Regional Design Lead
Miami, FL (approximately 50% travel required across the Caribbean)
Overview
We function as the exclusive design and procurement partner for major tropical resort properties. The enterprise specializes in managing high-value purchasing, vendor relations, and logistical execution for world-class leisure destinations
This role aligns to the Product Development Department and resides with the Design Central/Architecture & Design / Pre-Construction Governance team. This person functionally reports into the VP of Architecture & Design.
The candidate will work internally across functional with Technical Services (Project Management, MEP Engineering), Architecture, Product Development, Operations, Procurement, Finance, and Brand.
The candidate will work with external vendors including Design Consultants, FF&E Consultants, Vendors, Architects, Engineers, Specialist Consultants
The Role
The Regional Design Lead is responsible for providing design leadership and governance during pre-construction across multiple projects within the region.
The role operates within Design Central and is responsible for the correct interpretation of the product brief, brand pillars, and design ethos, ensuring that this direction is clearly communicated to the design consultants and translated into cohesive, buildable, and operationally sound design solutions.
The position is accountable for ensuring that design solutions are fully defined, coordinated, and optimized prior to design freeze, balancing design intent, operational functionality, durability, cost, and alignment with Company Technical Standards to maximize long-term performance and return on guest experience.
Position Accountability
• Lead and be accountable for design coordination and product alignment within the design
scope during pre-construction across assigned projects
• Provide design leadership and judgment on interior concepts, materials, layouts, and FF&E to ensure a cohesive and compelling guest environment aligned with brand positioning
• Establish and drive design meeting cadence, agendas, and decision tracking for the design
scope
• Lead design reviews and hold authority for approval of design-scope deliverables at key
milestones
• Ensure the correct interpretation of the product brief, brand pillars, and design ethos, and
communicate that direction clearly to the design consultants
• Translate the product brief, brand pillars, and design ethos into clear design direction and
spatial experience
• Support development and validation of space planning solutions to ensure layouts align with operational requirements, usability, and guest experience objectives
• Lead development and validation of FF&E scope, specifications, and selections
• Ensure FF&E selections align with durability, operational requirements, fire life safety design criteria, and Company Technical Standards
• Ensure design solutions align with accessibility-related project requirements and Technical Brand Standards in coordination with architectural and engineering teams
• Align design with area programs, scope, and budgets
• Integrate operational and lifecycle considerations into design decisions
• Identify risks and drive timely resolution
• Ensure all review comments are tracked and resolved
• Facilitate alignment across Product Development, Operations, Procurement, Brand, and
Technical Services
• Ensure deliverables are ready for procurement and execution
• Maintain consistency in quality and standards across projects
• Support long-term asset performance and guest experience outcomes
Technical Focus
• Lead FF&E development and coordination across projects
• Review specifications, material selections, and design packages for alignment with
Technical Brand Standards, project requirements, and operational objectives
• Validate interior layouts, adjacencies, and spatial usability to support guest experience and operational functionality
• Integrate product development intent, durability expectations, lifecycle considerations, and procurement readiness into design decisions
Responsibilities
Pre-Construction Leadership and Coordination
• Lead design coordination within the design scope across multiple projects during pre-
construction
• Manage design meeting cadence, agendas, and decision tracking for the design scope
• Drive progress of design deliverables against project milestones
• Ensure accountability across teams for timely delivery of design inputs
Design Integration and Discipline Coordination
• Coordinate across disciplines to align design with Architecture, MEP, Brand, Product
Development, and Operations
• Review and validate space planning layouts to ensure alignment with design intent,
operational functionality, and guest experience
• Coordinate with architectural teams to refine layouts, adjacencies, and spatial usability
• Resolve design conflicts and maintain alignment of guest experience objectives with project requirements
Scope and Cost Alignment
• Align design with area programs, project scope, and budget parameters
• Coordinate FF&E scope, specifications, and selections with procurement requirements
• Support value engineering while maintaining design intent and performance objectives
• Integrate operational and lifecycle considerations into design decisions
Process Governance and Standards
• Apply Design Central governance framework within the design scope
• Ensure adherence to Company Technical Standards, templates, and review protocols
• Maintain consistency in design quality and deliverables across projects
• Support continuous improvement of design processes
Multi-Project Oversight
• Lead design coordination within the design scope across multiple concurrent projects within the region
• Maintain consistency in quality and standards across projects
• Support long-term asset performance and guest experience outcomes
Design Continuity and Post-Design Support
• Conduct site visits to verify alignment with approved design intent
• Identify deviations and coordinate resolution with stakeholders
• Lead RFI coordination related to design intent and ensure timely closure
• Support clarification of design documentation during execution
• Maintain design intent through procurement and execution
Qualifications
• Degree in Interior Design or related field
• 8-12 years of hospitality design experience
• Strong FF&E and design coordination experience
• Experience with multi-disciplinary teams
• Understanding of operational durability and lifecycle considerations
Key Competencies
• Strong product and coordination mindset
• Knowledge of FF&E and Company Technical Standards
• Alignment of design with business goals
• Strong communication
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Problem-solving
Role Success Measures
• Alignment of design with brand and operational objectives
• Reduced FF&E scope gaps and late-stage changes
• Timely delivery of coordinated design packages
• Reduced rework during procurement and execution
• Consistency in design quality across projects
• Improved procurement readiness
• Maintained design intent
Miami, FL (approximately 50% travel required across the Caribbean)
Overview
We function as the exclusive design and procurement partner for major tropical resort properties. The enterprise specializes in managing high-value purchasing, vendor relations, and logistical execution for world-class leisure destinations
This role aligns to the Product Development Department and resides with the Design Central/Architecture & Design / Pre-Construction Governance team. This person functionally reports into the VP of Architecture & Design.
The candidate will work internally across functional with Technical Services (Project Management, MEP Engineering), Architecture, Product Development, Operations, Procurement, Finance, and Brand.
The candidate will work with external vendors including Design Consultants, FF&E Consultants, Vendors, Architects, Engineers, Specialist Consultants
The Role
The Regional Design Lead is responsible for providing design leadership and governance during pre-construction across multiple projects within the region.
The role operates within Design Central and is responsible for the correct interpretation of the product brief, brand pillars, and design ethos, ensuring that this direction is clearly communicated to the design consultants and translated into cohesive, buildable, and operationally sound design solutions.
The position is accountable for ensuring that design solutions are fully defined, coordinated, and optimized prior to design freeze, balancing design intent, operational functionality, durability, cost, and alignment with Company Technical Standards to maximize long-term performance and return on guest experience.
Position Accountability
• Lead and be accountable for design coordination and product alignment within the design
scope during pre-construction across assigned projects
• Provide design leadership and judgment on interior concepts, materials, layouts, and FF&E to ensure a cohesive and compelling guest environment aligned with brand positioning
• Establish and drive design meeting cadence, agendas, and decision tracking for the design
scope
• Lead design reviews and hold authority for approval of design-scope deliverables at key
milestones
• Ensure the correct interpretation of the product brief, brand pillars, and design ethos, and
communicate that direction clearly to the design consultants
• Translate the product brief, brand pillars, and design ethos into clear design direction and
spatial experience
• Support development and validation of space planning solutions to ensure layouts align with operational requirements, usability, and guest experience objectives
• Lead development and validation of FF&E scope, specifications, and selections
• Ensure FF&E selections align with durability, operational requirements, fire life safety design criteria, and Company Technical Standards
• Ensure design solutions align with accessibility-related project requirements and Technical Brand Standards in coordination with architectural and engineering teams
• Align design with area programs, scope, and budgets
• Integrate operational and lifecycle considerations into design decisions
• Identify risks and drive timely resolution
• Ensure all review comments are tracked and resolved
• Facilitate alignment across Product Development, Operations, Procurement, Brand, and
Technical Services
• Ensure deliverables are ready for procurement and execution
• Maintain consistency in quality and standards across projects
• Support long-term asset performance and guest experience outcomes
Technical Focus
• Lead FF&E development and coordination across projects
• Review specifications, material selections, and design packages for alignment with
Technical Brand Standards, project requirements, and operational objectives
• Validate interior layouts, adjacencies, and spatial usability to support guest experience and operational functionality
• Integrate product development intent, durability expectations, lifecycle considerations, and procurement readiness into design decisions
Responsibilities
Pre-Construction Leadership and Coordination
• Lead design coordination within the design scope across multiple projects during pre-
construction
• Manage design meeting cadence, agendas, and decision tracking for the design scope
• Drive progress of design deliverables against project milestones
• Ensure accountability across teams for timely delivery of design inputs
Design Integration and Discipline Coordination
• Coordinate across disciplines to align design with Architecture, MEP, Brand, Product
Development, and Operations
• Review and validate space planning layouts to ensure alignment with design intent,
operational functionality, and guest experience
• Coordinate with architectural teams to refine layouts, adjacencies, and spatial usability
• Resolve design conflicts and maintain alignment of guest experience objectives with project requirements
Scope and Cost Alignment
• Align design with area programs, project scope, and budget parameters
• Coordinate FF&E scope, specifications, and selections with procurement requirements
• Support value engineering while maintaining design intent and performance objectives
• Integrate operational and lifecycle considerations into design decisions
Process Governance and Standards
• Apply Design Central governance framework within the design scope
• Ensure adherence to Company Technical Standards, templates, and review protocols
• Maintain consistency in design quality and deliverables across projects
• Support continuous improvement of design processes
Multi-Project Oversight
• Lead design coordination within the design scope across multiple concurrent projects within the region
• Maintain consistency in quality and standards across projects
• Support long-term asset performance and guest experience outcomes
Design Continuity and Post-Design Support
• Conduct site visits to verify alignment with approved design intent
• Identify deviations and coordinate resolution with stakeholders
• Lead RFI coordination related to design intent and ensure timely closure
• Support clarification of design documentation during execution
• Maintain design intent through procurement and execution
Qualifications
• Degree in Interior Design or related field
• 8-12 years of hospitality design experience
• Strong FF&E and design coordination experience
• Experience with multi-disciplinary teams
• Understanding of operational durability and lifecycle considerations
Key Competencies
• Strong product and coordination mindset
• Knowledge of FF&E and Company Technical Standards
• Alignment of design with business goals
• Strong communication
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Problem-solving
Role Success Measures
• Alignment of design with brand and operational objectives
• Reduced FF&E scope gaps and late-stage changes
• Timely delivery of coordinated design packages
• Reduced rework during procurement and execution
• Consistency in design quality across projects
• Improved procurement readiness
• Maintained design intent