Senior Project Designer

ABOUT MCA

At Mary Cook Associates, you'll design some of the country's most exciting multifamily amenity spaces alongside a collaborative team of designers and architects who care deeply about great design. Based in Chicago, MCA has spent nearly 40 years creating award-winning interiors for premier developers and owners nationwide.

THE ROLE

As a Senior Project Designer, you'll lead the full design arc of large-scale public amenitized spaces, from concept through construction documents and installation. You'll own client communication, drive project profitability, and bring a point of view that elevates every room you touch.

You'll partner with a Project Reviewer on our most complex projects while taking ownership of your work and anticipating project needs before they arise.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

→ Lead design on high-rise, low-rise, and clubhouse projects from schematic through installation

→ Build fully coordinated construction drawing sets: details, elevations, specs, the works

→ Determine overall design aesthetic, FFE selections, materials + finishes

→ Lead day to day client communication and presentations

→ Manage project profitability and resource allocation

→ QA/QC your own work and develop the ability to review your team's

→ Attend weekly studio meetings and surface project issues proactively

WHAT YOU BRING

→ 8–10 years of experience in interior design, interior architecture, or architecture

→ Experience designing large-scale public amenity spaces.

→ Proficient-level AutoCAD with working knowledge of Revit.

→ SketchUp fluency; you use it to think, not just to present

→ Strong detailing skills; you understand how things are built and draw them accordingly.

→ A construction document set you're proud of (bring it to the interview)

→ Sharp critical thinking and a strategic design perspective

→ Genuine passion for technology and how it's reshaping the design process

→ The ability to manage multiple projects

YOU'RE A FIT IF

→ You solve problems before they're brought to you

→ You have opinions and you can defend them with logic and craft

→ You stay current on design technology and you're always learning

→ You treat every project like your name is on it, because it is

→ You're driven by the work, not the praise

CORE SKILLS

AutoCAD · SketchUp · Enscape · Construction documents · Detailing · FFE · Public Amenity Design · Client Presentations · Space Planning

WHAT WE OFFER

We're a studio that takes the work seriously and respects the people doing it. That means flexibility built into how we work, benefits that have you covered, and a team that's invested in your growth.

→ $85,000 – $95,000 salary, commensurate with experience

→ Hybrid schedule: work from home Mondays and Fridays, in studio Tuesday through Thursday

→ Gracious winter holiday break policy

→ Health, dental, and vision insurance

→ 401(k) with matching

→ Paid time off