Temp Senior / Lead Designer - Experiential (Potential for Perm)

Posted today

shiraz creativeNew York (NY)

Designers, All Other Other Specialized Design Services

SENIORITY

Senior

SALARY

$120,000

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About the role

Temporary / Project-Based | Potential for Permanent Role | New York / HybridShiraz Creative is looking for a Senior / Lead Designer with a strong experiential and spatial design background to join our Creative team and take the design lead on a major multi-day conference and experiential program. This is an opportunity for someone who loves being in the work—developing ideas, shaping environments and solving design challenges—but is also ready to lead. You’ll guide other designers, work side-by-side with Production and technical partners, and help carry a creative vision all the way from concept to the physical experience. The role will initially be a six-month temporary, full-time employee position, focused primarily on a major experiential program running through approximately February 2027. As with most experiential work, the pace and schedule will vary depending on the number and types of projects underway and where they are in their respective lifecycles. And while we can’t promise what comes next, our hope is that we find someone who is a great fit for the team and the agency—and that there may be an opportunity to grow this into a full-time, permanent senior design leadership role.

What You’ll Do:

Lead design development and execution for a large-scale experiential conference, including spatial environments, stages, branded experiences, activations, hospitality and supporting touchpoints
Take overarching creative concepts and turn them into cohesive, sophisticated—and importantly, buildable—design solutions
Own design work from early creative development through layouts, renderings, materials, refinement, fabrication and final execution
Lead and direct supporting designers, providing clear direction, thoughtful feedback and strong quality control
Partner closely with our Executive Creative Director, Production team, technical design, fabricators and vendors
Review creative and technical outputs for feasibility, accuracy and alignment with the overall creative vision
Solve design and budget challenges creatively, including value engineering without losing what makes the experience special
Maintain design oversight through fabrication and onsite installation
Help establish strong workflows, documentation and design standards across the project
Contribute to other experiential projects and broader creative development as the role evolves

What We’re Looking For:

8+ years of experience in experiential, environmental, spatial, architectural, interior or related design
A portfolio that shows exceptional spatial thinking and sophisticated experiential work, particularly conferences, branded environments and large-scale experiences
Experience leading projects and directing or mentoring other designers
Strong knowledge of fabrication, materials, scenic construction, spatial planning and experiential production
The ability to take a great idea and figure out how to make it work beautifully in the real world
High proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, along with relevant 3D, rendering, presentation and documentation tools
Confidence working directly with Production, fabricators and technical partners
Strong visual judgment and an elevated, contemporary design sensibility
The ability to balance creative ambition with budgets, timelines and real-world production constraints
A collaborative working style and the confidence to present, explain and stand behind your design decisions

The Opportunity: We’re hiring this role first and foremost to lead design for a significant experiential program running through February 2027.But we’re also thinking beyond this project. We’re continuing to build our Creative team, and we’d love for this person to become part of that longer-term future. There is no guarantee that the temporary role will convert to permanent employment, but if the fit is right, the work is there and it makes sense for both sides, our hope is to explore a full-time, permanent senior design leadership role together. We’re especially interested in someone who wants the best of both worlds: hands-on creative work and meaningful leadership. Someone who can design, direct, problem-solve, collaborate—and make both the work and the people around them better.

Location: New York / Hybrid (In-Office Tuesday through Thursday)

Start: October 2026 / ASAP

Salary: $120,000 Annualized Salary

Initial Term: Through approximately February 2027 Long-Term Potential: Possible transition to Full-Time / Permanent

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