Director, Store Design + Innovation

About the Role

As a Director of Store Design + Innovation, you will be responsible for leading design process and managing both internal and external teams in delivering key initiatives for store design and brand experience with an additional focus on retail innovation. You bring creative solutions through design talent, brand knowledge, retail design knowledge balanced with Gap Inc. business strategies. This position reports to the Sr. Director, Design and Creative Services.

This is a dynamic lead role responsible for developing store design of the future, fostering a creative process, guide decision-making, shaping brand experience, cross-functional relationships and design strategy.

What You'll Do

• A design champion and brand liaison leading store environments ensuring solutions provided are brand appropriate. Oversee store design development for multiple brands.
• Develop store design concepts and solutions that merges brand and enterprise’s goals and strategies
• Innovation through R+D of the future-focused conceptual design of the future retail
• Advocate for innovation by challenging norms of the retail industry and strengthening brand through design
• Brand ambassador that manifests strong brand understanding into concept lead ideation
• Foster an environment that encourages innovative ideas, concepts and ideation, empowering the internal and external team to explore and drive creativity
• Collaborate and work directly with Gap Inc. Business partners (Sr. Leadership, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Operations, Architecture & Engineering, Tech Services, and Real Estate).  
• Support internal business partners intake of brand goals, requirements, criteria as a foundation and ensure that they are thoughtfully incorporated into the overall store design
• Management of team and process, including direct reports business partners and consultants to ensure the creative intent, design results are achieved
• Oversee the process throughout all phases from concept to construction for various scaled projects ensuring integrity of design intent and brand goals
• Accountable for the design process management, design approvals and adherence of established project budgets and timelines

Who You Are

• Minimum of 10+ years of progressive design experience in architecture, interiors, experiential and brand creative that elevate brand excellence.  (5 years of retail design experience preferred)
• Bachelors/Master’s degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Industrial Design, or related field
• Strength in managing a design team in the delivery of complex projects varying in scale, budget, and size. Proven ability to work independently as well as guide teams across a mix of complex projects.
• Engage design process that unlocks high-speed visualization, concept generation, accelerated integration and rapid prototyping to explore innovation initiatives
• Excellent design capabilities with the ability to translate ideas, forms, and functions into innovative retail design concepts
• Excellent knowledge of architectural building systems (structural, mechanical, electrical), their impact on design, detailing and code requirements
• Understanding of materials, fabrication, construction and its relevance in developing forward thinking architecture, interior design, and fixture design
• Strong visual and graphic presentation skills with a strong ability to create and direct spatial ideas into conceptual drawings and lead design decisions through documentation, fabrication and construction.
• Demonstrated expertise and proficiency in design software to support robust design process
  (Generative Ai, SketchUp, Rhino, VRay, Enscape, Adobe Creative Suite, Figma and Miro).  Ability to diagram, sketch, prepare layouts, 3D visualization, massing studies.
• Maintain pulse and curiosity with innovation, industry trends in retail experience and design
• Ability to manage diverse range of priorities and agile to adapt to change.