Design Manager - Brand Experience

Gensler•New York, NY

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Gensler’s Brand Experience Design Studio brings together strategy, storytelling, design, and technology to create immersive, inhabitable experiences that build lasting emotional connections. Their work spans innovation centers, experience centers, exhibitions, branded environments, and digital-physical ecosystems, delivered through highly collaborative, multidisciplinary teams. The company is seeking a Design Manager and client relationship leader to help drive experiential projects from vision through delivery. This role is ideal for a proactive, organized professional with experience managing complex programs—someone who thrives at the intersection of creative ambition, client partnership, and operational excellence.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in a design consultancy, agency, architecture/interiors, or related field, with 5+ years managing multidisciplinary creative teams and complex client engagements.
Demonstrated experience delivering large-scale, multidisciplinary experiential projects, such as innovation centers, experience centers, exhibitions, or brand-led environments.
Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant discipline.
Strong client-facing presence with excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills.
Highly organized and detail-oriented; able to balance creative ambition with budgets, schedules, and resources.
Proven ability to lead teams, manage stakeholders, and navigate competing priorities with confidence and diplomacy.
Experience developing proposals, defining scopes, and supporting business development efforts.
Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Word and Excel; familiarity with project management tools and processes.

Nice To Haves

Comfortable reading architectural drawings and collaborating within architectural workflows

Responsibilities

Lead client relationships to deliver strategic, experiential, and design excellence while maintaining trust, clarity, and momentum.
Own overall project responsibility, including client satisfaction, scope, quality, schedule, and financial performance.
Manage and coordinate multidisciplinary teams across multiple concurrent projects, including designers, strategists, technologists, architects, and external partners.
Develop and oversee project scopes, work plans, staffing plans, and budgets; actively manage risk and change.
Track and report on project financials, resourcing, and performance against goals.
Serve as a key liaison between studios, disciplines, and external vendors to ensure seamless integration and delivery.
Contribute to proposal development, project pursuits, and the strategic growth of client relationships.
Support new business development through clear communication of vision, value, and approach.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Disability insurance
Wellness programs
Flex spending
Paid holidays
Paid time off
401k
Profit sharing
Employee stock ownership
Twice annual bonus opportunities
Reimbursement for certain professional licenses and associated renewals and exam fees
Tuition reimbursement for certain eligible programs or classes