Director, Interior & Surface Textile Design

Teague•Renton, WA

7h•$160,000 - $190,000

About The Position

Teague is seeking a Director to lead the creative, technical, and business direction of its multidisciplinary Interior and Surface Textile Design practice. The role spans interior, spatial, surface, textile, color, and material design across Boeing aircraft programs, direct-to-airline projects, and a diverse commercial portfolio. The Director translates client ambitions, human needs, brand objectives, and production realities into visionary, viable, and implementable experiences. The Director sets the practice’s vision and standards, develops design leaders and teams, and provides creative direction across aviation and commercial work. In partnership with design and business leadership, Business Development, and clients, the Director shapes engagements, builds relationships, identifies growth opportunities, and evolves the practice’s capabilities. This engaged leadership position combines creative vision, business acumen, technical understanding, and sound client judgment. Regular travel between Teague studios and client sites in the U.S. is expected, with occasional international travel for client reviews and industry events. Candidates must be able to commute weekly to the Everett and/or Renton offices, reside in Washington State, and be a U.S. Person under applicable U.S. export control regulations. The position does not offer sponsorship or transfer of sponsorship.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in interior design, textile design, or a related creative field.
At least 10 years of experience in interior design, surface textile design, or design consulting, with a robust and diverse portfolio of impactful multidisciplinary work spanning both disciplines.
At least 3 years in a creative or design leadership role, such as Director or Design Director, within a consulting, agency, or aerospace environment.
Ability to commute weekly to the Everett and/or Renton offices.
Proven success leading cross-functional teams across interior design and surface textile design through collaboration, influence, and direct leadership.
Experience balancing long-term strategic planning with day-to-day operational oversight of a multidisciplinary practice.
Exceptional project-framing ability, including defining approach, deliverables, stages, and processes for internal teams, Boeing, and airline clients.
Deep understanding of aircraft interior and surface/textile design and production, including manufacturability, materials, and production tooling documentation.
Exceptional relationship-building skills across organizational levels and diverse cultural, generational, ethnic, racial, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Fluency in business and creative/technical disciplines, including experience leading strategic initiatives that bridge design, production, and organizational growth.
Track record of successful Boeing or aviation programs and long-term client relationships.
Strong grasp of brand and marketing strategies and how interior and surface textile design express brand identity.
Experience in business development and client engagement, including building trust and identifying opportunities.
Must be a U.S. Person as defined by applicable U.S. export control regulations.
Must reside in Washington State and be able to access a Teague studio location in the greater Seattle area.
Sponsorship or transfer of sponsorship is not available.

Nice To Haves

A strong professional network in the airline or transportation sectors.
Recognized visionary leadership that inspires teams and shapes industry conversations.
A respected voice in the design community, with thought leadership, passion for craft, and meaningful contributions to industry conversations.

Responsibilities

Lead the Interior Design & Surface Textile Design practice across Boeing aircraft programs and commercial engagements.
Oversee a large, complex, multidisciplinary team across interior and surface textile design, ensuring alignment, momentum, and quality.
Own the practice’s overall health and performance, balancing creative and technical quality, client satisfaction, team development, staffing, financial performance, and sustainable growth.
Develop design leaders and establish clear ownership, accountability, coordination, and independent leadership across disciplines.
Build and maintain relationships with managers and directors at Boeing and commercial clients, partnering with senior leadership on executive relationships and account strategy.
Connect creative direction with practical execution and empower project and discipline leaders to manage day-to-day delivery.
Champion innovation, growth, and excellent design and production outcomes.
Align creative direction, client strategy, business priorities, and delivery with design and business leadership, clients, and cross-functional stakeholders.
Own practice-level workforce and succession strategy, including organizational structure, hiring, performance management, retention, leadership development, and future capabilities.
Set goals, provide feedback, conduct performance reviews, and plan development for design leaders; hold them accountable for business outcomes and people leadership.
Promote interior and surface textile design, continuous learning, professional growth, and a strong design and technical culture.
Deliver annual goals and performance objectives aligned with fiscal-year priorities.
Evolve the practice’s offerings, methods, deliverables, staffing models, tools, and value proposition in response to client needs, markets, competition, technology, and delivery lessons.
Drive strategic thinking across Boeing and commercial engagements, applying expertise in interior, spatial, experience, surface, textile, color, and material design.
Lead discovery, workshops, and project engagements to frame challenges, set direction, align stakeholders, and enable impactful design outcomes.
Guide teams in developing persuasive, cohesive rationale and storytelling for Boeing, airline, and commercial clients.
Contribute to thought leadership through speaking events, panels, and articles.
Navigate work from established Boeing programs with rigorous technical requirements to open-ended commercial challenges.
Identify opportunities to deepen Teague’s position with Boeing, grow commercial relationships, and apply the practice’s expertise to new clients, industries, and project types.
Connect the practice with experience strategy, brand, communication design, industrial design, architecture, technology, and engineering.
Improve creative and technical quality and team capabilities; contribute to company-wide and design leadership strategy discussions.
Translate client and engineering requirements into actionable design and production solutions that support brand and business goals.
Lead design and technical reviews, critiques, and creative direction.
Provide senior creative, client, and business leadership across concurrent programs, calibrating involvement to strategic importance, complexity, team capability, and risk.
Partner with Business Development, Program Management, and design leadership to identify, qualify, shape, scope, and pursue opportunities.
Guide projects from opportunity development through implementation with Project Management and Program Management leaders, assembling suitable creative, strategic, and technical teams.
Lead or provide senior creative direction for proposals, pitches, discovery, workshops, and early client engagements.
Guide development of case studies, sales materials, and thought leadership that communicate the practice’s capabilities, value, approach, and relevance.
Maintain regular relationships with priority Boeing and commercial stakeholders to build trust, understand emerging needs, and connect current work to future opportunities.
Review the portfolio with design leadership and project/program management, monitoring quality, staffing, client health, financial performance, delivery risks, and pipeline.
Develop a high-performing creative and technical environment with culture, tools, processes, and team dynamics aligned to Teague’s brand and strategic priorities.
Ensure clear, persuasive storytelling and presentations that build alignment and support client decisions.
Engage directly in creative and technical work when senior judgment can improve outcomes, resolve complexity, or align stakeholders.
Partner with project and program management, engineering, and manufacturing to address delivery, feasibility, schedule, and budget risks.

Benefits

Employee ownership through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
Employer-provided short- and long-term disability insurance.
Employer-provided Life/AD&D insurance.
Medical and dental plans, including a Health Savings Account option.
Flexible Spending Accounts.
401(k) plan.
Parental Leave.
Voluntary vision, additional life, additional AD&D, accident and injury, critical illness, identity theft protection, legal, and long-term care benefits.
Discounts on pet insurance and access to HealthCare Bluebook.
Full-time employees accrue four weeks of paid time off annually, prorated for part-time hires.
Ten paid holidays throughout the fiscal year.
Support for professional development and skill-building.
Work/life integration and emphasis on balance and well-being.