Experience Design Manager

Overview 

At Porter, we blend our expertise in interior design and hospitality to create spaces and experiences that add joy and purpose to everyday life. We offer design and procurement services to businesses, and also design and operate a growing list of our own hospitality businesses. At the heart of our business is our flagship location in downtown Seattle, The Shop: an all-day café where we host events, offer space for meetings and private gatherings, and sell a curated selection of sundries, gifts and home goods. The Shop is where we connect with our community and actively refine what it looks like to take care of our guests, from the design of inspiring, inclusive spaces to the experiences we create within them.

We take great pride in our work, not only because of the output, but because of the way we do it: with radical hospitality. At its core, radical hospitality means approaching our work through the lens of how we make people feel, including our guests, our team, and ourselves. It's what we want to be remembered for, and operates as a guidepost for everything we do.

Location:   Seattle,Wa

Position Summary 

Porter Hospitality is seeking a design professional who bridges hospitality operations, concept development, and the architecture and interior design process. This person will partner closely with internal teams and external A&D firms to ensure our concepts translate into thoughtfully executed physical environments.

This is not a traditional interior designer role. Instead, this person is the steward of our design vision — carrying operational requirements, guest experience, brand identity, and design intent through every phase of a project. The right candidate is equally comfortable developing early concepts, collaborating with architects and designers, coordinating project execution, and rolling up their sleeves to produce deliverables themselves.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Lead concept development for hospitality environments, translating business goals and brand strategy into compelling spatial concepts.
• Develop mood boards and presentation materials that communicate conceptual intent.
• Represent Porter Hospitality in meetings with architects, interior designers, consultants, and clients — keeping functional and experiential priorities central throughout the design process.
• Partner with Operations, Culinary, Brand, Retail, and Project Management to integrate their requirements into the built environment.
• Review plans, finish selections, furniture specifications, and design documentation to ensure alignment with Porter Hospitality's vision and operational needs.
• Manage design-related workstreams across multiple projects, coordinating timelines, decisions, and consultant deliverables.
• Liaise with Porter Interiors on FF&E sourcing and specification, alongside internal teams and vendor partners.
• Contribute to the evolution of Porter Hospitality's design standards, concept library, and presentation materials.

Education/Experience

• 5–10 years of experience in hospitality, workplace, retail, restaurant, or mixed-use interior design.
• Degree in Interior Design or a related field.
• Strong grasp of the architectural and interior design process, from concept through construction.
• Direct experience collaborating with architecture and design firms.
• Exceptional visual communication skills — mood boards, presentations, concept development.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Highly collaborative, with excellent communication skills and confidence presenting to clients and consultants.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and PowerPoint/Keynote; familiarity with Revit, AutoCAD, or similar documentation tools.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: 

• Design-forward, with a strong point of view and exceptional taste.
• Strategic enough to think conceptually, but hands-on enough to produce the work themselves.
• Comfortable influencing without owning every discipline.
• Passionate about hospitality and creating memorable guest experiences.
• Equally energized by big ideas and the details required to bring them to life.

Employee Benefits: 

• 15 days of PTO 
• 9 Paid holidays 
• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance 
• 401k + Employer Match 
• Paid Parental Leave 
• Wellness App with reimbursement of up to $500/year 
• Profit Sharing 

Working Environment 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. Regularly works with others face to face, over the phone and email in an office environment with moderate noise.  Nature of work may require time spent out of the office; reliable transportation required.  Periodically works outside and may work around moving objects, dust, and dirt. 

If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, we encourage you to apply with your resume today. We look forward to connecting!