Design Manager
About this role
Thank you for your interest in Charcoalblue! We are looking for a Design Manager to join our growing Charcoalblue Experience Design & Strategy (XDS) team. You will join the team as an Experience Consultant with a focus on Design Management, based in the Eastern Time Zone of the US. This is a permanent, full-time position.
To apply, please complete the online application form. A cover letter is also required to be considered for this role. In your letter, please share what excites you about this position and why you’d like to join the Charcoalblue team. In addition, please respond to the following prompts:
Describe your experience in design management or client representation related to the design of events or experiential spaces or how your experience in architecture or events could be applied to this field.
Share how your professional background aligns with the required experience in either event management and operations, or the design and construction of spaces related to the performing arts, events, executive briefing centers, experiential design, or hospitality and leisure.
Please also include links to any personal or professional work you would like us to review as part of your application.
Interviews will be conducted remotely (via Microsoft Teams), starting in August 2026. The time and date will be confirmed for shortlisted candidates.
Team Overview
Charcoalblue’s Experience Design & Strategy team is a dedicated business unit within the Charcoalblue group that applies our expertise gained from working with globally renowned cultural organizations to the workplace, sports, exhibition, and events markets. Working with world-leading companies, Charcoalblue works with any business looking to create spaces for collaboration and storytelling that want to deliver an enhanced experience for staff, visitors, guests, and spectators. Projects include hybrid workplaces, one-off event spaces, sports facilities, broadcast studios, conference centres, and ecosystems across entire buildings and campuses. Our Experience Design and Strategy team includes specialist Design Managers, Design Strategists, Experience Designers, Digital Design Consultants, Design Coordinators, Creative and Technical Designers. With an even vaster array of multidisciplinary design and management skillsets across the wider Charcoalblue team. We often work closely with single clients and are fully embedded into their workflow and teams.
We're seeking an Experience Consultant specializing in Design Management to guide design and delivery of events, executive briefings, and collaboration spaces across sectors, working embedded within a client team as part of Charcoalblue's Design Management and Creative consultancy. This client-facing role involves translating client vision into actionable briefs, managing stakeholders, producing documentation and visuals covering user journeys, master planning, and guest experience, and acting as subject-matter expert within a self-directed, managed-services environment. This position is ideal for a communicative, self-motivated problem solver comfortable with ambiguity.
Candidates must be available for daily meetings during Eastern Time Zone business hours. While location flexibility exists within the time zone, a US East Coast based candidate is strongly preferred, within relatively easy travel distance (occasional as needed) to existing Charcoalblue offices in either New York or Chicago.
Key Responsibilities
Provide subject matter expertise and design guidance for Events and Experiences spaces
Ensure the architectural design of Event, Collaboration, and Executive Briefing Venues, Activations, and Support Spaces are optimized for the overall guest and user experience.
Develop client requirements documentation for new event and experience spaces and produce briefs for the architectural design team, including architectural requirements, operational considerations and program constraints.
Develop, document, analyze, and present user journey studies, and wider strategic visioning studies
Deliver and maintain progress reports and presentations to key stakeholders and partners as required using written and drawn documentation to communicate stakeholder requirements, project aims, and design intent.
Act as a key point of contact for client stakeholder teams, project managers, and the design teams to ensure accurate communication between all parties.
Be a trusted, friendly, and flexible collaborator for all client and external partners while balancing diverse team priorities.
Work with our wider team to develop design standards and guidance as and when needed.
Be actively involved in Design Team and other key project meetings, providing subject matter expert advice to guide the project with an understanding of schedule and cost considerations.
Represent and be an ambassador for Charcoalblue, interfacing with professionalism with our clients and collaborators.
Elevate our ability to collaborate and communicate with clients and brainstorm innovative ways to approach a portfolio of spaces.
This list is not intended to be exhaustive and may be subject to alteration over time.
Qualifications & Key Skills
We are open to receiving applications from candidates with a varied range of experience and education. If you meet most of the qualifications below, we encourage you to apply:
Essential
Minimum five (5) years of professional experience required in either the event management and operations field, or in the design and construction of spaces relating to the performing arts, events, executive briefing centers, experiential design, or hospitality & leisure.
Ability to read construction drawings and specifications, and a professional interest in construction projects
Desirable
Minimum three (3) years of relevant experience in design management or client representation relating to events or experiential spaces and/or formal qualification/degree in architecture, interior design, venue design, or related field.
Skilled in the visual, written, and verbal communication of design issues with capability to think outside the box and bring creative, non-standard, and innovative solutions to the table.
A practical understanding of the AIA design stages, and the typical level of information required at each stage.
Adept at synthesizing complex information and high-level concepts into clear, concise, and visually compelling presentations for executive and cross-functional audiences
Experience in experiential design, executive briefing programs, theatre, performing arts, or event space buildings either through direct experience or professional design work.
Proven vision, leadership, and strategic skills to prioritize evolving initiatives; ability to turn ideas and capabilities into effective initiatives that engage users.
An understanding of construction terminology and building systems, and overall project sequence/timing.
Ability and proven record of helping to steer decision making and processing.
An imaginative approach to problem-solving will be a significant advantage.
A collaborative and personal approach.
Interpersonal Skills
Ability to work in a collaborative and fast-paced environment with a high degree of self-motivation and initiative.
Outstanding verbal and written communicator
Ability to easily manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Detail oriented with ability to think, plan, and execute on multiple projects in different phases simultaneously with little direct supervision.
Informed design sensibility, with a curious and open approach to design
Able to work calmly and effectively under pressure.
Flexibility and adaptability to changing business needs.
Ability to build relationships with colleagues, clients, vendors, stakeholders, and management.
Working Hours
The role is being offered on an 'at will', non-exempt basis at 40 hours per week.
As an international organization, the needs of the business are as such that this role requires a flexibility in working hours (which can be variable from week to week) to facilitate project demands and maintain support across our global entities’ varying time-zones. Working hours patterns will be agreed with your line manager to suit your personal circumstances and the current project load.
The role is subject to a three-month probationary period.
Location
We are currently working in a distributed hybrid model, meaning you will be able to work from your home (or other place of your choosing) with a minimum of 1 day per week in the New York or Chicago studio. Travel within the US and occasional travel internationally for projects and/or team building will also be required, with advanced notice.
Please note, although the role is distributed, the successful applicant must be based in the New York or Chicago metro area to effectively meet the current needs of our work and local team, and you should be able and willing to travel to external meetings and our US studios as required, with notice.
Take-What-You-Need (TWYN) Leave
Team members have no ‘cap’ on the number of days they wish to take in any one year. This means you can plan holiday or vacation time or request time when you need it, without the worry of running out of leave days. TWYN leave requests must follow policy guidelines and team members are encouraged to use a minimum of 15 days of paid time off per year (prorated in the first year), in addition to federal and some local public holidays.
Charcoalblue traditionally closes its studios between Christmas and New Year’s Day, resulting in an additional 4-5 discretionary paid vacation days each year.
Additional Benefits
To support you in successful hybrid/distributed working, you will receive a laptop and any other associated IT peripherals required for the role upon you joining Charcoalblue.
Following successful completion of your three-month probationary period, you will be eligible to participate in our company benefits package, including:
To support you in successful hybrid/distributed working, you will receive a laptop and any other associated IT peripherals required for the role.
You will receive contributions towards your home internet and utilities to enable you to work productively and comfortably.
You will be eligible immediately to join our 401K plan (employee contributions only). Employer contributions begin after two (2) years of service.
You will be eligible immediately for life insurance cover, Short Term Disability and you may take advantage of joining our FSA/Dependents’ Care plans.
Following successful completion of the insurance waiting period, you will be eligible to join our company healthcare plan for the duration of your employment.
Following completion of your three (3) month probationary period, you will receive an allowance for live event tickets each month in line with our policy limits, to keep current with our industry.
Charcoalblue operates a bonus plan which you will benefit from following successful completion of a three (3) month probationary period. Please note that this is subject to the company's performance year-on-year and is not guaranteed.
You will receive regular check-ins with your line manager to enable you to succeed in the role.
Start Date
As soon as possible
Salary
The salary range for this role is $75,000 - $110,000 per year.
Please state your salary expectations in your cover letter in line with your experience.
Charcoalblue intends to offer the selected candidate base pay within this range, dependent on job-related, non-discriminatory factors such as experience. Base pay is one part of the total rewards that Charcoalblue provides to compensate and recognize employees for their work. Charcoalblue provides a robust benefits package to help support you physically, financially, and emotionally through the big milestones and in your everyday life. Please visit our careers page for more details.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Overview
We are committed to becoming an increasingly inclusive organization. We continuously work to eliminate unfair and discriminatory practices within the company while encouraging full and equal contributions from our diverse community.
Our mission is to foster an inclusive ethos by creating a welcoming work environment across our global practice. We provide recruitment opportunities that are open to all and encourage applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds to ensure our global team reflects the clients we collaborate with and the communities we serve.
If you require this application in a different format or need support during the application process, please contact Natalia Abril at natalia.abril@charcoalblue.com or via telephone at +1.212.645.0790. If you have any questions about accessibility or how the role may accommodate your personal circumstances, please reach out.
Charcoalblue strives to provide an environment free from discrimination and is committed to ensuring that all clients and customers can access the services and products we offer, across our three regions. We believe that all individuals – employees and clients alike – are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity.