Associate Designer at National Business Furniture, LLC – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

At National Business Furniture (NBF), we believe in the power that inspiring spaces can have to help people achieve big things. We have worked with hundreds of thousands of businesses across the country – from startups to Fortune 500 companies – to equip their workspaces with beautiful, comfortable, and functional furniture for 50 years. Named one of the 2023 Top Places to Work in Southeast, WI by Top Workplaces and the Journal Sentinel.

We’re presenting an exciting opportunity for an Associate Designer to join our team and help bring commercial spaces to life through thoughtful and accurate design solutions. This role is ideal for an early-career design professional who enjoys production design work and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

The Associate Designer is responsible for supporting the design and documentation of simple and standard commercial furniture projects under $100K. This role focuses on producing accurate layouts and design documentation within established standards and processes while partnering with other designers, sales, and project specialists to support project execution.

What Makes This a Great Opportunity?

In this role, you’ll have the opportunity to build your design expertise while working on real commercial projects that support businesses across the country. You’ll gain experience with industry-leading design tools, collaborate with experienced designers, and contribute to a team that helps customers create productive and inspiring workspaces.

This position provides a strong foundation for growth within commercial furniture design while developing technical design skills, product knowledge, and cross-functional collaboration.

Here’s a General Overview of What You’ll Be Doing:

• Manage design execution for simple and standard commercial furniture projects under $100K
• Produce layouts, specifications, and design documentation based on defined project scope and requirements
• Ensure assigned design work is accurate, complete, and delivered on time
• Execute designs in accordance with established company standards, templates, and best practices
• Follow defined intake, documentation, and change-management processes
• Ensure designs align with quoted scope and documented assumptions
• Collaborate with Designers, Senior Designers, Sales, and Project Specialists to support project execution
• Incorporate feedback and revisions into design updates as needed
• Escalate design questions, scope gaps, or constraints to a Senior Designer when appropriate
• Participate in internal project handoffs to support smooth downstream execution
• Maintain high accuracy in specifications to reduce order errors and rework
• Contribute to strong design conversion outcomes, targeting a 45% or higher conversion rate on completed sales requests

What We’re Looking For:

• 1-3 years of experience in commercial furniture design, interior design production, or a related field
• Proficiency in CET Designer
• Working knowledge of specification tools and documentation systems (Salesforce or similar CRM preferred)
• Strong understanding of furniture specifications, sizing, finishes, and accessories
• High attention to detail and strong process discipline
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously
• Strong collaboration and communication skills when working with cross-functional teams
• High School Diploma required
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design or a related discipline preferred

It Would be Nice to Have:

• Experience supporting Sales teams in a B2B environment
• Familiarity with contract furniture manufacturers and product lines
• Experience working in a commercial furniture or contract interiors environment

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. If you need assistance seeking a job opportunity at National Business Furniture or if you need reasonable accommodation with the application process, please call (800) 558-1010 or contact us at HR@NBF.com.