Director of Interior Design

Position Summary

The Director of Interior Design is responsible for leading and advancing the interior design discipline across the Buildings Services Branch. This role combines creative leadership with technical excellence to ensure the successful delivery of integrated design solutions that reflect Bodwé’s mission, values, and client priorities.

This position is focused on elevating interior design practice across teams—upholding the highest standards of quality, innovation, and coordination. The Director works closely with architectural, engineering, and studio leadership to develop design standards, guide project execution, mentor staff, and promote a culture of creativity and accountability. The role supports workload balancing, talent development, and discipline integration to strengthen both design outcomes and team performance.

In addition to discipline leadership responsibilities, the Director of Interior Design also serves as a Senior Interior Designer on select projects. The expectation is that this individual exemplifies design excellence—modeling best practices, delivering high-impact design solutions, and setting the standard for interdisciplinary collaboration.

The Director contributes to strategic planning, business development pursuits, and industry engagement efforts to expand the firm’s design visibility and deepen the impact of interior environments across all sectors served.

Accommodation Requests

We are committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, contact our HR Director (April Hawkins) at 269-927-0144 or careers@bodwegroup.com

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The following inexhaustive list of duties represents a sample of work routinely performed by this role: 

Discipline Leadership

• Establish and communicate a clear vision and standards for the interior design discipline.
• Represent interior design in firmwide leadership meetings, pursuits, and strategic initiatives.
• Lead the integration of interiors within a multi-disciplinary project delivery model.
• Maintain a high level of design quality and innovation across all projects.

 Design Oversight

• Provide leadership across all design phases, from programming and concept to construction administration.
• Ensure alignment of interior environments with architectural intent and client goals.
• Develop and oversee quality control processes for interior design deliverables, including finish palettes and Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment (FF&E) packages.
• Collaborate with architecture, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) disciplines to ensure cohesive, technically sound solutions.

 Process + Standards Development

• Lead the creation and refinement of discipline-wide standards, documentation protocols, and workflows.
• Promote the use of design technologies and tools to enhance project efficiency and creativity.
• Ensure compliance with building codes, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), universal and sustainable design best practices.

Mentorship + Development

• Inspire, guide, and grow a team of junior and senior interior designers.
• Provide regular performance feedback and professional development planning.
• Oversee hiring, onboarding, and resource allocation for the interior design discipline.

 Client + Project Engagement

• Lead client engagement efforts including programming workshops, design charrettes, and presentations.
• Monitor client satisfaction throughout the life of projects.
• Support business development by contributing to proposals, interviews, and relationship management.
• Serve as a client leader and/or project manager on interior-focused projects, ensuring alignment between design vision, client priorities, and project execution.

 Industry + Professional Involvement

• Promote a culture of continuous learning through rep updates, industry events, and credentialing support (e.g., National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) study groups).
• Represent the firm at conferences and industry organizations to strengthen visibility and leadership.

Qualifications and Experience

Education + Degree

• Required: Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from a Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) accredited institution

 Experience, Certification, or Licensure

• NCIDQ certification required.
• 12+ years of experience in interior design with increasing leadership responsibility.
• Proven experience in managing complex projects across sectors and in leading project teams.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating design excellence and integration.
• Must have Real ID or Passport in order to undergo commercial airfare travel   
• Must have valid driver's license   

 Technical + Professional Skills

• Proficiency in Revit, SketchUp, Bluebeam, and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Familiarity with SpecLink or similar specification writing platforms.
• Capability and familiarity with interior specification writing and in-depth product research is critical—this area is a key focus for staff mentorship and professional growth.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Demonstrated leadership in mentoring and developing staff.
• High-level problem-solving and critical thinking abilities.
• Familiarity with FF&E specifications and procurement practices.
• Understanding of sustainability and wellness standards (e.g., WELL, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)).

Work Environment

This is a hybrid position with periodic travel (≤ 10%) to client sites, team offices, or industry events.

This position primarily operates in a professional office setting with standard office equipment and a quiet, climate-controlled environment. While in the office, there is no regular exposure to loud noise, hazardous materials, or heavy machinery.

This role also requires periodic travel to project sites, including locations undergoing renovation or active construction. During site visits, the employee may be exposed to non-temperature-controlled environments, construction noise, dust, and other typical conditions found on job sites. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required during these visits, depending on site conditions. While on site visits, an individual in this role will be required to work atypical hours at the request of the client or role demands.

Physical Demands

Sitting/Standing: This is not a sedentary role. This role requires the ability to be on your feet moving around a construction site for most of the day interacting with contractors, contractor representatives, and inspecting the construction work that is being performed.

Walking: This role requires the ability to move about outside in various geographic and building terrains to access a construction site to provide quality assurance services.

Stooping/Kneeling/Crouching/Crawling: This role requires stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, and ladder climbing to inspect all aspects of building construction to foundations, crawlspaces, and roofs.

Using Hands/Fingers: This role constantly operates technological office equipment such as laptop, mouse, keyboard, computer monitors, telephones, and scanners, copiers, and fax machines.

Talking/Hearing: This role requires constant communication with others in the organization to exchange information, review information, and make decisions about information.

Seeing: This role requires the ability to see, view, and distinguish all aspects of construction to ensure quality control.

Carrying/Lifting: This role requires lifting up to 30 lbs to transport technological office equipment, safety equipment, and other needed construction items to and from various workspaces. 

Equal Employment Opportunity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Native American Hiring Preference

Our parent company, Mno-Bmadsen, prefers to hire Pokagon citizens who are qualified and suitable for available positions. For purposes of this section, “qualified” means that the applicant meets the technical and experiential needs for employment; and “suitable” means that the candidate appears to be the best fit considering present circumstances and conditions. Targeted preference is in the following order:

• First, to qualified Pokagon Band citizens; and
• Second, to qualified spouses and qualified custodial parents; and
• Third, to other qualified Native Americans; and
• Fourth, to all other qualified applicants

Any determinations as to the applicability of the Pokagon hiring preference are at the discretion of each Company President.