Director of Architecture & Design

Job Description

Job Description

With a projected 1,000 cafes in the United States by 2030, Paris Baguette is one of the fastest-growing neighborhood bakery cafés in the world. Our vision is to reestablish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community around the world. Paris Baguette’s mission is to bring expertly crafted baked and brewed goods through a warm and welcoming bakery café experience that delivers joy to everyone.

If you are someone who has heart, wants to spread joy, nourish community and is ready to rise to the occasion, we are looking for you to join our growing team!

WHAT WE ARE HUNGRY FOR

The Director of Architecture & Design is responsible for leading Paris Baguette’s architectural vision and design standards across all new café openings, refreshes, and remodels in the United States and internationally. This role owns the full design lifecycle — from prototype development and test-fit review through construction document approval and project closeout — and serves as the primary steward of brand design integrity across the entire café portfolio.

The Director will build and manage a high-performing external architecture network, drive continuous improvement of design standards and prototype efficiency, and partner cross-functionally with Construction, Real Estate, Operations, and Marketing to ensure every café reflects the Paris Baguette brand at its best.

KNOWLEDGE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Design Leadership & Standards

• Own and continuously evolve Paris Baguette’s prototype design, brand standards, and design guidelines across all café formats (inline, endcap, freestanding, non-traditional).
• Review and approve all test-fit layouts for new locations, ensuring compliance with prototype standards, operational requirements, and brand criteria.
• Lead comprehensive review and redline of construction document (CD) sets, identifying design deficiencies, code conflicts, and brand deviations prior to permit submission.
• Approve all design elements — materials, finishes, millwork, signage, lighting, furniture, and equipment placement — for new builds, refreshes, and remodels.
• Develop and maintain a design element library and approved vendor/product specifications to ensure consistency and procurement efficiency across the portfolio.

Refresh & Remodel Program

• Lead the design and coordination of the café refresh and remodel program, including scope definition, phasing strategy, and budget benchmarking.
• Partner with Operations and Franchise Business Consultants to prioritize refresh candidates and develop refresh tiers aligned to investment levels.
• Ensure remodel designs balance brand elevation with operational continuity, minimizing franchisee disruption and downtime.

External Architecture Network

• Build, manage, and evaluate a national network of preferred architecture firms, ensuring geographic coverage, capacity, and performance standards are maintained.
• Establish scopes of work, fee structures, and deliverable expectations for all external architect engagements.
• Conduct ongoing performance reviews of architecture partners; onboard and offboard vendors as portfolio needs evolve.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for design disputes, RFI resolution, and scope clarifications between architects, general contractors, and franchisees.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Process

• Partner with Real Estate to evaluate site feasibility and inform LOI decisions based on design and construction viability.
• Collaborate with Construction Project Managers throughout the project lifecycle to ensure design intent is preserved through permit and field execution.
• Coordinate with Marketing and Brand teams to ensure café environments align with evolving brand positioning and campaign direction.
• Interface directly with franchisees and their representatives to communicate design requirements, manage expectations, and resolve design-related issues.
• Maintain and improve internal design review processes, approval workflows, and documentation standards to support a high-volume, fast-growing pipeline.

Reporting & Administration

• Track design review timelines and approval status across the active pipeline; report on bottlenecks, delays, and design-related risks to the VP of Development.
• Manage the Architecture & Design department budget, including external architect fees, prototype development costs, and design tool subscriptions.
• Stay current with trends in retail, QSR, and hospitality design; proactively recommend prototype updates and design innovations that enhance the guest experience and operational performance
• Other duties may be assigned

WHAT YOU NEED TO HAVE

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Interior Design, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred. Licensed Architect (AIA) strongly preferred.
• At least 10+ years of progressive experience in architecture and design, with a minimum of 5 years in a leadership role overseeing multi-unit retail, QSR, hospitality, or food & beverage rollout programs.
• Demonstrated experience managing external architecture firms at scale across a national or multi-regional portfolio of 50+ concurrent projects.
• Deep fluency in construction documents, redlining, and CD review processes; ability to identify code, coordination, and brand compliance issues across full CD sets.
• Proven track record leading refresh and remodel programs from concept through execution.
• Experience with franchise development environments and the ability to navigate franchisee relationships with professionalism and diplomacy.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD, Revit, and/or BIM tools; working knowledge of project management platforms (e.g., Procore, Smartsheet, or equivalent).
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage a high-volume pipeline across multiple geographies simultaneously.Strong communication and presentation skills; comfortable presenting design direction and program updates to senior leadership and ownership groups.

• Passion for brand, design quality, and the guest experience — with the operational mindset to balance design aspiration with build efficiency and franchisee investment.Ability and willingness to travel nationally to café sites, architecture firms, and franchise markets as needed.
• Feedback is a gift! Ability to provide constructive feedback and recognition to every member of the organization, to ensure we have an open and transparent culture of high-performance standards.
• High emotional intelligence and the ability to work collaboratively across diverse teams.
• Passionate about empowering and developing others while upholding brand standards.
• Teams Win! Must be a team player who fosters a collaborative and engaged teamwork environment.
• Being a Brand Ambassador, with an excellent knowledge of and commitment to Paris Baguette’s Mission, Vision, Brand Values and Culture.

SWEET BENEFITS

• Competitive compensation
• Free Cake for your Birthday
• Medical, Dental, Vision benefits
• 401K Retirement Plan
• Paid time off, paid Holidays
• High Performance Culture