Experience Design Manager
Porter worksOverview 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 …