Associate, Retail Design Management

At URW, we are shaping the future of retail destinations through our Better Places 2030 agenda, a commitment to creating exceptional places that meet the highest environmental standards while enhancing the communities we serve.

The Associate, Retail Design Management supports tenant design initiatives across assigned assets within the U.S. retail portfolio. Reporting to the Senior Design Director, this role is responsible for managing tenant design projects, supporting redevelopment initiatives, and helping elevate design standards across flagship assets while ensuring alignment with Westfield's design vision and customer experience objectives.

The role oversees the review of storefronts, interiors, signage, materials, lighting, merchandising, and other customer-facing design elements to ensure compliance with URW design criteria, asset strategies, and brand standards.

Working collaboratively with Leasing, Tenant Coordination, Asset Management, Operations, Design & Construction, and external tenant design teams, the Associate helps advance projects from initial concept through design approval, construction, and store opening. This position balances design excellence with commercial objectives, project schedules, and successful project execution.

The Associate manages a portfolio of tenant projects with increasing levels of responsibility while supporting the Senior Design Director and broader RDM team on complex, high-profile assignments. The role is designed to build technical expertise, design judgment, stakeholder management skills, and project leadership capabilities that support future advancement within the Retail Design Management organization.

• Review tenant concept, preliminary, and final design submissions for compliance with landlord design criteria and project-specific requirements.
• Evaluate storefront design, signage, materials, finishes, lighting, merchandising, interior environments, and customer experience elements.
• Prepare clear and comprehensive design comments, markups, presentations, and recommendations.
• Provide design direction to tenant architects, designers, consultants, and retailers under the guidance of RDM leadership.
• Independently manage design reviews for small to mid-size tenant projects.
• Support Design Directors on flagship, redevelopment, and strategically significant tenant design initiatives.

• Manage an assigned portfolio of tenant design projects from initial review through store opening.
• Track design submissions, approvals, outstanding comments, and critical project milestones.
• Participate in tenant meetings and communicate design expectations clearly and professionally.
• Partner with Leasing and Asset Management teams to support leasing objectives through thoughtful and elevated design solutions.
• Collaborate with Tenant Coordination to ensure approved design concepts transition successfully into construction documentation and execution.
• Partner with Operations and center teams as projects progress toward construction completion and opening.

• Promote and uphold a high standard of retail design across assigned projects.
• Research emerging retail, hospitality, food & beverage, merchandising, material, and experiential design trends.
• Develop design studies, concept renderings, presentations, and recommendations that support strategic decision-making.
• Assist in coordinating design strategies across multiple assets and regions.
• Identify opportunities to enhance storefront visibility, tenant branding, customer engagement, and overall design quality.
• Support sustainability initiatives and innovative design solutions that align with URW's Better Places objectives.

• Participate in construction site walks, punch walks, and store opening reviews.
• Evaluate completed tenant work against approved design intent and landlord requirements.
• Identify design deviations and collaborate with Retail Design Management and Tenant Coordination teams to achieve resolution.
• Document lessons learned and contribute to the ongoing enhancement of design standards and approval processes.

• Strong design judgment and understanding of retail, restaurant, and mixed-use environments.
• Working knowledge of architectural documentation, storefront systems, signage,…