Director of Interior Design
Founded in 1912, STV is a leading national infrastructure-focused professional services firm providing engineering, architectural, planning, environmental, program management, and construction management services. Ranked No. 32 on ENR's Top 500 Design Firms, STV brings 3,300+ professionals across 65+ offices to some of the most complex projects in the country. Learn more at stvinc.com.
STV's New York interior design practice is in an active growth phase — deepening its expertise across health and wellbeing, science and technology, workplace, aviation and transportation facilities, civic and public-sector, and higher education projects. We are looking for a design leader who wants to shape the direction, standards, and reputation of that practice, not just fill a seat on a project.
Your Opportunity
As Director of Interior Design, you will lead STV's interior design practice in New York — setting creative direction, holding the line on design quality and technical rigor from concept through construction completion, and building the team and standards that make that repeatable. Health and wellbeing is the practice's deepest and fastest-growing market, and you will bring senior credibility to that work while leading across a diverse portfolio. This role carries design leadership, delivery accountability, staff development, and a client-facing presence that contributes directly to how the practice grows.
Your Key Responsibilities
- Provide creative and technical leadership for STV's New York interior design practice — establishing design direction and quality expectations and carrying approved design intent from concept through construction completion.
- Lead interior design efforts across the full project lifecycle — programming, space planning, concept development, design development, construction documentation, bidding, construction administration, and closeout.
- Direct the preparation and review of complete, coordinated, and constructible interior design documents — drawings, schedules, details, specifications, and FF&E information — ensuring deliverables communicate the approved design intent, fulfill the contracted scope, and meet STV QA/QC standards.
- Lead health and wellbeing interior design work with senior technical command of the requirements that govern it — FGI Guidelines, ADA, life safety coordination, infection prevention design principles, and NYS DOH Article 28/36 licensing standards — and translate clinical workflows and evidence-based design principles into environments that support patient experience, staff performance, and long-term durability.
- Lead FF&E strategy, product research, material and furniture selection, finish schedules, specifications, and procurement coordination — with command of performance, durability, cleanability, and maintenance requirements across regulated and non-regulated environments.
- Lead coordination with architects, engineers, medical planners, consultants, manufacturers, vendors, and contractors — establishing quality reviews and ensuring coordination issues and review comments are resolved before issuance.
- Lead or provide senior oversight of bidding, construction administration, field observations, mock-up evaluations, and closeout — ensuring construction-phase decisions respond to contractual, cost, schedule, and constructability requirements while maintaining design intent.
- Lead project teams through clear work plans, responsibilities, deliverables, and review milestones — and work with project leadership to align scope, staffing, schedule, fee, and quality expectations and identify delivery risks early.
- Facilitate stakeholder engagement with executive leadership, clinical and operational leadership, facilities teams, and end users — converting complex operational and experiential input into clear interior design direction.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to clients and lead design workshops, presentations, and key project decisions — supporting practice growth through client relationship development, pursuit strategy, proposals, and interviews.
- Strengthen interior design standards, workflows, quality practices, Revit protocols, and lessons learned in collaboration with STV's architecture, engineering, technical, and BIM leadership.
- Develop staff through active mentorship, professional development, and career guidance — building the long-term depth of the practice while holding teams accountable for design quality and successful delivery.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Interior Design, Interior Architecture, or Architecture from an accredited program.
- Active NCIDQ certification — required.
- 15+ years of professional interior design experience, including substantial experience leading design teams and complex building projects through construction completion.
- Sustained senior-level experience leading health and wellbeing interior design, with demonstrated knowledge of FGI Guidelines, ADA, infection control design principles, and state DOH requirements as they apply to interior scope.
- Strong portfolio demonstrating design excellence, technical resolution, and successful constructed outcomes across more than one market sector.
- Demonstrated experience with FF&E strategy, finish selection, specifications writing, and procurement coordination.
- Strong knowledge of interior construction, detailing, material performance, furniture systems, accessibility, life safety, applicable building codes, and coordination with architectural and engineering systems.
- Proficiency with Revit and AutoCAD; familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite, SketchUp, and commonly used visualization and presentation tools.
- Strong oral, written, and visual communication skills, with the ability to present effectively to clients, user groups, project teams, vendors, contractors, and firm leadership.
- Demonstrated experience in client relationship management, proposals, interviews, and business development.
Preferred Qualifications
- AAHID certification, or active progress toward certification.
- EDAC, LEED AP, or WELL AP accreditation, or architectural licensure.
- Experience with New York City and New York State projects, including NYS DOH review and AHJ negotiation.
- Experience with academic medical centers, public-sector clients, or multi-site integrated systems.
- Experience with Lean planning, user group facilitation, mock-up planning, post-occupancy evaluation, or design research related to occupant outcomes and experience.
- Experience developing or improving interior design standards, documentation practices, quality-control processes, Revit workflows, or staff training programs.
- Experience representing a design practice through professional organizations, publications, speaking engagements, or industry involvement.
Professional Attributes
- Client-focused and collaborative, with the ability to listen carefully, build consensus, and convert complex stakeholder input into clear design direction.
- Design-minded and technically grounded — able to move fluidly between concept strategy and detailed execution across finish, FF&E, and specifications.
- Commercially aware, with an understanding of how strong design, reliable delivery, and informed market perspective contribute to client trust, repeat work, and STV's competitive positioning.
- Actively invested in the growth of designers at every level — sharing technical and design knowledge, modeling client-ready professional judgment, and building the long-term depth of the practice.
- Curious about the future of the built environment — committed to evidence-based design thinking, continuous improvement, and elevating the quality and consistency of STV's interior design offering.
Compensation Range:
$167,632.13 - $191,579.57
STV offers the following benefits • Health insurance, including an option with a Health Savings Account • Dental insurance • Vision insurance • Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care and Transit and Parking where applicable) • Disability insurance • Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment • 401(k) Plan • Retirement Counseling • Employee Assistance Program • Paid Time Off • Paid Holidays • Back-Up Dependent Care • Parental Leave • Continuing Education Program • Professional Licensure and Society Memberships
STV is committed to paying all of its employees in a fair, equitable, and transparent manner. The listed pay range is STV’s good-faith salary estimate for this position. Please note that the final salary offered for this position may be outside of this published range based on many factors, including but not limited to geography, education, experience, and/or certifications.
Not sure this role is the perfect match? We encourage you to apply if STV’s work and values resonate with you. We know great candidates don’t always meet every qualification, and research shows women and people of color are less likely to apply unless they do. At STV, we believe strong talent comes from a wide range of backgrounds, and your skills and experience may align with this or another opportunity as we continue to grow.
