Senior Manager - Global Lounge Design Strategy

The Global Advertising and Brand Management (GABM) team is responsible for creating marketplace demand and driving commerce for American Express products and services through differentiated and innovative branding, marketing, and experiences. We have an ambitious goal: to be the most admired brand in the Fortune 500 and we aim to deliver on that by doing work that is both creative and effective. OnBrand – American Express’ In-House Creative agency – sits within GABM. Our ambition is to “Become creative partner-of-choice to build seamless customer experiences for our Business Units, essential for driving results and unlocking value through deeper knowledge of our business, powered by industry-defining creative excellence”. We are focused on developing forward thinking ideas and work across channels, end-to-end experiences in digital and beyond.

Role:

The Branded Environments team is responsible for setting the vision for how the American Express brand is expressed in physical spaces and 3D applications, drawing upon the brand’s visual identity and strategic principles, and ultimately building brand value. The team manages branding and design from concept through construction, ensuring the design intent and desired brand experience remain intact.

The Sr. Manager – Branded Environments will be responsible for leading the design strategy and development of Card Member facing physical spaces, primarily in airports and travel-related segments. They will work in tandem with an existing team of managers leading branded environments projects across the globe.

• Collaborate with internal American Express teams and external agencies to optimize our Card Member spaces, leveraging design as a catalyst to continuously bring the brand to life in new and memorable ways
• Manage the environmental brand direction and design oversight for all stages of design throughout:
  • Existing space audit
  • Conceptual design
  • Design development
  • Drawing reviews and submittals
  • Construction / fabrication
  • Post-construction and punch
• Liaise with interior design agency and architect partners as they interpret and execute on our design vision – creative briefing, defining project asks, providing design direction, creating requests for proposals, and leading status updates
• Support internal American Express business units (product, operations, and real estate) with design status updates, planning exercises, and timely deliverables
• Participate in all team meetings, reviews, phone calls, and communication between project teams

• 7-10 years of experience in commercial interior design, branded environmental design, or similar discipline
• Passionate, curious, and knowledgeable about great branded hospitality environments and experiences
• Strong sense of design principles and understanding of permanent physical space design with a brand lens
• Ability to craft and communicate a purposeful design narrative that drives feedback and the decision-making process
• Familiarity with space planning, floorplans, furniture planning, and adjacencies 
• Understanding of production and construction processes, including documentation, timelines, budgeting, and terminology
• Ability to read and interpret interior / architectural design drawings, construction drawings, and technical documentation
• General knowledge of furniture and material specifications
• Understanding of cost analyses, risks, tradeoffs, and prioritization
• Ability to clearly communicate design solutions both verbally and visually to influence stakeholders with varying degrees of subject matter expertise

• Ability to manage multiple projects in various phases simultaneously, meeting budget and timeline expectation

  Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the United States is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.