Are you a hands-on design leader passionate about fostering team performance and strengthening execution? Do you thrive on driving strategic design execution for best-in-class hospitality spaces? If so, we are looking for you

Earls Kitchen + Bar is seeking a strategic and empowering Manager, New Store Design with 8+ years of experience, including a minimum of 2 years in a Senior role, to join our Store Development team in Vancouver, BC. This is a hands-on leadership role focused on empowering team performance, strengthening execution, and elevating design outcomes.

The Manager, Design leads a team of designers focused on the successful delivery of Earls Projects. This role provides essential day-to-day leadership, project oversight, and technical and creative guidance to ensure all projects are executed in alignment with the design brief, brand standards, and operational requirements.

Working closely with cross-functional partners, including Kitchen + Bar, Construction, and Facilities, this role plays a key part in aligning processes, refining standards, and supporting consistent, high-quality project delivery.

Role Responsibilities

- Lead, mentor, and support a team of designers, fostering a high-performing and collaborative culture grounded in accountability, growth, and creative excellence.
- Lead onboarding and training of designers to Earls workflow, project lifecycles, and technical platforms (CAD & SketchUp).
- Provide ongoing coaching, performance feedback, and professional development planning, ensuring designers are progressing toward advancement milestones and key role competencies.
- Regularly assess technical and creative capabilities across the design team,



providing targeted mentorship to strengthen skill development, creative confidence, and project execution.
- Maintain a consistent in-person presence at the Vancouver Head Office to provide hands-on mentorship, foster collaboration, and support real-time project navigation.

Project Oversight & Execution

- Oversee multiple projects, ensuring alignment with design intent, timelines, project scope, and budget.
- Guide designers through all phases of project execution from concept through construction.
- Ensure design solutions are delivered to a high standard, both creatively and technically.
- Provide strategic input and problem-solving support on complex or high-risk projects.
- Translate project learnings into actionable updates to design standards, details, and documentation to improve efficiency and consistency across future projects.
- Flexibility to work outside standard business hours as required to support installations, overnight work, and key project milestones.
- Ability to travel throughout North America in support of current store projects, site visits, and openings.

Design Standards & Quality Assurance

- Uphold and reinforce brand design standards across all projects.
- Support solutions for on-site design conflicts through collaboration and negotiation with Earls PMs and General Contractors,



balancing brand standards with site constraints.
- Ensure consistency across consultant drawing coordination and accuracy of information and specifications.
- Conduct critical design reviews at key project milestones to ensure quality assurance and cross-functional alignment.

Process Alignment & Cross-Functional Collaboration

- Collaborate with Kitchen + Bar, Construction, and Facilities teams to align on project requirements and workflows.
- Support the development and continuous improvement of design processes and tools.
- Support and evolve systems and processes that enable consistent, high-quality project execution.
- Ensure clear communication and coordination between design and cross-functional partners.
- Contribute to resolving gaps or inefficiencies in project execution.

Schedule & Resource Management

- Provide guidance on project timelines, workload planning, and resource allocation.
- Support designers in managing priorities and meeting key milestones.
- Identify risks to schedule or delivery and proactively address them.
- Work with the Director, Design on resourcing and capacity planning across all active & pipeline projects, ensuring projects are appropriately staffed and supported.
- Accountable for developing a pipeline of designers through local KPU, BCIT & other CIDA-accredited internship programs.

Franchise Collaboration & Support

- Support Franchise partners in the planning and execution of design, renovation, and capital improvement initiatives, ensuring alignment with Earls brand standards and operational objectives.
- Act as a key design and project resource for Franchise partners, providing gu

📌 Manager, New Store Design (Vancouver)
🏢 Earls
📍 Vancouver