Senior Kitchen and Bath Designer

Job Description

Job Description

Read this part first

We are not filling a seat. We are looking for one designer, and we are willing to wait for the right one.

If you are a strong designer who is tired of being handed someone else's floor plan, tired of selling boxes, or tired of watching your drawings get value engineered into something you would not put your name on, keep reading. If you want a quiet desk and a steady queue of pull out shelf orders, this is not the job.

About us

Cleveland Kitchen and Design is a luxury kitchen and bath design build firm on the west side of Cleveland. Design build means one thing that matters to you: the person who designs the space is connected to the people who actually build it. Your drawings do not get thrown over a wall. You see the tile go in. You walk the finished room.

Our work runs to full gut kitchens, primary baths, and whole floor renovations for clients who care about detail and are willing to pay for it. Every project runs through a defined 16 step process across four phases (Discovery and Design, Pricing and Validation, Documentation and Procurement, Construction and Handover), so you are never guessing what happens next or who owns it.

One note so nothing surprises you: we are rebranding to Wright by Design, our design build company. Same team, same showroom, same work, and the same people you will interview with. We would rather tell you that up front than have it come up on your first day.

What you will own

• Lead clients from first consultation through final selections, including in home consultations, needs assessment, and budget setting.
• Design full kitchen and bath spaces: space planning, cabinetry layout and specification, tile, plumbing, lighting, and finish selections.
• Build and present design concepts and pricing that clients can actually say yes to, and close that work.
• Produce clean, complete design intent packages that hand off cleanly to CAD for the detailed drawing set.
• Partner with the PM and the lead carpenters through the build so what you drew is what gets installed.
• Manage selections, change orders, and client communication with discipline, so scope and schedule hold.
• Own your book of business: pipeline, follow up, and repeat and referral relationships.

What we are looking for

Required

• 7 or more years designing residential kitchens and baths, ideally in a design build, remodeling, or high end showroom environment.
• A portfolio of completed work you are proud to walk us through, with photos of finished spaces you designed.
• Fluency in cabinetry specification: framed and frameless, semi custom and custom, door styles, modifications, and how to spec so the order arrives right.
• Real field literacy. You can read existing conditions, understand what is behind a wall, and design something that is buildable at the price you quoted.
• Proficiency in design software (2020 Design, Chief Architect, AutoCAD, SketchUp, or similar) and comfort producing presentation ready visuals.
• Comfort owning the sales conversation. In our model, the designer sells the design. If a budget conversation makes you flinch, this will be a hard fit.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation for client and jobsite visits.

Nice to have

• NKBA certification (AKBD, CKBD, CMKBD) or equivalent credential.
• Experience with a project management platform such as JobTread.
• Aging in place, universal design, or accessibility experience.
• A working relationship with local trades, vendors, or showrooms.

The intangible we actually care about

Follow through. Talent is common. Designers who close the loop on every selection, every deadline, and every client email are rare. That is the person we are hiring.

Compensation and what you get

• On target earnings of $120,000 for a designer performing at plan. Uncapped upside.
• Health insurance, vision, dental, paid time off, retirement plan, continuing education and NKBA dues.
• A defined process, real support staff, and a CAD designer who produces your drawing sets so you can stay in front of clients.
• A direct line to ownership. Decisions here take days, not quarters.

How to apply

Send your resume and a portfolio or link to your work. In place of a cover letter, answer one question in a few sentences:

Tell us about a project where the budget and the client's vision did not match, and what you did about it.

We read every one of these. It tells us more than a resume does.

Our hiring process

1. A short phone conversation, about 20 minutes.
2. Portfolio review, in person or by video, where you walk us through two or three projects.
3. A working session: we give you a real set of existing conditions and talk through how you would approach it. No unpaid spec design.
4. Showroom visit, team introductions, and reference conversations.
5. Offer.

We move deliberately. If that means the right person takes a few months to find, that is a trade we are happy to make.

Cleveland Kitchen and Design is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.