Space Planning/Interior Design Lead

Sheladia Associates•Washington, DC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position is contingent upon IDIQ contract award and subsequent task-order award(s) and requirements. It is intended to support SHELADIA's pursuit of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), 2026 Worldwide A/E Support Services IDIQ. Employment, assignments, travel, and project responsibilities will be based on the awarded contract and applicable task orders. The program may support planning, design, construction, facility rehabilitation, system replacement, security upgrades, communications facilities, and building maintenance at Foreign Service posts worldwide and OBO offices in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Services may include professional support services, constructability reviews, critical-path schedule and risk analyses, and project-budget analyses. The Space Planning/Interior Design Lead will direct programming, workplace planning, interior modernization, and facility-upgrade assignments, creating functional, secure, flexible, accessible, and mission-responsive environments for diplomatic personnel and operations.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in interior design, architecture, space planning, or a closely related field.
Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in space planning, programming, interior design, workplace strategy, or related services.
NCIDQ certification, architectural registration, or another professional credential appropriate to the discipline.
Demonstrated experience leading complex programming, space-planning, and interior-modernization assignments.
Strong knowledge of accessibility, life-safety, workplace, furniture, finish, signage, and wayfinding requirements.
Experience coordinating multidisciplinary design, engineering, security, technology, and furniture requirements.
Proficiency with Revit, AutoCAD, BIM, space-management, visualization, and presentation tools.
Strong leadership, communication, stakeholder-management, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to exercise sound professional judgment in operationally sensitive, diplomatically complex, or high-security environments.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government personnel security clearance when required by the assigned work.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in interior design, architecture, or a related field.
Experience with diplomatic, federal, defense, institutional, workplace, mission-critical, or high-security facilities.
Experience supporting phased renovations in active and occupied international facilities.
LEED AP, WELL AP, EDAC, or comparable sustainability, wellness, or evidence-based design credential.
Experience coordinating U.S. standards with host-country laws, codes, authorities, materials, and construction practices.

Responsibilities

Lead space programming, utilization studies, workplace planning, blocking and stacking, test fits, and interior-design assignments.
Translate mission, staffing, workflow, security, accessibility, technology, and furniture requirements into coordinated space solutions.
Develop interior concepts, finish standards, furniture requirements, signage, wayfinding, and implementation plans.
Assess existing spaces and develop modernization, reconfiguration, consolidation, swing-space, and phased-occupancy strategies.
Coordinate architectural, structural, MEP, fire protection, IT, acoustical, technical-security, and furniture requirements.
Support occupied-facility renovations while maintaining mission continuity, life safety, security, and ongoing operations.
Facilitate stakeholder workshops and interviews with OBO clients, facility managers, security personnel, and end users.
Prepare and review plans, specifications, reports, presentations, cost inputs, schedules, furniture packages, and scopes of work.
Apply U.S. Government requirements while addressing host-country codes, materials, procurement constraints, and construction practices.
Provide quality-control reviews, mentor design staff, and support proposals, interviews, and client presentations.
Perform other duties as assigned.