Director, Design Management

Live Your Passion. Add Your Magic.

At Montage International, we are doing something different, something exciting and it takes passionate people to bring our vision to life. We have built a culture that leads with the important notion we live by every day; do what you love. If this resonates with you, we look forward to receiving your application.

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Position Summary

The Director, Design Management will play an integral part in supporting Montage International in bringing Montage and Pendry Hotels & Resorts’ design concepts to life. The role will report to the Vice President, Design Management, supporting interior design and product and procurement deliverables for Montage International’s hotel and residential assets, both new and operating. This person will also support various functions within the Development Services department, including: the Senior Director, Capital Planning, Vice Presidents of Development Services, Vice President, Architecture and Design, as well as design / product development needs of the Food & Beverage, Spa, Retail, IT, Compass Sports, Residential and Purchasing teams.

Essential Functions

Documentation Review / Preparation:

Assist the project design leads in analyzing architectural and design issues for select Montage and Pendry projects to ensure adherence to brand guidelines. Manage documentation reviews for architectural and interior design submittals between Schematic Design through conclusion of Design Development, capturing collective team comments, and facilitating all required internal reviews and approvals, including communication back to Owner / Consultant teams. Lead review of FF&E specifications and related shop drawings, as well as attending prototype reviews, and preparation of FF&E review notes. Support Development Services colleagues with documentation review during Construction Documentation / Administration phases, as well as RFIs as required. Participate in regular project design status calls and capture collective team comments as required for Operator and Ownership review/record. Attend Model Rooms and prototypes reviews, supporting consolidating / distribution of comments as required, both of IA and FF&E commodities. Track and capture updates / changes to all sections of Brand Guidelines. Track and capture updates / changes to Area Programs for new developments at each stage of the design process to monitor major deviations. Track, and facilitate review / approval of all residential owner IA and FF&E change requests. Lead preparation of design direction documents for interior designer or Ownership use (i.e. art, signage, lighting, overall design narrative documents for new developments and renovations). When required for existing capex projects, provide in-house design services for select projects(when a third party designer is not able to be engaged), including development of design narrative, documentation (material, vendor, specification information) for purchasing, and management of submittal review process, product fabrication and installation supervision. Maintain and encourage open and trusted lines of communication to ensure efficient, complete, and consistent flow of information to create strong internal and external alignment.

Product Research and Development:

Support building Montage International’s design materials library, including identification of new vendors, soliciting introductions and sample submissions, sharing of trends internally, and maintenance of relationships with vendors and any applicable corporate terms and conditions for FF&E procurement. Lead database creation for estimation of directional FF&E / construction costs for new development budget estimations, and capital planning efforts for existing hotel renovation needs. Manage consolidation of actual FF&E / construction costs spends from Ownership groups on Montage International properties to-date. As required, support design team and other Home Office and Operations departments on product / design research projects and presentations. Attend trade shows as required to build relationships with vendors and identify product material opportunities. Ad-hoc research support for Home Office design team in sourcing viable IA / FF&E materials for new and existing properties.

Vendor / Consultant Management:

Supervise the writing of design-related RFPs for distribution to prospective consultants for new developments and existing properties’ renovation needs. Support design outreach in gauging interest / capabilities of prospective consultants. Facilitate internal review of RFP submissions through creation of leveling sheet for Operator and Ownership review. Supervise the maintenance of the consultant library, including identified contact for all consultants used on existing and new developments, capturing fees / inclusions / exclusions and overall experience / Operator recommendations for re-use. Research / build-out consultant library via research of and interviewing potential consultants (designers, architects, lighting designers etc). Support maintenance of preferred FF&E / IA material / fabricator / procurement agent library, including production location, contact, relevant projects and assessment of overall performance.

Pre and Post Opening Site Support:

Support existing properties on one-off design requests, including sourcing materials / solutions, securing quotes and expediting the procurement / install process, including facilitation of internal reviews/approvals. Support Development Services with site support needs related to new hotel openings and capital planning efforts, including, but not limited to: interior architecture punch for guestrooms, public areas, and Back of House, furniture and accessories procurement and placement, local product research/sourcing/install, and any punch-related / rectification follow-up with vendors. Support design team in assessing new properties’ product modification requests during the pre-opening process, including documenting collective requests in to one consolidated Property Positioning Plan. Monitor and expedite the execution / completion of the Plan’s requested product updates, and facilitate internal review / approvals (with Operations, Executive, and Ownership teams) as required.

Education & Experience

Associate degree or higher from an accredited college or university in Architecture, Interior Design, Business Administration, Product Design, Hospitality Management, or related field required. Experience in managing multiple projects simultaneously in a complex, service intensive, deadline driven environment. 10+ years of relevant work experience required. Experience in hospitality, residential, retail, design and real estate preferred.

Required Skills/Abilities

Ability to work independently and self-motivated. Proven ability to read full drawings sets and specifications produced by Architects, interior Designers, and other design team disciplines, including coordination / interdependencies between all design functions. Strong organizational and time management skills, thriving in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment where multiple projects and deadlines coexist. Interest and experience in design trends, luxury hospitality / residential design and product sourcing requirements relevant to the field. Meticulous attention to detail, with an eye for luxury product, and an ability to value engineer without compromising design intent or quality. Aptitude and desire to learn new technologies as required, including online project management software. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to manage, prioritize, and successfully execute multiple cross-functional projects concurrently with minimal supervision. Collaborative, with skillful ability to position and secure senior level buy-in across various functions. As required, travel for site support, which may include evening and weekend work, to be evaluated on a case-by-case / project need basis. Proficient in Microsoft Office applications and design programs, including Bluebeam, Revit, and CAD. Ability to travel 25-40% or more depending on location and intensity of projects, with a dedicated presence in the Corporate Office in Irvine, CA. Perform other duties as assigned or designated in the roles and responsibilities matrix. Ability to travel 25%.

Physical Requirements

Most work tasks are performed indoors. Must be able to sit at a desk for up to 5 hours per day. Walking and standing are required the rest of the working day. This may include traveling to and from meetings, as well as travel to properties for on-site installation support as required.

The pay scale for Director, Design Management is $120,00.00 to $150,000.00. The pay scale is the base salary, exclusive of incentive pay such as commissions, piece rates, gratuities, and the like, that Montage reasonably expects to pay for the position. Please let us know if you have any questions.

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