Design Manager, Store Design - sweetgreen

The Store Designer Manager of Architecture & Planning  is part of the store development team, primarily responsible for the design and documentation of new and renovated restaurants and will work with counterparts throughout the extended store development team including Real Estate, Construction, and Facilities Management to execute projects that hit timeline and cost metrics. This position will report to the Sr Design Manager and will have a high impact on the entire store development cycle.

Core Responsibilities:

• Lead Design Pipeline for assigned regions, by designing projects personally, managing AOR partners, and work with consultants as needed to achieve company goals. Lead projects from Site assessment to Opening- including layout and concept lock, CD creation and review, permitting, construction administration, and punch. Responsible for hitting development timelines and project budget goals. 
• Assess new locations to ensure compatibility with the current store prototype working with AOR partners across the country regarding site assessments and flagging any potential issues prior to lease signing.
• Bring a passion for all things design that includes an understanding of history, current trends in design, furniture, fashion, etc. as well as technical understanding and experience with detailing of materials and finishes common in the industry.
• Act as an active contributor on the design team to collaborate on new standards, regional expansion strategies, art programs, and prototype updates as driven from Design and Ops Innovation teams.  
• Manage project financial returns by participating in budgeting of new projects, and value engineering initiatives at programmatic and site specific levels. Collaborate with Real Estate, Construction, and Procurement on new site development. 
• Communicate effectively across all internal stakeholders including real estate, construction, procurement, and operations- as well as external consultants and AOR partners to ensure adherence with company goals.  This includes weekly calls and written correspondence on project status. 
• Problem solve to protect project pipeline goals and to accurately represent sweetgreen's brand in all new stores based on current prototypes. Execute value engineering solutions to new stores without compromising the brand's execution.
• Develop expertise on store operational needs. This includes work around store refreshes and renovations based on operational needs, by evolving the most cost effective and least disruptive solutions possible.

About you:

• Ability to prioritize work based on impact and urgency, to deliver on commitments and drive departmental initiatives and achieve results. Quickly escalates and identifies roadblocks when prioritization is unclear. 
• Strong experience with construction documentation and shop drawing QC review for constructability. Experience with permitting and interacting with city reviewers to think creatively, resolve questions and obtain permits.
• Construction observation experience, managing multiple projects at once and coordinating with GC teams, landlords, and millwork/kitchen vendors. 
• Strong oral, written and interpersonal communication skills- able to work with and through others to accomplish project work effectively. 
• Collaborative: it is critical that this role be collaborative, as you will work daily with the internal design team, your regional development team, and company cross-functional stakeholders in operations, technology, culinary, and brand. 
• Customer Obsessed mindset, realizing that our customer is two fold: our internal team members and operations stakeholders as well as our external customers who engage with the brand through our restaurant locations.  
• Excellent presentation skills to solicit feedback and approvals.
• Capable in 2D/3D visualization (hand sketching/CAD programs, etc.) with specific proficiency in Acad (Revit), Sketchup, Adobe Creative Studio as well as Excel, Powerpoint or equivalent.
• 10-25% travel, depending on business needs 

Preferred Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in retail, restaurant/hospitality design for a national brand.
• 3+ years as a project design manager.
• 4 yr degree in Architecture, Interior Architecture, Product Design or related field of study
• In depth understanding of kitchen equipment and engineering requirements.
• Experience managing consultants and vendor relationships. 

What you'll get:

• Highly competitive pay + bonus plan
• Three different medical plans to suit your and your family's needs
• Dental and Vision insurance
• Flexible PTO plan
• 401k program
• Employee HSA and FSA
• Complimentary greens
• An opportunity to make a real impact on the people around you, both by growing them and by connecting them to real food
• To live the sweetlife and celebrate your passion + purpose
• A collaborative team of people who live our core values and have your back
• A clear career path with opportunities for development, both personally and professionally
• Free sweetgreen swag

Come join the sweetlife!

About sweetgreen

sweetgreen is on a mission to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food. We passionately believe that real food should be convenient and accessible to everyone. Every day in each sweetgreen, our 3,500 team members make food from scratch, using fresh ingredients and produce delivered that morning. And in our local communities, we're committed to leaving people better than we found them. We're in the business of feeding people, and we're out to change what that means.

sweetgreen provides equal opportunities for everyone that works for us and everyone that applies to join our team, without regard to sex or gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, any service, past, present, or future, in the uniformed services of the United States (military or veteran status), or any other consideration protected by federal, state, or local law.

sweetgreen participates in the federal government's E-Verify program to determine employment eligibility. To learn more about the E-Verify program, please click here.