Design Manager, Asia Pacific, Workplace Design & Construction (WD&C)

DESCRIPTION

The Global Design team is looking for a creative, innovative, results-oriented Design Manager based in Singapore, who will be responsible for the design of workplace interior fit-out “Day 1” projects (new build) and “POP” projects (post-occupancy tenant improvement) in the Asia Pacific (APAC) portfolio. This role will join the Global Design team, reporting to the Regional Design Manager, APAC, and will work closely with the Design & Construction (D&C) team, the Workplace Guidelines & Standards team and the Global Transformation & Insights team.

This role will be responsible for the design of workplace interior fit-out “Day 1” projects (new build) and “POP” projects (post-occupancy tenant improvement), taking ownership of constantly raising the bar on the design of Amazon offices, ensuring that the applied office design creates excellent work spaces that meet the needs of the users. The project scope ranges from the design of several floors of a building to suit the needs and behaviors of a new team, to the design of smaller specialty spaces, to developing an overall design solution that can improve the workplace that can be applied to multiple projects (for example, an improvement to acoustics, lighting, or furniture). Over time, this role should gain familiarity with Amazon’s Global corporate workplace portfolio in order to pro-actively identify and recommend design solutions for certain buildings or spaces. This role will work closely with the APAC D&C team and sub-consultants/vendors on project delivery.

Day-to-day, this role will mainly collaborate with the APAC D&C Manager who is responsible for construction and delivery of the workplace interior fit-out and post-occupancy projects in the APAC portfolio, as well as the Global Design Team, including the Concept Design Lead and the APAC Design Manager responsible for “Day 1” and “POP” projects. Once projects are delivered, this role will work with the Workplace Guidelines & Standards team to indicate what design elements need to be integrated into the Guidelines & Standards, including producing visuals and narratives that can be translated and published as Guidelines.

The successful candidate is an experienced, vibrant, and engaging professional who can communicate clearly at all levels, and yet is not afraid to dive deep into details. This role works autonomously and creatively in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment, and will be working on multiple projects, most of which have very tight delivery timelines. Attention to detail and ability to inspect issues and processes to bring simplified solutions to complex problems is paramount. They should also understand the nuance of being approachable, while at the same time consultative. The candidate must be able to balance frugality with creativity in offering solutions and approach problem-solving with an emphasis on root cause. The candidate should also pro-actively listen, understand and evaluate customer design while balancing project budget and functional needs.

This is a Regional role focused on Asia Pacific countries, so requires regional travel approximately 10-20% of the time.



Key job responsibilities

• Oversee and manage the design of workplace interior fit-out “Day 1” projects (new build) and “POP” projects (post-occupancy tenant improvement), to include (1) leading the design of the space based on customer needs and technical requirements; (2) on some projects of a certain size/scale/priority, collaborate with an external/vendor design team (the Architect of Record) (3) align the design of each project to the overall concept for Corporate Workplace, as developed by the Global Design team; (4) inform Guidelines and Standards team on design elements needed to translate into global functional Guidelines; and (5) support the Global Design team in implementing appropriate design processes
• Identify and implement continuous design refinement, leveraging operational data, customer insights, and success metrics to drive change.
• Work cross functionally with regional peers to ensure a consistent experience for customers, whilst respecting local/cultural nuance.
• Collaborate with GREF partner teams, including Regional Portfolio Management, Sustainability and Environmental Health and Safety, and Travel and Events, to elevate program deliverables and improve the quality of Amazon workspace with a focus on resiliency, efficiency, health, and safety.
• Routinely connect to external industry, professional bodies and communities, ensuring new industry standards, best practices, technology, and innovations are adopted into the program.
  

About the team
The Global Real Estate and Facilities (GREF) team provides real estate transaction expertise, business partnering, space and occupancy planning, capital investment program management, facility maintenance, and operations in more than 60 countries. GREF is organized into three pillars: Regional Portfolio Management, Global Centers of Enablement, and Global Centers of Expertise. Workplace Design and Construction sits within the Global Centers of Excellence and includes the disciplines of Global Design, Workplace Guidelines, Business Development, Global Integrated Facilities Management, and regional Design and Construction (D&C) delivery.

The Global Design team owns the design of GREF spaces, shaping design concepts that align with GREF’s strategic vision and the GREF Workplace Design Style Guide, while enhancing employee well-being. Ultimately this team defines spaces that best support the way Amazonians work. The team’s Concept Designers develop foundational concepts for each space type—headcount floors, Centers of Energy, Food and Beverage, Meetings and Events, and other specialty spaces—that are in line with foundational design principles. The regional Design Managers ensure that GREF design concepts and standards are seamlessly integrated into new projects and renovations.

The Workplace Guidelines team owns the creation, implementation, and ongoing refinement of Amazon’s Global Workplace Design Guidelines and Standards, ensuring regional teams have comprehensive documentation to support delivering and refreshing spaces that best support how Amazonians work in the office. This team includes global furniture, fixture and equipment (FF&E) development and implementation, as well as signage and wayfinding guidelines and standards.

The Design & Construction (D&C) delivery team delivers world-class spaces across the broad GREF portfolio, including new and refreshed office spaces, labs, Kuiper production facilities, studios, and spaces that we don’t yet know the businesses need. The team includes regional leaders and Global Construction Operations, as well as GREF Information Technology.

Inclusive Team Culture: Here at Amazon, we embrace our differences. We are committed to furthering our culture of inclusion. We have ten employee-led affinity groups, reaching 40,000 employees in over 190 chapters globally. We have innovative benefit offerings, and host annual and ongoing learning experiences, including our Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) and AmazeCon (gender diversity) conferences. Amazon’s culture of inclusion is reinforced within our 16 Leadership Principles, which remind team members to seek diverse perspectives, learn and be curious, and earn trust.

Work/Life Balance: Our team puts a high value on work-life balance. It isn’t about how many hours you spend at home or at work; it’s about the flow you establish that brings energy to both parts of your life. We believe striking the right balance between your personal and professional life is critical to life-long happiness and fulfillment. We offer flexibility in working hours and encourage you to find your own balance between your work and personal lives.

Mentorship & Career Growth: Our team is dedicated to supporting new members. We have a broad mix of experience levels and tenures, and we’re building an environment that celebrates knowledge sharing and mentorship. We care about your career growth and strive to assign opportunities based on what will help each team member develop into a better-rounded contributor

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Design, Engineering or related professional experience.
• Experience defining program requirements and using data and metrics to determine improvements.
• 5+ years of design program management experience demonstrating progressive responsibility and increased scope in physical building (design/construction) programs.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in architecture, interior design, retail development, property development, planning, procurement, facilities management, and/or construction.
• Proven decision making and problem-solving capabilities with strong follow up skills, attention to detail, and analytical skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with exceptional ability to translate ideas and thoughts into written documents.
• Continuous learning mindset and commitment to staying up-to-date with industry trends and best practices.
• Familiarity with relevant industry codes, standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience working and contributing to building schedules, managing issues/risks, establishing communication plans, and stakeholder management.
• Experience escalating issues and anticipating and making hard trade-offs between business and customer need.
• Able to build constructive and effective relationships and use them to maneuver through complex situations.
• Excellent ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Experience working with a variety of stakeholders, including engineering, IT, signage, corporate security, sustainability, environment health and safety.
• Able to balance design governance and business needs with in-region practices.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.