Position: Director of Retail Design, Curiosity Games
Direct Supervisor: Chief Growth Officer
Growth: Sr. Director / VP of Design & Development Path
Direct Reports: 3, growing to 4
Job Description:
The Director of Retail Design owns how every new Curiosity Games location looks, fits, and gets approved, across The Escape Game, Great Big Game Show. They take a new site from the landlord's lease outline drawing to an approved, permitted, buildable design, then stay with it through signage, furniture, and punch until the doors open. They lead an in-house design team of three, direct architects of record and signage vendors, and are the brand's design voice with landlords and mall developers. With 20+ locations moving through the pipeline at once, the role calls for someone who is organized, persistent with outside partners, and protective of brand standards.
Pay & Benefits:
- Pay: $85k+ (based on experience)
- Eligible for Full Time Benefits and Bonus as outlined here.
Hours & Schedule:
- Location: HQ - Brentwood, TN (non-remote)
- Expected Weekly Hours: 40-45 hours
- Travel Expectations: Regular
- Site visits, walkthroughs, and punch for new stores and remodels.
- Upcoming locations include Sacramento, Detroit, Denver, Raleigh, Skokie, Tysons, Santa Anita, Austin, etc
- On-Call: Yes, limited. Available on weekends during active installs to answer design questions from the field.
Job Responsibilities:
Site Planning & Test Fits
- Review lease outline drawings (LODs) and existing conditions for prospective sites, and turn them into test fits that show what can fit in the space.
- Work with Real Estate and Construction to judge whether a space can support the game rooms, studios, lobby, and back of house.
- Produce and revise floor plans and layouts as concepts, game mixes, and site conditions change.
- Keep accurate square footage and space data for the store portfolio.
Design Development & Construction Documents
- Lead each location from test fit through 50% and 90% sets to final construction documents.
- Direct architects of record on scope, schedule, and design intent. Review drawing sets and return clear, timely comments.
- Help select architects for new projects through bid review alongside the Construction team.
- Coordinate with MEP engineers and general contractors on design-related site issues such as HVAC, electrical, transformers, restrooms, and demising walls.
- Maintain prototype plans and design standards so each new store starts from a proven baseline.
Landlord & Municipal Approvals
- Prepare and submit storefront designs, sign packages, digital material boards, and construction documents to landlords and mall developers for review and approval.
- Gather and apply each landlord's tenant design criteria.
- Track comments and resubmittals until final landlord approval.
- Support building, signage, and historic preservation permit submittals with architects and sign vendors.
Signage & Graphics
- Own interior and exterior signage for every location: design intent, shop drawing review, quotes, landlord approval, permitting, fabrication, and install placement.
- Manage signage vendors on cost, schedule, and quality. Push back on pricing when needed.
- Oversee murals, vinyl, and other environmental graphics in the guest experience.
Interiors, FF&E & Lobby Experience
- Specify and source lobby and guest-facing finishes, flooring, seating, reception desks, displays, and merchandise fixtures.
- Place and track FF&E orders, deliveries, and install locations.
- Work with Accounting on deposits, invoices, and capital versus non-capital FF&E coding.
- Track and manage project budgets across all active projects, ensuring costs remain within approved allocations.
Brand Standards
- Make sure every storefront, sign, and interior is on brand for The Escape Game, Great Big Game Show, and Adventure Mining.
- Serve as the main design contact for internal partners in Construction, Production, Operations, Marketing, and Accounting.
Team Leadership
- Lead, assign, and develop the in-house design team (Revit setup, test fits, existing conditions, elevations).
- Set priorities across a large multi-site pipeline and hold the team and outside partners to deadlines.
- Approve time off and manage the team's workload across projects.
Ideal background:
- A degree in Architecture, Interior Architecture, Interior Design, or applicable experience preferred.
- 5+ years of retail, hospitality, or entertainment design experience, including multi-site rollouts.
- 2+ years leading designers or managing architect and vendor teams.
- Advanced in Revit and AutoCAD. Comfortable reviewing and marking up drawing sets in Drawboard.
- Knowledge of SketchUp and Lumion for developing detailed 3D models, renderings, and design presentations.
- Working knowledge of building codes, ADA, permitting, and landlord tenant criteria.
- Experience with sign packages, storefront design, and FF&E specification and procurement.
- The ideal Director of Retail Design is organized, persistent, detail-minded, and calm under deadline.
- Has a love for immersive and interactive entertainment.
- Has strong communication skills - written, on the phone, in-person.
- Can manage many projects in many stages at once without letting any of them stall.
- Able to travel regularly and walk active construction sites.
