Contract External Interior Designer Partner

Pacaso•Charleston, SC

About The Position

Pacaso is building a trusted network of pre-vetted contract designers to extend our internal design team as acquisition volume grows. This is not a traditional freelance posting. We are looking for experienced residential designers who want an ongoing source of well-defined, repeatable project work within a structured creative framework. Contract designers work on a project-by-project basis — either per home or on a flexible retainer depending on pipeline needs — and are compensated on a flat project fee tied to FF&E budget scope. Designers who complete a successful pilot engagement are added to the approved Pacaso Design Partner Roster and are prioritized for future assignments. Pacaso homes are co-owned luxury residences — designed to feel elevated, personal, and effortlessly livable for multiple owners year-round. Our internal design team leads all creative direction, but with 33 projected acquisitions in 2026 and peak volume reaching 3–5 homes per month in Q3 and Q4, we are building an external partner network to scale alongside us. As a contract designer, you will execute full FF&E design for individual Pacaso homes — from space planning through final documentation — working within Pacaso's brand standards, vendor frameworks, and production templates. The Senior Manager of Design reviews and approves all work at defined milestones. Think of this as a hospitality-minded approach to residential design: beautiful spaces that are also durable, broadly appealing within a regional aesthetic, and built to perform across heavy use. If you thrive in structured creative environments and value steady, repeat work over one-off bespoke commissions, this is the right fit.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Interior Design or Architecture (NCIDQ / CID preferred)
5+ years of professional experience with a focus on high-end residential and/or hospitality design
Demonstrated portfolio of luxury residential work with strong regional aesthetic sensibility
Proficiency in Revit and AutoCAD required; SketchUp Pro and/or Rhino preferred
Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat) required
Comfort working in Google Workspace (Slides, Sheets, Docs, Drive) and Canva — these are Pacaso's primary workflow tools
Exceptional design presentation skills — your concept decks are polished, client-ready, and clearly communicate a point of view
You thrive in structured creative environments and deliver excellent work within defined budgets and vendor frameworks
You are documentation-oriented, deadline-driven, and easy to collaborate with remotely
You bring a hospitality sensibility to residential work: spaces that feel personal and elevated without being precious
You have the bandwidth and business structure to take on contract engagements alongside existing projects
You operate as a registered business entity and carry professional liability insurance

Nice To Haves

Hospitality, multifamily, or investment residential experience is a strong plus — familiarity with client-directed, operationally conscious design processes
Active project experience in or near one of our target markets (Kiawah/Charleston, South Florida, Mountain West, SoCal, or Wine Country)

Responsibilities

Develop space plans using your preferred tool
Build a Design Schematic in Pacaso's Canva template, presenting concept direction and FF&E selections in a format ready for owner-facing use
Specify full FF&E using Pacaso's preferred vendor list and sourcing frameworks
Populate the Spec Book in Google Sheets with complete, accurate product and placement data
Produce Placement Documents in Canva per Pacaso standards
Attend all milestone reviews with the Senior Manager of Design: space plan, schematic/FF&E, budget alignment, and final documentation
Receive and work from the Pacaso Design Assignment Packet provided at project kickoff
Partner with Pacaso's Procurement and Sourcing teams to confirm product availability and budget compliance
Collaborate with cross-functional partners (Operations, Onboarding, Logistics) to support successful installation
Travel to onboardings and manage in-person staging and styling as needed (project-dependent)
Communicate proactively, meet deadlines, and deliver clean documentation at every stage
Support existing Pacaso homes with replacement FF&E sourcing and periodic design audits
Contribute to full-home design refreshes as assigned