Senior Director Luxury & Lifestyle Design

Role overview

Senior Director for Hilton’s Luxury & Lifestyle Design within the in-house Architecture, Design & Construction (AD&C) team. The role leads luxury and lifestyle design for projects across North America, reporting to the VP of AD&C Luxury & Lifestyle.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the design vision for Hilton’s Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio (hotels, resorts, and branded residences) in North America
• Lead and inspire a high-performing design team and build a culture of creativity, accountability, and excellence
• Anticipate cultural shifts and guest expectations to shape innovative, future-focused hospitality experiences
• Champion sustainability, wellness, and innovation as core pillars of modern luxury design
• Act as a trusted advisor to Owners and Consultants from concept through completion
• Partner with Development and Brand to support strategic portfolio growth
• Coordinate with Operations, Food & Beverage, Wellness, and other teams to ensure design supports performance
• Cultivate relationships with leading creative partners to strengthen Hilton’s design influence
• Represent Hilton through industry engagement and thought leadership
• Own deal and site support activities with compelling design narratives
• Oversee complex, high-profile projects from concept through completion, ensuring design integrity and brand alignment
• Develop scalable tools and frameworks to drive portfolio consistency, quality, and performance
• Ensure projects meet brand standards, budget expectations, and Net Unit Growth (NUG) objectives while maintaining design excellence
• Guide creative direction for new brand launches, repositionings, and portfolio expansion

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in luxury hospitality design within a global hotel operator or leading consultancy
• Proven success leading complex hospitality projects (hotel, resort, or mixed-use)
• Strong understanding of hospitality design processes, documentation, and construction coordination
• Proven ability to build and lead high-performance design teams
• Willingness to travel up to 50%

Nice to have

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Interior Design, or related field
• Recognition in the design community via published work or award-winning projects
• Experience contributing to new brand creation or major repositioning initiatives
• Global exposure to leading luxury & lifestyle markets
• Strong industry network across architecture, interior design, and hospitality development