Director, Interiors and Environmental Graphics

Job Title: Director, Interiors and Environmental Graphics
Location: Kennesaw, Georgia
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Job ID: 303634
About Us

Are you ready to transform lives through academic excellence, innovative research, strong community partnerships and economic opportunity? Kennesaw State University is one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. With growing enrollment and global reach, we continue to expand our institutional influence and prominence beyond the state of Georgia. We offer more than 190 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to empower over 50,000 students to become thought leaders, lifelong learners, and informed global citizens. Our entrepreneurial spirit, high-impact research, and Division I athletics draw students from throughout the region and from more than 100 countries across the globe. Our university's vibrant culture, career opportunities, rich benefits, and values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity, and accountability make us an employer of choice. We are part of the University System of Georgia. We are searching for talented people to join Kennesaw State University in our vision. Come Take Flight at KSU!

Location

(Primary Location for Job Responsibilities) Our Kennesaw campus is located at 1000 Chastain Road NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144.

Our Marietta campus is located at 1100 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta, GA 30060.

Job Summary

Provides strategic leadership, vision, and oversight for the University's interior design and environmental graphic design groups. Leads assigned team responsible for planning, designing, implementing, and managing projects across two campuses; ensuring team accountability for delivery of cohesive and integrated design solutions that enhance the campus experience. May manage and direct high-profile university interior design or environmental graphic projects. Serves as the University's recognized subject matter expert, ensuring projects reflect design excellence, functionality, accessibility, sustainability, durability, stewardship of resources, and consistency with university standards. Represents the team in engagements with university leadership, academic and administrative units, division leadership, and consultants and/or vendors. Responsible for establishing and maintaining campus-wide standards for interior environments, furniture, finishes, signage, wayfinding, donor recognition, environmental branding, and placemaking initiatives that support Kennesaw State University's mission, identity, and long-term campus development goals.

Responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Provides strategic leadership and oversight for the department, establishing goals, priorities, performance measures, and operational plans that support institutional objectives and campus development initiatives
2. Leads and supervises the assigned team, including workforce planning, performance management, mentoring, professional development, succession planning, and recruitment
3. Organizes staffing based on project pipeline, forecasts staffing requirements, and strategies to leverage consultants and vendors/dealers in project delivery methods
4. Implements industry-standard procedures and best practices that support project delivery consistency and operational efficiency, while continuously evaluating and refining project delivery methods, standards implementation, and business processes to enhance effectiveness and customer experience
5. Directs the team in planning, design, and implementation of interior design projects for renovation, maintenance, and capital projects, ensuring alignment with project goals, budgets, schedules, and University standards
6. Directs the team in leading campus-wide environmental graphics, signage, and wayfinding programs, including building identification, donor recognition, branded environments, and placemaking initiatives that improve campus navigation, accessibility, visitor experience, and consistency with the University's visual identity
7. Oversees the development, maintenance, and governance of campus-wide standards for interior design, furniture, finishes, environmental graphics, signage, wayfinding, branding integration, donor recognition, and placemaking
8. Serves as the University's subject matter expert and trusted advisor on interior environments, environmental graphics, workplace strategy, campus identity, user experience, and design-related planning initiatives
9. Provides procurement support by directing the team in compliance with University System of Georgia policies, state procurement guidelines, and University processes
10. Establishes quality review processes for interior design and environmental graphic design deliverables prepared by staff, consultants, contractors, and vendors to ensure quality, consistency, code compliance, and adherence to university standards
11. Provides comments and design review on major project deliverables and high-profile projects
12. Collaborates with project managers, architects, engineers, contractors, University stakeholders, and communications and marketing to integrate interior and environmental graphic solutions into broader campus projects and branding efforts
13. Provides input and advice on consultant, vendor, and contract management activities, including consultant selection, proposal evaluation, design review, and relationship management with industry partners
14. Ensures compliance with applicable accessibility requirements, building codes, life-safety regulations, procurement requirements, and University policies, while promoting sustainable design practices and responsible stewardship of resources
15. Supports long-range capital planning and replacement programs for development and maintenance of furniture, finishes, signage, wayfinding systems, and environmental graphic assets across the University's locations
16. Guides budget development, cost management, and program implementation
17. Leads continuous improvement initiatives for interior design and environmental graphics operations by evaluating workflows, service delivery models, standards governance processes, project management practices, and resource allocation strategies
18. Develops and implements process improvements that enhance efficiency, consistency, customer experience, and organizational effectiveness

Required Qualifications

Educational Requirements
Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education in Interior Design, Architecture, Environmental Graphic Design, or a closely related field.

Other Required Qualifications
Current, valid, and unrestricted driver's license

Required Experience
Eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in interior design, environmental graphic design, architecture, workplace strategy, or related disciplines including at least three (3) years of leadership, supervisory, or management experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Additional Preferred Qualifications
NCIDQ Certification, Registered Interior Designer, Registered Architect, or SEGD professional credential

Preferred Educational Qualifications
An advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in Interior Design, Architecture, Environmental Graphic Design, Planning, or related field

Preferred Experience
Experience working within a higher education environment
Experience developing and managing university design standards programs
Experience analyzing and improving business processes, project delivery workflows, or service operations within a design, facilities, higher education, or comparable organizational environment
Experience with campus-wide signage, wayfinding, donor recognition, and placemaking initiatives.
Experience with workplace strategy, space planning, and brand implementation in the built environment
Experience overseeing consultants, contractors, furniture vendors, signage vendors, and multidisciplinary project teams
Experience with state procurement regulations

Proposed Salary

The salary range is up to $125,000. Offers are based on relevant experience. Comprehensive benefits to include Medical, Dental, Vision, 13 paid holidays, vacation, generous retirement plans, tuition waiver, wellness options and much more! Visit hr.kennesaw.edu/benefits.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

ABILITIES
Able to establish and administer design standards and governance processes.
Able to analyze operational processes, identify inefficiencies, and implement sustainable solutions that improve service delivery and organizational effectiveness.
Able to review architectural drawings, specifications, consultant documents, and fabrication drawings.
Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and customer service while establishing project priorities, resource allocation strategies, and performance expectations for the team
Ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholder groups and manage complex client relationships
Able to handle multiple tasks or projects at one time, meeting assigned deadlines
Strong analytical, creative problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.

KNOWLEDGE
Advanced knowledge of interior design principles, furniture systems, finish materials, and industry best practices.
Advanced knowledge of environmental graphic design, signage systems, branding integration, and wayfinding methodologies.
Thorough knowledge of ADA, accessibility requirements, building codes, and life-safety regulations.
Knowledge of human-centered design, placemaking, and campus user experience principles.
Strong understanding of furniture sourcing, specifications, procurement processes, and vendor management.
Stay abreast of trends and industry best practices guiding student experience and workplace environments
Proficient with computer applications and programs associated with the position (i.e., Microsoft Office suite, AutoCAD, Revit, Adobe Creative Suite, and related design technology platforms)

SKILLS
Excellent leadership, interpersonal, initiative, teamwork, problem-solving, independent judgment, organization, time management, and project management skills
Excellent verbal, written, graphic, and presentation communication skills.
Strong attention to detail and follow-up skills
Strong customer service skills and phone and e-mail etiquette

USG Core Values

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 25 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Kennesaw State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for living, work and study. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, the University prohibits harassment of or discrimination against any person because of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment, pregnancy, and medical conditions related to pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity or national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran or military status by any member of the KSU Community on campus, in connection with a University program or activity, or in a manner that creates a hostile environment for members of the KSU community.

For additional information on this policy, or to file a complaint under the provisions of this policy, students, employees, applicants for employment or admission or other third parties should contact the Office of Institutional Equity at English Building, Suite 225, eeo@kennesaw.edu.

Other Information

This is a supervisory position.
This position does not have any financial responsibilities.
This position will be required to drive.
This role is considered a position of trust.
This position does not require a purchasing card (P-Card).
This position may travel 1% - 24% of the time
This position does not require security clearance.

Background Check

• Standard Enhanced
• Education
• MVR
• 9 Panel Lab Drug Test

Per the University System of Georgia background check policy, all final candidates will be required to consent to a criminal background investigation. Final candidates may be asked to disclose criminal record history during the initial screening process and prior to a conditional offer of employment. Applicants for positions of trust with screening results which confirm a disqualifying criminal history will be immediately disqualified from employment eligibility

All applicants are required to include professional references as part of their application process. Some positions may require additional job-based screenings such as motor vehicle report, credit check, pre-employment drug screening and/or verification of academic credentials.

https://www.usg.edu/hr/assets/hr/hrap_manual/HRAP_Background_Investigation_Employment.pdf