Design Director

Position Purpose: The Design Director is responsible for defining, developing, and maintaining the visual identity and overall look and feel of SA Hospitality Group’s restaurant portfolio – Sant Ambroeus, Felice & Casa Lever. This role ensures that every restaurant reflects the brand’s design vision, aesthetic standards, and guest experience, creating a cohesive and distinctive environment across all locations.

Partnering closely with the VP of Construction, the Design Director will lead design direction for new restaurant openings, overseeing design selections, finishes, furnishings, lighting, decorative elements, artwork, and sourcing. The role will also oversee the ongoing aesthetic integrity of existing restaurants, ensuring that every space—from the dining room and bar to private dining rooms, restrooms, and other guest-facing areas—consistently reflects the brand’s standards.

The ideal candidate combines a strong creative vision with exceptional attention to detail, a sophisticated understanding of hospitality design, and the ability to translate brand identity into memorable physical spaces while balancing functionality, quality, and budget.

Key Responsibilities/Accountabilities:

Brand Design & Creative Direction

• Establish and maintain the overall design vision, aesthetic standards, and visual identity across the company’s restaurant portfolio.
• Ensure consistency in the look and feel of every location while allowing for thoughtful design adaptations based on the individual restaurant concept, architecture, and market.
• Develop and maintain brand-specific design guidelines, standards, palettes, and reference materials to guide the execution of all restaurant environments.
• Oversee the aesthetic details that shape the guest experience, including furniture, lighting, artwork, accessories, decorative objects, finishes, textiles, and styling.
• Continuously identify opportunities to elevate the brand’s visual presentation and enhance the overall guest experience.

New Restaurant Development & Openings

• Partner with the VP of Construction throughout the development and opening process to ensure the design vision is effectively translated into the built environment.
• Provide creative direction and design oversight for new restaurant openings, renovations, expansions, and refreshes.
• Lead design selections and sourcing for furniture, fixtures, equipment (FF&E), decorative lighting, finishes, artwork, accessories, and other design elements.
• Collaborate with architects, interior designers, consultants, vendors, and contractors to ensure design intent is executed accurately and consistently.
• Review design plans, renderings, material samples, finish schedules, furniture layouts, and other design deliverables, providing feedback and approvals as needed.
• Identify appropriate vendors, suppliers, and artisans, balancing design quality, durability, availability, lead times, and cost.
• Conduct site visits throughout construction and pre-opening to review progress, resolve design-related issues, and ensure the finished space aligns with the approved vision.
• Coordinate with the VP of Construction to manage design timelines, purchasing schedules, budgets, and installation requirements.

Existing Restaurant Standards & Maintenance

• Conduct regular visits to existing restaurant locations to evaluate the overall aesthetic, presentation, and condition of each space.
• Ensure all guest-facing areas consistently reflect the brand’s intended look and feel, including dining rooms, bars, private dining spaces, restrooms, entrances, waiting areas, and other public spaces.
• Identify and address inconsistencies, wear and tear, outdated design elements, and opportunities for improvement.
• Establish standards for the maintenance, replacement, and refresh of furniture, fixtures, artwork, lighting, accessories, and finishes.
• Develop and oversee design refresh initiatives to keep restaurants visually relevant, well-maintained, and aligned with evolving brand standards.
• Partner with restaurant operations and facilities teams to ensure design standards are maintained in day-to-day operations.
• Create clear visual standards and guidelines that enable restaurant teams to maintain consistent presentation across all locations.

Sourcing, Vendor & Budget Management

• Build and maintain relationships with furniture vendors, manufacturers, artisans, showrooms, and design suppliers.
• Source distinctive, high-quality design elements that support the brand’s identity and hospitality standards.
• Evaluate product quality, pricing, durability, lead times, and availability to ensure selections meet both creative and operational requirements.
• Maintain organized sourcing libraries, product specifications, finish schedules, vendor contacts, and approved purchasing lists.
• Partner with construction and procurement teams to monitor design-related budgets, purchasing commitments, and delivery schedules.
• Identify cost-effective alternatives when necessary, without compromising the overall design vision or quality of the guest experience.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with the VP of Construction to align design intent with construction plans, project schedules, budgets, and execution.
• Collaborate with operations, facilities, procurement, marketing, and executive leadership to ensure design decisions support the broader business and brand strategy.
• Partner with restaurant leadership to identify aesthetic opportunities and address design-related issues at the unit level.
• Communicate design expectations, standards, and recommendations clearly to internal teams and external partners.
• Manage multiple projects and competing priorities across new developments and existing restaurant locations.

Minimal Essential Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design, Interior Architecture, Visual Merchandising, or a related field preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in interior design, hospitality design, restaurant development, or a related creative field, with demonstrated experience leading design initiatives.