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 a Designer to join our team and help bring commercial spaces to life through thoughtful, accurate, and functional design solutions. This role is ideal for a detail-oriented professional who enjoys working on a variety of projects while collaborating closely with Sales and Project Specialists.

The Designer is responsible for managing the design and documentation of commercial furniture projects, ensuring solutions are accurate, buildable, and aligned with customer requirements. This role partners with Sales, Project Specialists, and Design leadership to help projects move smoothly from concept to completion.

What Makes This a Great Opportunity?

In this role, you’ll have the opportunity to take ownership of meaningful design work that directly impacts customer spaces and business outcomes. You’ll work on a variety of projects across multiple industries while collaborating with experienced sales and project teams. This position offers the chance to strengthen your design expertise, build strong cross-functional partnerships, and contribute to high-quality solutions that support thousands of customers nationwide.

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

• Manage design execution for standard and advanced commercial furniture projects

• Interpret project scope and customer needs to develop effective design solutions

• Create accurate layouts, specifications, and supporting documentation using design tools

• Develop presentation materials and design documentation when needed

• Ensure designs align with company standards, templates, and best practices

• Support advanced design requests that require higher levels of complexity within project scope

• Collaborate with Senior Designers on larger or specialized projects as needed

• Partner with Sales and Project Specialists to ensure designs meet both customer and operational requirements

• Review feedback and implement design revisions while maintaining scope accuracy

• Identify potential risks, scope gaps, or design concerns early and communicate with leadership

• Participate in project handoffs to ensure 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:

• 3-5 years of experience in commercial furniture design, contract interiors, or a related B2B design environment

• Experience managing complex or multi-phase design projects

• Experience designing for at least one vertical market such as healthcare, education, government, or corporate environments

• Advanced proficiency in CET Designer

• Strong understanding of furniture applications, sizing, finishes, accessories, and manufacturer constraints

• Experience using specification tools and documentation systems (Salesforce or similar CRM preferred)

• Ability to independently interpret project scope and produce technically sound design outputs

• Strong collaboration and communication skills when working with cross-functional teams

• High attention to detail and commitment to quality and accuracy

• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines effectively

• 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 major contract furniture manufacturers and product lines

• Experience working within contract pricing programs or national account structures

• Familiarity with ADA guidelines or other environment-specific compliance standards

• Experience mentoring or providing guidance to junior designers

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.