Principal Designer

As our Principal Designer, you’ll lead the creative vision, daily operations, and overall performance of our residential design company NOVA design while ensuring an exceptional client experience from initial concept through final installation.

This is a exciting role that combines creative expertise, business management, team development, and client relationship management. You’ll oversee the design team, establish department priorities, manage project execution, and work closely with company leadership to ensure the department operates efficiently, profitably, and in alignment with our standards for quality and service.

Beyond creating beautiful spaces, you’ll be responsible for building a strong, accountable team, developing efficient processes, managing department performance, and ensuring every project reflects the level of design excellence and attention to detail our clients expect.

• Creative Direction & Design Leadership: Establish and oversee the creative vision and design standards for custom residential homes, ensuring cohesive, sophisticated, and thoughtfully executed designs across all projects. Provide creative direction and guidance to the design team while maintaining consistency in quality and execution.
• Department Leadership & Operations: Oversee the day-to-day operations of NOVA Design, including staffing, workload management, project assignments, scheduling, resource allocation, and departmental priorities. Establish clear expectations and accountability to ensure projects and team responsibilities are managed effectively.
• Financial Performance & Budget Management: Take ownership of NOVA's financial performance, including revenue, profitability, project budgets, purchasing, and expense management. Monitor financial results, identify opportunities for improvement, and work with Starr leadership to establish and achieve departmental goals.
• Team Management & Development: Lead, mentor, and develop the design team through clear communication, ongoing coaching, performance management, and professional development. Foster a collaborative, creative, and accountable environment that encourages growth while maintaining high standards.
• Client Experience & Relationship Management: Oversee the design experience for all clients, ensuring consistent communication, organized selections, thoughtful guidance, and exceptional service. Serve as a point of escalation for complex client concerns and ensure expectations are managed professionally throughout the design process.
• Design Project Oversight: Maintain visibility into all active design projects, ensuring design selections, specifications, documentation, budgets, and approvals are completed accurately and within established timelines. Proactively identify challenges and provide direction to keep projects moving forward.
• Construction & Cross-Department
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Work closely with sales, estimating, purchasing, project coordination, and construction teams to ensure design decisions are properly documented, accurately priced, and executable within project budgets and construction schedules.
• Vendor, Purchasing & Procurement Management: Oversee vendor and trade partner relationships, product sourcing, purchasing procedures, and procurement activities. Ensure materials and furnishings are selected, ordered, tracked, and delivered in accordance with project requirements, budgets, and timelines.
• Process Development & Continuous Improvement: Develop, implement, and refine department workflows, design standards, documentation procedures, and internal systems that improve efficiency, accountability, and consistency. Identify opportunities to streamline operations while elevating the overall client experience.
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