Senior Designer, Interiors - Retail

Why join us?

Our purpose is to design for the good of humankind. It's the ideal we strive toward each day in everything we do. Being a part of MillerKnoll means being a part of something larger than your work team, or even your brand. We are redefining modern for the 21st century. And our success allows MillerKnoll to support causes that align with our values, so we can build a more sustainable, equitable, and beautiful future for everyone.

GENERAL PURPOSE

The Senior Designer, Interiors (Retail) is responsible for designing branded environments that deliver world class experiences for all MillerKnoll businesses and brands, including Design Within Reach and Herman Miller stores. The Senior Designer helps to realize the design strategy and creative development with Design Directors and Senior Managers, and visually and verbally communicate those strategies to internal stakeholders. This individual will lead multiple projects simultaneously from concept to completion with direction from creative leadership that consider brand narrative, client experience, interior design, exhibit design, messaging, branding, product, materials, lighting, and styling. This individual must cultivate a deep understanding of MillerKnoll brands, products, and applications while bringing an awareness of contemporary and historical design, retail and interior trends, and sustainability principles. The Senior Designer collaborates with Visual Merchandising, Construction Project Managers, other internal teams, as well as external design consultants and vendors as required by project.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Reports to the Creative Lead of Store Design.

• Leads concept development and design execution for MillerKnoll retail environments, including DWR and Herman Miller stores, shop-in-shops, pop-ups, and brand exhibitions.

• Develops spatial narratives and branded experiences that align with retail strategy, merchandising goals, and brand identity.

• Produces design documentation from concept through schematic design, including sketches, plans, renderings, and FF&E specifications.

• Collaborates with Visual Merchandising, Marketing, and Product teams to ensure cohesive storytelling, effective product presentation, and alignment with campaign or launch goals.

• Partners with Real Estate and Construction teams to adapt designs for specific sites, manage buildouts, and ensure code compliance without compromising design intent.

• Oversees development and prototyping of retail-specific elements, including fixtures, lighting, finishes, millwork, and signage systems.

• Coordinates with external consultants, architects, and vendors to maintain design quality and meet project milestones.

• Manages multiple retail design projects simultaneously, balancing timelines, budgets, and execution quality.

• Maintains and evolves design standards and brand guidelines across the MillerKnoll retail portfolio.

• Conducts customer journey mapping and integrates user insights, retail trends, and sustainability best practices to enhance the in-store experience.

• Mentors junior designers, supports studio collaboration, and contributes to a culture of innovation and design excellence.

• Utilizes digital tools such as Sketchup, Rhino, Revit, Adobe Creative Suite, and Enscape to develop and communicate design intent.

• Prepares technical documentation and partners with Project Management to ensure alignment on materials, schedules, budgets, and implementation.

• Represents the design team in internal and external meetings, presenting work clearly and aligning objectives across disciplines.

• Supports ongoing research into new materials, technologies, and retail innovations to keep MillerKnoll retail environments forward-thinking and competitive.

• Other duties as assigned to meet business objectives.

QUALIFICATIONS

Successful candidates should be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience

• Bachelor's degree in architecture, interior design, art or related discipline; OR equivalent combination of education and operational experience.

• 7+ years of experience in production and/or installations management positions with progressively increasing responsibilities and complexity.

• Background in retail interiors: design, fabrication, execution management.

• Proven ability with design and development of fixtures, millwork, and interior details.

• Experience managing multiple brands needs and goals through the production process.

Skills and Abilities

• Deep knowledge of retail environments, store planning, and branded spatial experiences across diverse scales and locations.

• Demonstrated creative aesthetic aligned with the diverse brands within the MillerKnoll collective.

• Experience designing with sustainable practices and an understanding of universal design, accessibility, and applicable building codes.

• Expertise in developing product-forward spatial concepts, fixture strategies, and merchandising solutions that enhance customer engagement and sales performance.

• Ability to conceptualize and document MillerKnoll product solutions through 2D and 3D visualization techniques.

• Strong understanding of architectural drawings and CAD and SKP software.

• Highly proficient in design and visualization tools including SketchUp, Enscape, AutoCAD, BIM platforms, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, and related software.

• Proven ability to manage multiple projects from concept to completion, delivering on time, within budget, and to a high standard.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize team goals and manage client-specific challenges across distributed teams.

• Financially literate with solid business acumen and strategic thinking.

• Excellent verbal, written, and visual communication skills for engaging clients, internal teams, and firm leadership.

• Skilled in client-facing engagements and stakeholder conversations, representing MillerKnoll professionally and confidently.

• Passion for working collaboratively across disciplines in a team-driven environment.

• Self-directed with the initiative to develop work plans, set goals, and execute results independently.

• Assertive and proactive work style with adaptability in dynamic project contexts.

• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 30% for site visits, installations, and team meetings.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Must be able to perform all essential functions of the position with or without accommodations.

Who We Hire?

Simply put, we hire qualified applicants representing a wide range of backgrounds and abilities. MillerKnoll is comprised of people of all abilities, gender identities and expressions, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, veterans from every branch of military service, and more. Here, you can bring your whole self to work. We're committed to equal opportunity employment, including veterans and people with disabilities.

MillerKnoll complies with applicable disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact MillerKnoll Talent Acquisition at careers_help@millerknoll.com.