The Senior Design Manager is part of the store development team, primarily responsible for the creative output and design execution of the Los Angeles-based design studio while working with counterparts throughout the extended store development team including Real Estate, Construction, and Facilities Management. This position will report to the VP of Design with the expectation that the leader will set a high bar for talent and lead the design team to deliver thoughtful design solutions that elevate the brand while accommodating business considerations, functional goals within Sweetgreen’s typically aggressive timelines.

Core Responsibilities:

• Lead and inspire the team to create high quality design solutions that align with current design strategies and Sweetgreen’s design and brand standards.
• Build a strong creative design studio culture that encourages open discourse, collaboration and critical thinking. Bring a passion for all things design that includes an understanding of history, current trends in design, furniture, fashion, etc. as well as technical understanding and experience with detailing of materials and finishes common in the industry.
• Continuously set a high bar for design talent, understand and clearly articulate expectations to project team and provide effective and timely direction and feedback on performance and project work.
• Provide clear, effective and timely communication of design direction to designers and consultants and, as needed, identify issues/conflicts and propose design solutions to resolve outstanding concerns.
• Challenge and inspire teams and provide timely coaching, feedback, leadership support and developmental opportunities in order to achieve design and business results. Leverage on-the-boards experience to provide focused creative direction and feedback that consistently drives and elevates design. Effectively address talent gaps and troubleshoot when needed.
• Directly responsible for the functional layout, schematic design, and furniture/material/finish palettes for all new and remodeled restaurants, and other brands/concepts as may be identified over time.
• Responsible for the review and approval of all restaurant designs, including new and renovation projects. Lead open-forum style design reviews as well as offline review of all projects as needed to keep projects on schedule, and elevate the design output of the design studios by providing timely and focused design direction, coaching and guidance to the design teams.
• Responsible for the quality, execution and timely deliverable of layout and concept packages and construction drawings. Lead team in the management and oversight of outside Architecture firms and ensure that construction documents are delivered on time, are accurate and meet or exceed Sweetgreen drawing standards.
• Support the cross-functional goals (operations, ops services, real estate, construction) to ensure that the design studios:
• Collaborate with the broader store development team to meet internal project timelines and construction budgets, hit annual new store and remodel project counts and achieve sales weeks’ goals.
• Responsible for the quality, execution and timely deliverable of design development and construction drawings by Sweetgreen’s outside Architectural firms. Ensure all scope of work, design intent and federal, state and municipality code requirements are met on drawings.
• Develop annual operating plan, budget, and regular forecast updates as required. Monitor and report on studio design performance, progress towards annual goals, and collaborate with real estate and construction to report on variances in store costs and store count forecasts relative to store development strategic plans.

About You:

• Strong experience with construction documentation, QA, technical standards and implementation programs, relevant professional building codes, health codes, permitting requirements, and shop drawing reviews for constructability.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills, highly organized and detail oriented.
• Self-starter with ability to work both independently and in a team environment, and to foster teamwork among diverse groups and disciplines.
• Strong work ethic and professional attitude with ability to thrive in a fluid, fast-moving, high pressure and constantly changing business environment.
• Ability to manage multiple project timelines and schedules simultaneously and work with little supervision to produce high quality work on strict timelines.
• Capable in 2D/3D visualization (hand sketching/CAD programs, etc.) with specific proficiency in Acad (Revit), Sketchup, Adobe Creative Studio as well as Excel, Powerpoint or equivalent.
• 10-25% travel, depending on business needs

Preferred Qualifications:

• 7+ years of broad experience, including design, detailing and preparation of construction documents, in high end single-family Residential, Restaurant/Hospitality and Retail preferred.
• 5+ years in restaurant space with an in-depth understanding of kitchen equipment, operational design, and engineering requirements.
• 5+ years management of outside architectural, MEP and/or other design consultants.
• 4 yr degree in Architecture, Interior Architecture, Product Design or related field of study

What you'll get:

• Highly competitive pay + bonus plan
• Three different medical plans to suit your and your family's needs
• Dental and Vision insurance
• Flexible PTO plan
• 401k program
• Employee HSA and FSA
• Complimentary greens
• An opportunity to make a real impact on the people around you, both by growing them and by connecting them to real food
• To live the sweetlife and celebrate your passion + purpose
• A collaborative team of people who live our core values and have your back
• A clear career path with opportunities for development, both personally and professionally
• Free sweetgreen swag

Come join the sweetlife!

About sweetgreen

sweetgreen is on a mission to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food. We passionately believe that real food should be convenient and accessible to everyone. Every day in each sweetgreen, our 3,500 team members make food from scratch, using fresh ingredients and produce delivered that morning. And in our local communities, we’re committed to leaving people better than we found them. We’re in the business of feeding people, and we’re out to change what that means.

sweetgreen provides equal opportunities for everyone that works for us and everyone that applies to join our team, without regard to sex or gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, any service, past, present, or future, in the uniformed services of the United States (military or veteran status), or any other consideration protected by federal, state, or local law.

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