Design Solutions Manager

You're the person who can take someone else's vision for how a space should feel and make it real - down to the manufacturer, the finish, and the number that has to work for the business, too. You'd rather own a design solution start to finish than hand off a concept and walk away, and you know how to direct another designer's work without needing the word ‘manager’ in front of your title to do it. If holding design intent and gross margin in the same hand sounds like the job you've been doing informally for years, keep reading. This is what it looks like to lead design at Kay-Twelve.
Qualifications (Who)
This is a licensed interior designer or architect who personally leads Kay-Twelve's design production work, translating the vision and guiding principles established in Collaborate into a design solution that is educationally sound, on-brand for our Radically Student Centered (RSC) approach, financially viable, and buildable. He or she has strong client-facing presentation and communication skills and a strong understanding of interior design processes, furniture specification, and construction documentation.
He or she is briefed by the Project Manager at the Collaborate → Design handoff and owns the design solution from that point forward: confirming manufacturer fit, setting gross profit expectations to hit Kay-Twelve's target average, and directing the Design Production Specialist's day-to-day production work - comfortably, without needing formal HR supervisory authority to do it. This person has the financial acumen to hold a margin target while protecting design intent, and working knowledge of 100+ furniture manufacturers and current K-12 product trends.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail come naturally to this person, who keeps the PM informed at each stage-end deliverable and protects both design integrity and project margin. Above all, this person lives Kay-Twelve's core values - Be the Change, You Belong Here, Listen. Care. Follow-Through, and LFG! - and maintains consistent, positive communication with the PM and Design Production Specialist across every project in production.
Responsibilities (What)
The Design Solutions Manager's responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Scorecard KPI: GP Goal Alignment — confirm manufacturer fit and budget alignment before every purchase order, and set gross profit percentage to hit Kay-Twelve's 35% average target on every project.
1. Personally lead production work, translating Collaborate-stage vision and guiding principles into design intent, spatial strategy, and furniture layouts, owning the product and manufacturer decisions needed to hit Kay-Twelve's gross profit target within the budget the PM has established.
2. Develop conceptual design solutions, 2D drawings, 3D renderings, and furniture specifications for client presentation.
3. Ensure alignment between educational outcomes and physical environment decisions.
4. Apply knowledge of ADA, life safety, fire, and electrical codes to every design solution.
5. Direct the Design Production Specialist's day-to-day production work, reviewing output for accuracy and design integrity, and resolving day-to-day production or design questions directly — looping in the PM only when a conflict is client-driven or would affect a vision, scope, or budget commitment made at Collaborate.
6. Confirm manufacturer fit for every specified item, balancing design intent, lead time, and cost.
7. Set gross profit percentage on each project to hit Kay-Twelve's average target within the budget the PM has established with the client, and monitor it through the design and specification process.
8. Partner with procurement/vendors to ensure accurate sourcing of specified items.
9. Approve substitutions while protecting design integrity and budget alignment, holding final authority on margin-versus-design-intent trade-offs — escalating to the PM only when a trade-off is driven by a client request or would affect a vision, scope, or budget commitment made at Collaborate.
10. Receive the Collaborate → Design handoff briefing from the PM, confirm understanding of vision, scope, and success criteria, and translate it into day-to-day production direction for the Design Production Specialist.
11. Prepare and present design proposals to the PM/client, including visual presentations and sample selections, while the PM remains the client's point of contact for any resulting commitments, schedule, or budget impact.
12. Keep the PM informed at each stage-end deliverable and flag risks to design intent, schedule, or budget early, without ceding decision authority on trade-offs that remain the Design Solutions Manager's to make.
What Success Looks Like:
• The design solution reflects the vision and guiding principles set in Collaborate.
• Gross profit target is met or exceeded.
• Specifications and manufacturer selections are accurate before PO issuance.
• The PM has no surprises at stage-end review.
• The client experience is unmatched and revisions are kept to a minimum (target 1 or less).
Specifications (Ticket)
These responsibilities must be performed daily, and may evolve as this seat is filled and the role matures; employees are expected to take on other job-related duties as assigned.
Required
• A bachelor's degree in Interior Design or Architecture
• Professional licensure or certification (e.g., licensed Interior Architect, NCIDQ, or equivalent)
• Five or more years of experience in interior design, with K-12 or educational-facility experience strongly preferred
• Proficiency in AutoCAD, Revit, or CET, and Microsoft Suite
• Familiarity with local building codes, ADA, life safety, fire, and electrical regulations
• Working knowledge of 100+ furniture manufacturers and current K-12 product trends
• Ability to sit, stand, and use hands for extended periods in a studio/office setting, with occasional travel to client sites for programming meetings, presentations, and site verification (hard hat, safety vest, eye protection, and steel-toe boots as needed for site visits)
Preferred
• Experience directing or mentoring a design production specialist or junior designer
Why Work for Kay-Twelve (Why)
Leadership says:
• A purpose-driven organization, free from public or private equity influence, that prioritizes impact over profit
• Mission to positively impact 10,000,000 students and educators by 12/31/2030
• Manufacturer agnostic - collaborating with 100+ leading manufacturers, beholden to none
• A promise to clients: within our Radically Student Centered™ approach, we never go over budget for the agreed scope
• Core Values lived day to day: Be the Change, You Belong Here, Listen. Care. Follow-Through, and LFG!
The team says:
• The work we do makes the lives of students and educators better, everyday.
• I would tell them the reason I work at Kay-Twelve comes down to purpose, people, and impact. I believe in the work, I believe in the team, and I’m excited about the opportunity to help schools create places where students and educators can do their best work.
• I love the autonomy we have to think differently, try things, build relationships and make an impact without being told exactly how to get there. We have people who genuinely want to see each other grow and a team that cares deeply about our customers, our mission and each other.
• Because it gives me the opportunity to grow, learn new skills, and contribute to a team.
• We are here for the right reasons, we are different, and we are not afraid of getting out there to make a difference, even when it is met with resistance.
• We have an opportunity to help schools create environments that give more students the

Work arrangement
Yes