Principal Project Manager: Design Manager (Retail Design - Cafes)

Principal Project Manager: Design Manager (Retail Design - Cafes)

Capital One’s Retail Design Team is looking for a creative and innovative thinker with strong problem solving skills. In this position, you will be responsible for the design and management of projects and initiatives, from concept to execution, focusing on the delivery of Capital One Cafes. 

Capital One is designing the next generation of financial spaces for our customers. Our Cafes are geared toward creating spaces for our customers to experience the brand in a low pressure environment, while providing support to our customers when they need us most, with a focus on hospitality and retail presence. In this exciting role you will work closely with key stakeholders to deliver results that will have a direct impact on Capital One’s physical presence in the retail marketplace.

We are looking for candidates who want to join an ambitious, innovative, and customer-obsessed program. You will be joining a dynamic, highly skilled, and forward-thinking team that you will need to complement and challenge. You are the right person for this job if you are a creative problem solver with an intense curiosity and a drive for learning. You bring a passion for environmental design, customer experience, and commitment to balancing the needs of both internal and external business stakeholders. You demonstrate the ability to efficiently drive multiple projects throughout all phases of design, permitting, and construction administration, as well as outstanding communication and partnership skills with multiple stakeholders. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee the end-to-end design and documentation phases of new-build and renovation projects for our Capital One Café format.

• Conduct site analysis, feasibility studies, and develop conceptual layouts to assess program fit. 

• Design the project test fit to incorporate site conditions and ensure code compliance before finalizing layouts.

• Guide external architects through due diligence investigations, site visits and code reviews to identify potential concerns before design checkpoints. 

• Adapt Capital One design standards to a variety of site conditions and base building typologies.

• Develop site-specific design solutions as required, including unique site specific solutions.

• Oversee schematic design by using sketches, drafting, 3D visualization and  presentations skills to align with leadership and provide guidance to supporting architects.

• Manage architects of record to ensure high quality construction documents and consistent implementation of design standards, while maintaining key milestones throughout the course of the design, bid, and permitting project phases.

• Supervise design execution during Construction Administration, ensuring alignment with the design intent through oversight and reviewing key submittals.

• Apply creative problem-solving and critical thinking to create functional and aesthetically pleasing design solutions within budget constraints. 

• Foster strong communication and partnership with cross-functional teams and senior leadership to effectively manage, and influence outcomes.

• Leverage your resourcefulness, creativity, flexibility, and resilience to support the development and delivery of Capital One cafes.

• Demonstrate organizational agility to adapt to changing demands.

• Display strong consulting and collaboration skills.

• 5-10% travel depending on project needs. 

Ideally, you have: 

• Proficiency in design development, construction documentation and oversight, with the ability  to translate design concepts into constructible solutions through fabrication and construction methods.  

• Excellent prioritization skills for managing multiple projects with competing priorities.

• Solid experience selecting and coordinating finishes, furniture, millwork, fabrics, signage, and lighting, working with product representatives and dealers. 

• Strong understanding of applicable laws and regulations, including building and accessibility codes.

• Experience managing the design process end to end and evaluating deliverables for Quality Assurance based on Capital One design standards 

• Strong skills in conceptual and space planning design, demonstrating excellence implementing the principles of spatial desig