) • * Ability to commute/relocate: Morrisville, NC 27560 (required) • Benefits • Benefits package offered after 3 months (PTO, sick leave, and bonuses) • Legal & Employment Disclaimers Equal Opportunity Employer JM Hospitality Solutions LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. Eligibility to Work Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. We participate in E-Verify where required by law. Reasonable Accommodation We provide reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities during the recruiting process. If you need assistance or accommodation, please contact our HR team. At-Will Employment Employment is at-will, meaning either the employee or the company may terminate employment at any time, with or without cause or notice, subject to applicable law. Job Description Disclaimer This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities. Duties may change at any time as business needs evolve.