Design Director
Lead the creative direction of Cerro Studio across every project, every detail, and every client relationship. Shape the next chapter of Central Coast design.
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Location
- Montecito, CA (On-site)
- Compensation
- $165,000 – $210,000 + bonus + path to partnership
Posted April 2026. We read every application within two weeks.
About the role
Cerro Studio is looking for a Design Director with a decade-plus of residential design leadership to serve as the creative conscience of the studio. You will own the design language across our active projects — from Montecito estate renovations to Santa Ynez Valley ranches — and ensure every home we complete is more confident, more considered, and more beautifully resolved than the last.
This is not a figurehead position. You will be in the work: critiquing floor plans with the project teams, pulling materials with clients, walking job sites with builders, and making the thousand small decisions that separate the merely competent from the genuinely extraordinary. You will report directly to the Principal and sit on the studio's leadership team.
What you’ll do
- Set the creative direction and hold the design standard across every active project in the studio
- Lead weekly design reviews with project teams; mentor senior designers and rigorously critique work at every phase
- Present design concepts and schematic packages to clients; serve as the creative face of the studio alongside the Principal
- Build and evolve the studio's materials library, trade relationships, and sourcing network
- Partner with Operations and the Principal on hiring, pricing, and long-term creative strategy
- Represent the studio at industry events, publications, and speaking engagements
What we’re looking for
- 10+ years of progressive experience at top-tier residential interior design firms, with at least 3 years at a director or senior principal level
- A portfolio that demonstrates command of high-end residential work — ground-up new builds, significant renovations, estate-scale projects
- Exceptional taste, point of view, and the ability to articulate design decisions to sophisticated clients
- Proven ability to mentor and elevate the work of other designers
- Fluency with construction drawings, spec packages, and the full documentation arc of a luxury residential project
- NCIDQ certification preferred; interior design or architecture degree required
Nice to have
- Prior published work in Architectural Digest, Luxe, Veranda, or equivalent
- Existing relationships with Southern California architects, builders, and trades
- Experience with Spanish Colonial Revival, ranch, and Mediterranean vernacular
- Comfort on camera and in front of press
A studio designed for the long run.
Competitive compensation, full health & wellness coverage, 401(k) with match, generous time off, a $2,500 annual learning stipend, and a beautiful place to work a block from the Pacific.
See full benefits →How to apply
Email your resume and portfolio to careers@cerrostudio.com with the subject line Application: Design Director. A brief note about why this role interests you goes a long way. We reply within two weeks.