Planning & Design Director, New Developments

DOUGLAS ELLIMAN OF LI LLC•New York, NY

About The Position

Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, a division of Douglas Elliman Realty, offers unmatched expertise in sales, leasing, and marketing for new developments both nationally and internationally. The company’s new development hybrid platform matches highly experienced new development experts with skilled brokerage professionals who provide unparalleled expertise and real time market intelligence to its clients. The firm is heralded for its achievements in record-breaking sales throughout each of its regions. Drawing upon decades of experience and market-specific knowledge, Douglas Elliman Development Marketing offers a multidisciplinary approach that includes comprehensive in-house research, planning and design, marketing, and sales. The Planning & Design team serves as a strategic advisory group embedded early in the development process, working closely with developers, architects, interior designers, and internal sales leadership. Through deep market intelligence, design judgment, and cross-portfolio insight, the team informs critical early decisions and elevates product differentiation across luxury residential and mixed-use projects. The Planning & Design Director provides strategic advisory leadership to clients and internal teams, shaping product positioning, unit planning, amenity strategy, and design narrative to ensure competitive differentiation and market success. The role requires comfort working with both qualitative design judgment and quantitative market data to substantiate recommendations, evaluate trade-offs, and communicate value in clear, compelling terms. The Director acts as a trusted advisor to developers and senior sales leadership, influencing predevelopment decisions through a balanced, rigorous approach.

Requirements

Strong design judgment grounded in market realities
Comfort working with quantitative data to support design and positioning recommendations
Ability to interpret data trends and translate them into clear, client-facing insights
Willingness to engage directly with internal databases and analytical tools as part of decision-making
Executive-level presentation and storytelling skills
Ability to influence without authority and navigate complex stakeholder dynamics
Clear, confident communicator with clients, senior leadership, and cross-functional teams
Constructive approach to feedback—both receiving and delivering
Working proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator)
Ability to review architectural and interior drawings using Bluebeam
Familiarity with internal databases and analytical tools (e.g., Access, Tableau) as decision-support resources
Proficiency in Microsoft Office
Bachelor’s degree in Architecture or related field
Minimum six years of experience in luxury residential, mixed-use, and/or hospitality environments
Significant knowledge of New York City’s luxury residential market

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Architecture, Interior Design, or Real Estate Development preferred

Responsibilities

Lead design positioning efforts from early predevelopment through launch, advising on unit mix, layouts, interior design direction, amenity programming, and overall product strategy
Evaluate and recommend architects, interior designers, and consultants aligned with project goals, market positioning, and budget considerations
Translate design intent and development objectives into compelling sales narratives and marketing direction in collaboration with Creative, Sales, and Marketing teams
Support the Model Residence Program portfolio-wide, engaging directly with Sales, Marketing, external design teams, and developer clients
Use internal databases and market benchmarks to assess unit-level metrics, efficiency, pricing implications, and amenity investment, translating analysis into actionable guidance
Serve as a primary design strategy contact for developer clients, presenting recommendations with confidence, clarity, and market-backed rationale
Structure and deliver polished client presentations that align design decisions with pricing, absorption, and brand objectives
Participate in new business pitches, reinforcing DEDM’s expertise in predevelopment advisory, product strategy, and market intelligence
Engage and manage vendor relationships related to furniture, décor, and strategic partnerships
Leverage proprietary market data, unit-level metrics, and cross-project insight to inform design standards, finishes, layouts, and amenity expectations
Monitor competitive and industry trends, translating observations into strategic guidance rather than purely aesthetic responses
Support ongoing development and maintenance of internal databases and design benchmarks used across the platform
Direct, delegate, and manage Planning & Design workflows across multiple concurrent projects
Collaborate closely with Sales leadership to interpret buyer and broker feedback and address design-related challenges
Support senior leadership initiatives that advance DEDM’s strategic positioning, processes, and thought leadership
Foster a culture that values rigor, accountability, and collaboration across creative and analytical workstreams