Sr Event Space Design Manager - Charcoalblue (San Francisco, CA)
Thank you for your interest in Charcoalblue Experience (CBX)! We are looking for a Senior Event Space Design Manager to join our growing CBX team! This position is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
About The Company:
We imagine, design, and deliver captivating spaces that entertain, educate. and transform individuals through collective experiences. Guided by listening, collaboration, and a passion for innovation, excellence, emotion, and theatricality, we strive to create extraordinary moments.
Charcoalblue was established in the heart of the UK theatre industry in 2004. Since then, we have carved out a reputation as the world's leading integrated Theatre, Acoustic and Experience Consultancy service. We now operate as a cohesive and collaborative team across six international studios in the UK, USA, and Australia, delivering projects to every corner of the globe. Theatre, acoustic, project management and digital design runs in our blood and each one of us has at some point worked within the industry we now design for. We provide a full spectrum of consultancy services from strategic analysis and creative concept generation through to detailed design and full project leadership. Simultaneously, we have the expertise to integrate world-class acoustic, technical, and digital design solutions from the outset.
Charcoalblue Experience is a dedicated team within Charcoalblue that provides project management, design management, experience design and owner representation to businesses and organizations that want to create an unforgettable guest experience and make an impact for their teams, visitors and industry worldwide. A trusted advisor, we have built our reputation by employing a strategic and collaborative approach, leveraging the depth of our experienced, in-house technical expertise to support our clients. Our work starts right from the outset of project inception, continues through planning and design, construction, and all the way through to delivering the final spectacle within projects, leaving a lasting impression on all those who experience it.
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Brief Description of Role
We are seeking a Senior Design Manager to oversee the design process of our client’s event spaces in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the United States. The event spaces range from fixed seated auditoria for formal presentations to fully adaptable facilities for product launches, gala dinners, and networking. You will join a team of Event Space Design Managers (ESDM) working throughout the UK and North America. You will interface with our current Design Managers, as well as key members of the client team.
Although based at the client's offices, you will be a key part of the Charcoalblue Experience team and will benefit from the support and training offered to and by our in-house consultant and business support teams.
You are ideal for this role if you are a multi-faceted and innovative problem solver with broad knowledge of event spaces and/or guest experiences and the ability to help guide the design and delivery of these spaces, with the goal of being on time, on budget, and on strategy. Additionally, you must be a clear communicator, action-oriented, self-motivated, and comfortable with ambiguity.
Key Responsibilities
Oversee the client requirements and design of event spaces, including all additional support and guest amenity spaces, for a major global organization.
Act as a key point of contact for the events operations teams, the AV project managers, the architectural design teams, and the wider project teams, to ensure accurate communications between all parties.
Be actively involved in design team meetings, providing subject matter expert advice to guide the project.
Be a trusted, friendly, and robust collaborator for all client and external partners while balancing diverse team priorities.
Ensure the architectural design of event venues and support spaces are optimized for the overall guest and user experience.
Represent and be an ambassador for Charcoalblue Experience, interfacing daily with this important client.
Elevate our ability to collaborate and communicate with developers, placemaking experts, and urban design professionals, and brainstorm new and innovative ways to think about a portfolio of event spaces.
Take on non-project ancillary responsibilities to create structure, improve communication and develop processes for the ESDM program; to be decided in consultation with your line manager.
Communicate any concerns or risks to your line manager that you perceive as detrimental to the ESDM program, the quality of our service, or our client relationship.
Identify opportunities for future growth for Charcoalblue Experience within our program and wider Client organization.
Support the Associate Directors in working with our client stakeholders and partners to contribute to strategic planning, data gathering, and aligning on programming recommendations to inform the brief.
Act as project lead, becoming a point of escalation and client interface, for our Design Management work on smaller projects.
Act as project lead for our more complex projects, potentially leading a team that would include additional ESDM support.
Act as lead on program strategic initiatives, process and tool development, and design guideline creation.
Provide mentorship and leadership to the ESDM team and line management of up to three Event Space Design Managers.
Demonstrate mastery and embodiment of the CBX Cultural Values.
Typical Duties
You will engage the client to establish use cases, event trends and problem statements of the business in order to form a brief.
You will support delivery of client requirement documentation for new events spaces.
You will support the ESDM Leads in event space strategic planning by contributing to district planning data gathering and aligning on programming recommendations to inform the brief.
You will review design team information, ensuring suitability of all systems for event production spaces.
You will compile and deliver all appropriate project process documentation to ensure clear and concise communication between all stakeholders.
You will develop and deliver event space guidance documentation and support internal and client initiatives.
You will attend regular meetings to review project progress.
You will review and provide feedback on all design documents and drawing releases at each stage of a typical AIA project.
You will keep track of all details of the design, schedule and budget of each project and be able to communicate potential ‘pain points’ to the project manager and client.
You will ensure all client team members are engaged in each appropriate project phase; assist the project team in understanding the event space delivery model, ensuring project gateways are met and all required parties are present to contribute.
You will conduct site visits during the construction stage and issue site reports detailing progress and issues to the client.
You will conduct a site inspection and issue a punch list, and coordinate with the project manager to ensure snags are closed out.
You will attend the event space opening to support the events operations team by fielding questions from the client and conduct the initial Day 2 review.
This list is not intended to be exhaustive and may be subject to alteration over time as we develop the service.
Qualifications and Key Skills
We are open to receiving applications from candidates with a varied range of experience and education. If you meet most of the qualifications below, we encourage you to apply:
Essential
Minimum 5 years of relevant design or design management work experience in architecture, interior design, venue design, or related field.
Desirable
A formal qualification/degree in architecture, interior design, venue design, or related field.
Professional experience in the design or construction of spaces relating to the performing arts, events, experiential, or hospitality strongly preferred.
Skilled in the visual, written, and verbal communication of design issues with capability to think outside the box and bring creative, non-standard, and innovative solutions to the table.
A practical understanding of the AIA design stages, and the typical level of information required at each stage.
Competence in the presentation of imagery and drawings to convey ideas.
Experience of theatre, performing arts, event space buildings or hospitality spaces, either through direct experience or professional design work.
Proven vision, leadership, and strategic skills to prioritize evolving initiatives; ability to turn ideas and capabilities into effective initiatives that engage users.
An understanding of permitting process, construction terminology and building systems, and overall project sequence/timing.
Ability and proven record of helping to steer decision making and process.
An imaginative approach to problem-solving will be a significant advantage.
A collaborative and personal approach.
Ability to read construction drawings and specifications is critical to being successful in this position.
A background in architecture or interior is a plus.
Interpersonal Skills
Ability to work in a collaborative and fast-paced environment with a high degree of self-motivation and initiative.
Ability to easily manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Detail oriented with ability to think, plan, and execute on multiple projects in different phases simultaneously with little direct supervision.
Able to work calmly and effectively under pressure.
Flexibility and adaptability to changing business needs.
Ability to build relationships with colleagues, clients, vendors, stakeholders, and management.
Working hours
The role is being offered on an 'at will', exempt basis at 40 hours per week.
As an international organization, the needs of the business are as such that this role requires a flexibility in working hours (which can be variable from week to week) to facilitate project demands and maintain support across our global entities’ varying time-zones. Working hours patterns will be agreed with your line manager to suit your personal circumstances and the current project load.
The role is subject to a three-month probationary period.
Location
We are currently working in a distributed hybrid model, meaning you will work from your home or other place of your choosing, in combination with the client's office in the San Francisco Bay Area, subject to local and federal health and safety guidelines. You will be expected to be on site about three days per week. Travel within the US and occasional travel internationally for projects and/or team building as required, with notice.
Salary
The salary range for this role is $142,000 - $155,000 per year.
Please state your salary expectations in your covering letter in line with your experience.
Charcoalblue intends to offer the selected candidate base pay within this range, dependent on job-related, non-discriminatory factors such as experience. Base pay is one part of the total rewards that Charcoalblue provides to compensate and recognize employees for their work. Charcoalblue provides a robust benefits package to help support you physically, financially, and emotionally through the big milestones and in your everyday life. Please visit our careers page for more details.
Annual Leave
Based on a 40-hour working week, you will receive 15 paid vacation days per year, plus federal and some local public holidays, and additional discretionary days between Christmas and New Year's Day.
Additional Benefits
To support you in successful remote/distributed working, you will receive a laptop and any other associated IT peripherals required for the role.
You will receive contributions towards your home internet and utilities to enable you to work productively and comfortably.
You will be eligible immediately to join our 401K plan (employee contributions only).
You will be eligible immediately for life insurance cover, Short Term Disability and you may take advantage of joining our FSA/Dependents’ Care plans.
Following 60 days of employment, you will be eligible to join our company healthcare plan for the duration of your employment.
Following completion of your three-month probationary period, you will receive free theatre or live event/performance tickets per month in line with our Expenses Policy.
Charcoalblue operates a bonus plan which you will benefit from following successful completion of a three-month probationary period. Please note that this is subject to the company's performance year on year and is not guaranteed.
You will receive regular check-ins with your line manager to enable you to succeed in the role.
Start Date
Ideally December 2023
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Overview
Charcoalblue is an equal opportunities employer, actively working towards becoming an inclusive organization. We work consistently to ensure elimination of unfair and discriminatory practices within the company and encourage full contribution from its diverse community.
Our mission is to manifest an inclusive ethos by creating a diverse and inclusive working environment across our practice. Recruitment opportunities are open to all, but we are particularly keen to hear from ethnically diverse and disabled candidates, as these groups are currently underrepresented within our teams.
If you require this application in a different format or need support during the application process, please contact Euna Pae via email euna.pae@charcoalblue.com. Equally, please contact Euna if you have any questions in relation to access, or how the role might need to respond to your personal circumstances.
Charcoalblue aims to provide a service that does not discriminate against its clients and customers and works to ensure all can access the services and goods supplied by the company. We believe that all employees and clients are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity.
