Senior Interior Designer

Job Title: Senior Interior Designer Job Description
This Senior Interior Designer role offers the opportunity to lead interior design projects from concept through construction while helping shape and grow an established, expanding interior design practice. You will work within a highly integrated architecture and interiors studio, partnering closely with architects and consultants to deliver thoughtful, innovative design solutions across a diverse portfolio that includes education, hospitality, country clubs, retail, commercial office, healthcare, and behavioral health projects. The position combines design leadership, client engagement, team mentorship, and business development, providing direct visibility with firm leadership and significant influence over the departments growth and future direction.
Responsibilities

• Lead interior design efforts from initial concept through construction administration for a wide range of project types, including education, hospitality, country clubs, retail, workplace, healthcare, and behavioral health.
• Develop creative, thoughtful, and functional design solutions that align with client goals, architectural concepts, and project budgets.
• Manage FF&E (furniture, fixtures, and equipment) selections, specifications, and procurement coordination to ensure quality, consistency, and timely delivery.
• Produce and oversee comprehensive construction documentation, including plans, details, schedules, and specifications, ensuring accuracy and constructability.
• Collaborate closely with clients, consultants, manufacturers, and architectural staff throughout all project phases to maintain clear communication and alignment.
• Conduct programming activities, including needs assessments and user interviews, to define space requirements and functional relationships.
• Perform space planning, test fits, and layout development to optimize functionality, flow, and user experience.
• Lead finish selections and furniture specifications, integrating sustainable design principles where appropriate.
• Coordinate and maintain the materials and finishes library, ensuring resources are current, organized, and accessible to the design team.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, balancing schedules, priorities, and deliverables in a fast-paced studio environment.
• Mentor junior designers by providing design guidance, technical oversight, and professional development support.
• Represent the firm within professional organizations and industry associations, helping to elevate the firms presence in the design community.
• Support and participate in business development activities, including client engagement, relationship building, and pursuit strategies.
• Help grow and expand the interior design practice by contributing to department strategy, standards, and best practices.
• Engage in project management tasks related to interior design scope, including coordination with architectural teams and consultants.
• Utilize Revit and other design software to develop design documentation, 3D visualizations, and presentation materials.
• Contribute to design development by refining concepts, coordinating with architectural systems, and resolving design details.
• Participate in sustainable design initiatives and incorporate environmentally responsible materials and strategies where applicable.

Essential Skills

• Minimum of 7 years of professional commercial interior design experience, with demonstrated leadership on projects.
• Degree from a CIDA-accredited Interior Design program or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong knowledge of interior architecture, space planning, finish selections, furnishings, and construction documentation.
• Proficiency in Revit, with the ability to produce and coordinate interior design and construction documents.
• Experience producing complete construction documents for interior projects.
• Experience with FF&E specification and coordination, including selections, documentation, and procurement support.
• Proficiency in Adobe InDesign and Photoshop for design presentations and marketing or proposal materials.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including the ability to prepare reports, schedules, and project documentation.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present ideas clearly to clients, team members, and stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines effectively.
• Client-facing experience, with demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong client relationships.
• Ability to work onsite in Portland on a regular basis to support studio collaboration and project needs.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• NCIDQ certification or active pursuit of certification is preferred.
• Experience with AutoCAD for interior documentation is preferred.
• Experience with rendering platforms such as Enscape or similar tools is preferred.
• Experience with SketchUp or other 3D modeling tools is beneficial.
• Existing relationships within the Portland design community are highly valued.
• Participation in professional organizations such as IIDA, ASID, CREW, CoreNet, or AIA-affiliated events is preferred.
• Experience mentoring less experienced designers and contributing to team development.
• Business development experience, including client outreach, networking, and support of proposal efforts.
• Experience in healthcare design and corporate interiors is advantageous.
• Exposure to or interest in sustainable design practices and strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to work within an integrated architecture and interiors practice.
• Interest in contributing to department growth strategy and future hiring decisions.

Work Environment
The work environment is a highly collaborative studio where architecture and interiors are fully integrated, and designers work closely with architects and consultants throughout all phases of a project. The majority of time is spent in the studio, engaging in active design collaboration, project reviews, and coordination with a small, tight-knit team. The firm offers a hybrid work model that combines in-studio presence with flexibility for remote work, supporting both collaboration and focused individual productivity. The studio operates within a small firm environment that provides high visibility and direct access to decision makers, allowing designers to influence project outcomes and departmental strategy. The culture is entrepreneurial, encouraging initiative, leadership, and ownership of the interior design practice. Designers use tools such as Revit, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, SketchUp, and rendering platforms like Enscape to develop design concepts, documentation, and visualizations. The portfolio includes education, hospitality, healthcare, workplace, retail, and specialty projects, offering exposure to a wide variety of project types and design challenges. The firm emphasizes mentorship and professional growth, providing opportunities to guide future designers and build a strong interior design team. A competitive benefits package is offered, including medical and dental coverage, a SIMPLE IRA with company match, and paid time off, supporting both professional and personal well-being.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Portland, OR.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $75000.00 - $90000.00/hr.
Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Portland,OR.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 19, 2026.
About Actalent


Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.


The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.


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San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.



Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.



Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.