Overview:

Supports the design studios by maintaining an organized, responsive, and future-ready materials library. This role streamlines sample logistics, manages vendor relationships, and ensures designers have rapid access to the material tools they need reducing non-billable time and enhancing creative efficiency. Curates a library that balances aesthetic inspiration, performance, and sustainability in efforts to empower design teams to make efficient and informed decisions.

Responsibilities:

• Curates and maintains an organized, up-to-date physical and digital materials library, ensuring samples are clearly labeled, categorized, easily accessible, and aligned with LEED, WELL, Living Building Challenge, and Declare Label standards

• Proactively removes outdated or discontinued materials and ensures high-demand samples are stocked and accessible

• Implements systems to track sample borrowing and returns

• Manages all vendor communications related to new products, updates, and rep meetings

• Schedules vendor presentations based on studio needs and project relevance, reducing interruptions, optimizing time and minimizing overlap and/or redundant visits

• Assists project teams with product comparisons, substitutions, and specification support to reduce non-billable research time

• Offers onboarding sessions to new hires or interns on how to efficiently access and request materials

• Builds and maintains firmwide source page accessible across all locations that includes vendor contact list, event calendar, library processes, material spotlights, etc.

• Collaborates with Professional Development, design teams and vendors for hands-on workshops

• Endorses the firm’s cultural values, including a commitment to quality, innovation, learning and growth

• Facilitates team’s self-evaluation to distill and distribute lessons learned within the firm, in collaboration with the PM

• May collaborate in developing, recognizing and growing diverse talent

• Resolves conflict effectively and encourages a healthy team environment

• Seeks leadership opportunities by providing direction and feedback to team members and collaborating with team leaders

• Promotes the firm’s principles of ‘design excellence’ through the integration of responsible and sustainable design practice with the art of design, including understanding mindful materials evaluation and selection

• Reduces non-billable hours by streamlining access to materials and allowing designers and architects to focus on billable tasks including design, documentation, and client engagement.

• Protects profit margins with fewer change orders, redesigns, and costly missteps with library and material database management

• Evaluates materials that align with sustainability and ESG goals supporting pursuits that offer fee premiums or incentives

• Strengthens vendor relationships for cost leverage with access to better pricing and/ or service

• Supports long term innovation and brand value by elevating the client experience during tours or interviews, signaling HKS’s commitment to craft, innovation, and sustainability

• Understands fundamental accounting principles and the project accounting process

• Collaborates in and may be responsible for delivering a project on defined budget requirements

• Maintains accountability to project plans and planned utilization rate

• May support the business development process by identifying, maintaining and cultivating essential relationships

Qualifications:

Education and Experience

• Accredited professional degree in Interior Design, Architecture or related field
• Typically 8+ years of experience

Licenses and Certifications

• NCIDQ certification preferred
• Sustainable design accreditation preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Advanced – expert-level experience, knowledge or skills

Intermediate – experience, knowledge or skills required to produce high-quality solutions or work

Basic – familiar with primary concepts or capabilities and may perform elementary functions depending on

role

• Advanced knowledge of interior design materials, products and finishes required
• Intermediate skills in MS Office Suite required
• Basic knowledge of CSI Master Format Divisions and industry product classification standards required
• Basic knowledge of Mindful Materials as well as interior related sustainability certifications and standards required
• Basic experience in Bluebeam and Photoshop preferred
• Basic experience in AI Design tools preferred
• Intermediate knowledge of sustainability and integrated design guidelines required
• Intermediate experience with managing and performing duties in a fast-paced environment preferred
• Intermediate ability to maintain existing vendor relationships and build new vendor relationships required
• Intermediate presentation skills preferred
• Intermediate organizational skills required
• Intermediate ability to communicate in a clear, concise and professional manner both verbally and in writing preferred
• Intermediate ability to work independently and collaborate in a team environment required
• Advanced ability to effectively meet deadlines at expected quality required
• Travel may be required

If you currently work for HKS, please submit your application via the Internal Careers Portal.

HKS is an EEO/AA Employer: M/F/Disabled/Veteran