Senior Design Director

JLL•Chicago, IL

7d•$140,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

JLL Design seeks an accomplished Senior Design Director to lead creative and strategic excellence across our North American interiors practice. This senior leadership role unites workplace strategy with hands-on design expertise to deliver transformative environments that advance client performance, strengthen our practice, and shape how leading organizations work. This position requires a seasoned design professional with deep workplace expertise who can balance bold creative vision with pragmatic execution. You'll set creative and strategic direction while ensuring delivery excellence across multiple projects and teams. As a client-facing leader, you'll translate business objectives into compelling spatial solutions, mentor design teams, and maintain accountability for design quality and performance across all deliverables. You'll also be a part of building our workplace strategy and advisory dimension in the Americas, bringing data and research together to help clients make confident decisions about how and where their people work. Active participation in business development and practice growth is essential to this role. You'll inspire teams and clients through strategic thinking and design excellence, partnering closely with business development, project management, and technical disciplines to ensure alignment with client objectives and business goals.

Requirements

15+ years’ experience working on commercial Interior Design with significant focus on workplace environments through design and consultancy.
Bachelor's or master’s degree in interior design, Interior Architecture, or Architecture from an accredited program.
NCIDQ certification required.
Expert-level proficiency in space planning, programming, and workplace strategy principles.
Advanced knowledge of building systems, construction methods, and materials applications.
Comprehensive understanding of accessibility codes and life safety requirements.
Proficiency with design software including Revit, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, and visualization tools.
Familiarity with workplace data analytics platforms and occupancy planning tools.
Exceptional leadership presence with ability to inspire teams and influence senior stakeholders.
Strong project management skills including budgeting and scheduling.
Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously while maintaining design quality and meeting deadlines.
Experience mentoring junior staff and building high-performing teams.
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills with ability to articulate complex design concepts to diverse audiences.
Polished presentation skills with experience presenting to C-suite executives and large groups.
Strong facilitation and consensus-building capabilities.
Ability to prepare compelling design narratives and documentation.
Understanding of commercial real estate fundamentals, workplace economics, and client business drivers.
Awareness of competitive landscape and market trends affecting workplace design sector.
Entrepreneurial attitude - must be self-motivated and self-managed and can multi-task and organize several projects at a given time.
Able to meet concurrent deadlines, sometimes under pressure and tight deadlines.
Seeks out and responds well to feedback and direction from others.
Ability to work both independently and within the fabric of a design team.
Team player, culture-builder.
Proven experience leading workplace strategy, consulting, or advisory engagements, translating business goals, work patterns, and occupancy data into actionable workplace recommendations.
Demonstrated success setting strategic direction across a regional or national practice, including portfolio-level and multi-account programs.
Experience contributing to business growth, including go-to-market strategy, leading pursuits, and supporting practice financial performance across North America.
Fluency in change management, workplace research, and post-occupancy evaluation to connect design decisions to measurable business and employee outcomes.
Strong command of workplace data and analytics, using utilization, occupancy, and experience metrics to guide strategy and demonstrate value.
Track record building, integrating, and leading multidisciplinary design and strategy teams across multiple locations.
Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

LEED AP, WELL AP, or Fitwel Ambassador credentials strongly preferred.
Demonstrated portfolio of completed workplace projects showcasing design leadership on projects of varying scale and complexity.
Proven track record leading design for Fortune 500 companies, corporate headquarters, or similar high-profile workplace projects.
Established industry relationships and professional network.

Responsibilities

Develop and articulate design vision and strategy for complex workplace interior projects.
Lead design charrettes and visioning sessions with senior client stakeholders, establishing design direction.
Champion design excellence across project portfolios while ensuring consistency with firm standards and methodologies.
Direct all phases of design development from concept through construction documentation, maintaining design integrity throughout project lifecycle.
Review, approve, and/or lead design deliverables including space plans, design documentation and visualization, finish selections, client presentations, and detail documentation.
Coordinate with technical disciplines including MEP, structural, acoustics, and technology to ensure integrated, holistic design solutions.
Conduct design quality reviews and mentor project teams to elevate design standards.
Serve as primary design contact for key client accounts, building trusted advisor relationships with C-suite executives, real estate leaders, and workplace strategists.
Lead client presentations communicating design concepts, rationale, and value proposition with clarity and conviction.
Navigate complex stakeholder environments, facilitating consensus among diverse groups while managing expectations and maintaining design vision.
Provide regular coaching, feedback, and professional development opportunities to strengthen team capabilities.
Co-lead workplace strategy agenda for the North American practice, aligning design direction with evolving ways of working, real estate goals, and workplace trends.
Lead strategic advisory engagements, including workplace visioning, work pattern analysis, and occupancy planning, that connect client business objectives to design outcomes.
Grow the design and strategy practice across North America, contributing to revenue targets, pursuit strategy, and integrated service offerings.
Partner with leadership to develop tools, methodologies, and thought leadership that strengthen JLL Design's strategic capability and market position.
Use workplace data, research, and post-occupancy insight to inform decisions and demonstrate measurable value to clients.