Manager Design and Production- Hybrid Seattle

Job Description

The Design and Production Manager coordinates execution of the design engineering and physical production pipeline for Store Environment, translating design intent into fabrication-ready specifications and delivering finished environments across four regional shops. This role directly manages design engineers and guides the day-to-day priorities, timelines, and work of environmental designers to keep design projects aligned with production schedules. Formal people-management responsibilities for environmental designers (including performance reviews, compensation, career development, and creative direction) remain with the Senior Director.

This role is accountable for keeping design and production execution moving day to day.

The ideal candidate brings strong production and project-coordination skills, can effectively direct design work in a matrixed structure, and has (or is developing) the technical depth to make sound engineering and fabrication decisions.

• Lead, coach, and formally manage design engineers, including performance management and career development.
• Guide day-to-day work assignments, priorities, and first-line feedback for environmental designers in partnership with the Senior Director, who retains formal reporting authority.
• Own production feasibility, engineering specifications, and fabrication readiness across design and production projects.
• Oversee production delivery across four regional shops, assigning office-based engineers to shop work as priorities require.
• Keep design projects on schedule and aligned with production timelines, escalating creative-direction conflicts to the Senior Director as needed.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for engineering constraints and material or fabrication decisions.
• Partner with the Regional Production Shop Manager, Senior Manager of Graphic Design & Signage, and Senior Manager of Beauty Design to align project timelines and shared resources.
• Own workflows, tools, and processes that support efficient engineering execution and design-project tracking.

• Communicates Effectively: Develops and delivers a variety of communication methods that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Has Courage: Steps up to address difficult issues by saying what needs to be said.
• Develops People: Develops people to meet both their career goals and the organization’s goals.
• Decision Quality: Makes sound and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.

• Production & Fabrication Management — understands engineering feasibility, materials, and fabrication processes well enough to make or validate production decisions.
• Cross-Functional Coordination — sequences design and production work across multiple concurrent projects and stakeholders.
• Influence Without Full Authority — directs work through a matrixed structure and partners closely with the Senior Director on priorities and escalations.
• Multi-Site Resource Planning — partners with the Regional Production Shop Manager to allocate engineering resources across four regional shops as project priorities shift.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, design, project management, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 5+ years of experience in production management, design engineering, or project management, ideally within retail environments or physical production.
• Demonstrated experience managing people and coordinating cross-functional design and production work.
• Strong project-management skills, with the ability to prioritize and sequence work across multiple concurrent projects and stakeholders.
• Comfort operating in a matrixed structure, including guiding day-to-day…