Senior Manager, Design

Bridgestone Americas•Nashville, TN

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Design provides strategic leadership and oversight of architectural design, engineering coordination, and design standards across the Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO) portfolio. The role leads design support for new store development, remodels, expansions, acquisitions, conversions, and other portfolio initiatives, ensuring projects meet operational requirements, brand standards, financial objectives, and growth targets. The Senior Manager establishes and maintains scalable design standards, prototypes, and processes for consistent, cost-effective execution across a growing national retail portfolio. The role works with Real Estate Development, Construction, Facilities, Store Operations, Marketing, Environmental Health and Safety, and external architects, engineers, developers, and consultants to balance speed to market, constructability, operational performance, customer experience, and long-term asset value.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Architecture.
At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in architecture, retail design, real estate development, or a related field, including leadership of design programs, teams, and external consultants.
Comprehensive knowledge of architectural design, site planning, engineering disciplines, construction practices, building codes, permitting processes, and jurisdictional requirements.
Experience developing and managing prototype designs, design standards, specifications, and scalable design programs, including understanding of value engineering, lifecycle costs, and design impacts on construction costs and operating performance.
Ability to identify design, technical, and development risks and develop practical, cost-effective solutions while managing multiple complex projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Leadership and stakeholder management skills, including managing and developing teams, architects, engineers, consultants, and external service providers, and influencing senior leaders and cross-functional partners.
Strong communication, collaboration, negotiation, and presentation skills.
Proficiency with relevant design and project management platforms such as AutoCAD, Revit, Bluebeam, Microsoft Project, and Microsoft Office.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Architecture or a related discipline.
Professional architectural licensure.
Experience leading high-volume design and development programs involving new construction, remodels, conversions, and complex site-specific projects.
Experience supporting a large-scale, multi-unit retail, restaurant, automotive, or similarly distributed portfolio.
Experience with enterprise real estate or construction management systems.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for BSRO’s architectural design and engineering functions, setting priorities, expectations, and accountability while developing a high-performing design organization.
Lead architectural and engineering design activities across new stores, relocations, remodels, expansions, acquisitions, and conversions, from due diligence through construction document completion and turnover to Construction.
Develop, maintain, and improve prototype designs, design criteria, technical standards, specifications, and approved materials, balancing brand consistency, operational and jurisdictional requirements, project economics, and site-specific needs.
Lead architectural due diligence and technical evaluation during real estate development, identifying site, building, code, utility, entitlement, and constructability risks and defining design requirements, scopes of work, and development obligations.
Direct development, coordination, and technical review of architectural and engineering deliverables to ensure documents are complete, accurate, constructible, and compliant with BSRO standards, codes, and permitting requirements.
Drive design standardization, value engineering, and innovation to reduce project costs and timelines and improve constructability, sustainability, energy efficiency, maintainability, and lifecycle performance while preserving safety, quality, brand, and customer experience.
Develop and manage the network of architects, engineers, and specialty consultants, including selection, scopes of work, contract negotiations, capacity planning, performance management, and delivery KPIs.
Partner with Construction, Facilities, and Store Operations during execution to support design-to-construction turnover, resolve design and field issues, and incorporate operational and maintenance lessons into future standards and prototypes.
Advise Real Estate, Construction, and BSRO leadership on design matters and oversee design-related budgets and professional services while fostering collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.