Sr. Design Manager - Chopt Creative Salad Company : Job Details

Our Culture

We have an AMAZING Culture! Our four core values lead and guide our behavior in the following ways:

• Be Generous – We incorporate the spirit of generosity into everything we do
• Innovate–We embrace change and look for new and better ways to execute and deliver
• Serve with Urgency – We pay attention and enthusiastically act when needed
• Better tastes Better – We hold ourselves to high standards and strive to continuously up our game in our food and actions.

About the Job

As the Sr. Design Manager, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our brand. You'll lead the design and execution of new store projects and remodels, ensuring they align with our brand standards and contribute to our successful growth. This dynamic role requires a strategic, analytical, and collaborative individual with a passion for design and a drive for excellence. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and are eager to contribute to the success of a growing company, we encourage you to apply.

What You Will Do As the Sr. Design Manager

• Lead Founders Table Store Design process by personally designing projects, managing AOR partners, and working with outside consultants as needed to achieve company goals.
• Lead projects from site assessment and preliminary layout to Design Development Sets. This includes generation of preliminary plans, elevations, and RCP's in AutoCAD and generation of 3D models in SketchUp or similar programs.
• Complete ownership of concept-level design direction.
• Coordinate with outside design firms on selecting projects to advance Founders Table's design initiatives and align prototype standards.
• Work with outside consultants on CD creation, plan review, permitting, construction administration, and punch.
• Lead Founders Table Design function to define operational standards, regional expansion strategies, in-store decor, and prototype updates.
• Assess new locations to ensure compatibility with the current store prototype working with AOR partners across the country regarding site assessments and flagging any potential issues prior to lease signing.
• Manage project financial returns by participating in budgeting of new projects, and value engineering initiatives at programmatic and site-specific levels. Collaborate and lead with Real Estate and Construction on new site development.
• Communicate effectively across all internal stakeholders including real estate, construction, procurement, and operations- as well as external consultants and AOR partners to ensure adherence with company goals. This includes weekly calls and written correspondence on project status.
• Problem solve to protect project pipeline goals and to accurately represent Founders Table's brand in all new stores based on current prototypes. Finding value engineering solutions to new stores without compromising the brand's execution.

What You Will Need to Succeed in This Position

• Exceptional skills in AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in architectural design.
• Degree in architecture, interior design, or any related field of study.
• Ability to prioritize work based on impact and urgency, to deliver on commitments and drive departmental initiatives and achieve results. Quickly escalates and identifies roadblocks when prioritization is unclear.
• Strong experience with construction documentation and shop drawing reviews for constructability. Experience with permitting and interacting with city reviewers to think creatively, resolve questions and obtain permits.
• Construction administration experience, managing multiple projects at once and coordinating with GC teams, landlords, and millwork/kitchen vendors.
• Strong oral, written and interpersonal communication skills- able to work with and through others to accomplish project work effectively.
• Collaborative by design. It is critical that this role be collaborative, as you will work daily with the internal design team, your regional development team, and company cross-functional stakeholders in operations, technology, culinary, and brand.
• Customer Obsessed mindset, realizing that our customer is twofold: our internal team members and operations stakeholders as well as our external customers who engage with the brand through our restaurant locations.
• Excellent presentation skills to solicit feedback and approvals.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in retail or hospitality design for a national brand.
• Graduate degree in architecture with path for licensure.
• In depth understanding of kitchen equipment and engineering requirements.
• Experience managing consultants and vendor relationships.

Salary: $110,000-$140,000 commensurate with experience

Other Perks

• Generous paid time off (PTO) in addition to the 12 bank holidays!
• Healthcare, including vision and dental
• Fully paid Maternity Leave
• 3 Weeks of Paid Bonding Time for fathers and adoptive parents
• Pre-tax Flexible Spending, Commuter and Dependent Care benefits
• Corporate wellness plan with ClassPass
• 100% company-paid Short Term and Long-Term Disability
• Accident and Critical Illness coverage
• Pet Insurance
• Subsidized identity theft coverage
• An engaging and supportive environment

Here at Founders Table (CHOPT and Dos Toros), we strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQA+, non-binary people, veterans, parents, and differently abled individuals to apply. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome everyone to our team.