Cushman & Wakefield

Project Design Manager

Cushman & Wakefield$73K — $87K *
Real Estate & Construction
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Architecture or Interior Design from an accredited institution.
  • 7+ years of design experience with a minimum of 2 years in a management role.
  • 5+ years of practical Revit experience; familiar with MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite.
  • Proficient in IBC and ADA codes for compliance and drawing review.
  • Demonstrated ability to switch between management responsibilities and hands-on design tasks.
  • Strong interpersonal skills for effective collaboration with colleagues and clients.
  • Excellent communication skills in oral, written, and presentation formats.

Responsibilities

  • Mentor and develop a team of design professionals through performance reviews and coaching.
  • Oversee resource allocation and project timelines for efficient workload management.
  • Establish and document design standards and Revit workflows for team consistency.
  • Streamline design delivery processes by implementing scalable standards based on innovation.
  • Actively manage and contribute to high-complexity design projects and templates.
  • Ensure technical accuracy and compliance through thorough QA/QC of design documents.
  • Engage with clients, understanding their needs and presenting design concepts and updates.

Benefits

  • Health, vision, and dental insurance programs.
  • Flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts.
  • Retirement savings plans and life insurance options.
  • Disability insurance programs.
  • Paid and unpaid time off for work-life balance.
Full Job Description
Job Title
Project Design Manager

Job Description Summary
The Design Manager is a dual-impact role. You will be responsible for both the high-level management of a design team and execution of complex design projects. This role requires a "lead by example" approach, balancing team mentorship, resource optimization, and oversight with active participation in production, space planning, and technical problem-solving.
Job Description

The Design Manager is a dual-impact role. You will be responsible for both the high-level management of a design team and execution of complex design projects. This role requires a "lead by example" approach, balancing team mentorship, resource optimization, and oversight with active participation in production, space planning, and technical problem-solving.

Principal Responsibilities

Leadership & Talent Development
  • Mentor & Lead: Manage a team of design professionals, providing coaching, feedback, and career development through regular performance reviews.
  • Resource Leveling: Oversee team project timelines and resource allocation, ensuring workload balance across multiple concurrent projects.
  • Standardization: Contribute and document to design standards and Revit workflows to ensure consistency and efficiency across the entire team.
  • Process Optimization: Streamline design delivery by formalizing innovative ideas into executable, scalable, and documented team standards.

Individual Contribution & Technical Execution
  • Direct Production: Actively produce and oversee high-complexity projects, templates, and design assets.
  • Technical QA/QC: Perform rigorous reviews of test fits, space plans, and design documents to ensure technical accuracy and compliance with IBC and ADA codes.
  • Hands-on Problem Solving: Step into projects to resolve complex design or technical challenges alongside the team.

Client Management
  • Advisory: Review client business needs and suggest data-driven improvements that align with their goals.
  • Stakeholder Communication: Present design concepts and project updates to stakeholders at all levels, bridging the gap between technical execution and design objectives.
  • Innovation Advocacy: Stay current with design trends and software to recommend improvements to guidelines and internal processes.


Requirements
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in Architecture or Interior Design from a NAAB or CIDA-accredited institution.
  • Professional Experience: 7+ years of design experience; 2+ years of experience managing or mentoring a design team.
  • Software Mastery: 5+ years of Revit experience in a professional setting. Proficiency in MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite is required.
  • Code Proficiency: Working knowledge of IBC and ADA requirements for drawing review and compliance.
  • Player Coach: Ability to pivot seamlessly between management and production tasks.
  • Relationship Building: Strong interpersonal skills to foster collaboration with internal partners and external clients.
  • Accountability: Takes full ownership of requests to ensure successful, high-quality completion.
  • Clear Communication: Exceptional oral, written, and presentation skills.


Preferred Qualifications
  • NCIDQ certification or Architectural Licensure.
  • Experience managing project budgets, vendor relationships, and complex procurement processes.
  • Experience with Bluebeam, Dynamo scripts, or other BIM automation tools.
  • Background in corporate workplace design or retail prototype development.


Cushman & Wakefield also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life, and disability insurance programs, and paid and unpaid time away from work. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, Cushman and Wakefield provide eligible employees with competitive pay, which may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, total hours worked, job type, business line, and applicability of collective bargaining agreements.

The compensation that will be offered to the successful candidate will depend on factors such as whether the position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the geographic area in which the work will be performed, market pay rates in that area, and the candidate's experience and qualifications.

The company will not pay less than minimum wage for this role.

The compensation for the position is: $ 73,950.00 - $87,000.00

About Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield plc is a global commercial real estate services firm. The company's corporate headquarters is located in Chicago, Illinois. Cushman & Wakefield is among the world's largest commercial real estate services firms, with revenues of US$9.4 billion in 2021. The company operates from approximately 400 offices in 60 countries, has around 50,000 employees and manages about 4,100 million sq ft of commercial space. It is one of the "Big Three" commercial real estate services companies, alongside CBRE and JLL.
Learn more about Cushman & Wakefield
Size
50,000 employees
Market Cap
$2.6 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$220.5 million
Founded
1917
5 Year Trend
+8.6%
Revenue
$7.8 billion
NASDAQ

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