Design Manager, Greater China

We are seeking a seasonedGreater China Design Managerto own the end-to-end execution of our global retail design standards across the China market. 

Your mission is to bring the Global brands vision to life in Chinafaithfully efficiently and with uncompromising quality. This requires technical rigor pragmatic creativity and confident navigation of local site materials and regulatory challenges. You are the critical link between Global design and local execution ensuring every store opening translates concept into reality. 

You will partner with the local business team to assess site conditions and lead landlord design coordination calls gathering essential technical and regulatory information to inform every project from day one. This role requires a dynamic balance between protecting Global design integrity and adapting to local site conditions regulatory requirements and commercial realities. 

You will dually report to the VP Brand Environment and the Greater China GM taking full ownership of all aspects of store design. You will collaborate extensively with cross-functional teams including Real Estate Construction Retail Operations Visual Merchandising and Marketing. 

What youll get to do:

Design Leadership & Concept Development 

• Partner with the VP Brand Environment to develop initial test fit floor plans facade design and signage concepts and design detail drawings to convey design intent to the Architect of Record (AOR). 
• Create compelling presentation materials for design conceptsincluding plans 3D renderings hand sketches inspiration boards and material sample collectionsfor presentation to Senior Management. 
• Actively research current trends in global culture retail design architecture fashion and art to inform and elevate design solutions. 
• Support the development and maintenance of store design standards and prototype documentation. 

Local Execution & GC Team Leadership 

• Lead and direct the local GCs in-house design team (architects CAD/Revit drafters MEP engineers). Assign daily tasks set clear design deliverable deadlines and ensure the teams output aligns with Global brand standards. 
• Review and approve all local drawing sets (schematic design development and construction documents) produced by the GC team ensuring they are fully coordinated and strictly adhere to the Global prototype. 
• Upon space acquisition partner with the local business team to conduct thorough site assessments and lead design coordination calls with landlords collecting all necessary technical regulatory and structural data to ensure a seamless and informed design kick-off. 
• Identify potential design-site conflicts early and propose pre-vetted solutions to the Global team to avoid project delays. 

Cross-Functional Collaboration 

• Work closely with all internal departments including Real Estate Construction Visual Merchandising Marketing Tech and Operations to ensure store design is fully aligned with brand standards. 
• Partner with the Greater China GM and local business teams to ensure alignment with cultural nuances and business needs. 
• Conduct weekly meetings with external consultants and internal cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and drive progress. 

Consultant & Vendor Management 

• Source and qualify regional design architecture and design-build partners to support Greater China projects. 
• Manage external Architects of Record and design teams across all project phases (Due Diligence Schematic Design Design Development Construction Documents and Construction Administration). 
• Coordinate and manage permit expeditors in conjunction with the AOR to ensure regulatory approvals meet schedules. 
• Work closely with owner-supplied vendors on design shop drawings purchase orders and schedules. 
• Negotiate and maintain design budgets and contracts with consultants. 

Project Delivery & Timeline Management 

• Manage and forecast the schedule of assigned pipeline projects updating the Development team weekly on progress. 
• Review and approve architectural plans elevations and relevant shop drawings to ensure design details are accurate and meet brand standards. 
• Conduct regular site inspections and act as the final design authority on-siteempowered to make quick informed decisions to resolve RFIs and keep construction moving. 
• Own the overall project master schedule setting clear milestone deadlines for the GC design team and holding them accountable. 
• Ensure the GC team delivers precise As-Built drawings at project close-out clearly documenting any local substitutions or adjustments for future reference. 

Global Communication & Quality Assurance 

• Serve as the primary design interface between the Global Design Team and the local execution team filtering and translating Global feedback into clear actionable instructions. 
• Provide transparent weekly progress reports photo-documentation and risk registers to Global stakeholders proactively flagging potential delays or quality issues along with proposed mitigation plans. 
• Ensure the final built store reflects the Global teams design intent. Document any deviations and secure Global approval. 
• Travel within Greater China and occasionally to Asia markets as required to support project success (20% time) with a flexible work schedule accommodating multi-time zone collaboration. 

Qualifications :

Who you are:

• Education:Bachelors degree in architecture Interior Design Architectural Engineering or Construction Management. 
• Experience:Minimum of8 yearsof experience in retail store design project architecture or design least 3-5 yearsof experience managing or leading a design team (internal or external). 
• Industry:Proven track record of working with multinational retail brands and managing design-build contractors. Experience with premium or lifestyle retail is highly preferred. 
• Software:Expert proficiency inAutoCADandRevit(to review redline and approve drawings). Proficiency inSketchUpAdobe Creative Suite andBluebeamfor mark-ups and quality control. 
• Regulatory Knowledge:Deep practical knowledge ofChinese building codes fire safety regulations and municipal permitting processes. 
• Construction Acumen:Strong understanding of local construction methodologies material supply chains and cost structures. 
• Language:Fluent inMandarin and English(written and spoken) to seamlessly translate between local teams and Global HQ. 
• Leadership:Ability to guide and direct a team without micromanaging. Set clear expectations and hold people accountable. 
• Decision-Making:Confidence to make on-site design decisions that keep projects moving while protecting brand integrity. 
• Commercial Awareness:Understanding of how design decisions impact budgets timelines and ultimately store profitability. 
• Relationship Management:Capable of managing contractor and consultant relationships with authority and respect. 

Additional Information :

Vuori is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex gender identity sexual orientation race color religion national origin disability protected Veteran status age or any other characteristic protected by law.  

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time