Design Manager, Coco Palms

Position Title: Design Manager, Coco PalmsCompany: Reef CapitalSalary:$125,000-$175,000 + Bonus; Relocation providedLocation: Kauai, HI

About Reef:

Reef is a Utah-based vertically integrated investment and development firm founded in 2005. Reef's team is currently involved in some of the most prominent development transactions in Utah and other targeted geographies across the United States.

Built on two decades of success, our investment approach combines proven expertise with purposeful innovation. Reef's team has completed more than 500 transactions across all lines of business. In addition to our real estate investment strategy, Reef and/or affiliates own and operate various businesses that add significant long-term value to its projects. We have grown rapidly, growing from about 25 employees to well over 400, with managed assets on behalf of over 750 institutional and individual partners worldwide.

With the motto "Expect the Best," Reef's most prominent developments include Black Desert Resort, a $2 billion luxury resort in Ivins, Utah; Marcella, a luxury private golf community in Park City, Utah; Tributer Resort, Virginia's newest premier private lakeside golf destination; Cornerstone Club, a 5,000-acre residential community, private club, and resort in Telluride, Colorado; Sweetens Cove, a renowned and evolving golf destination nestled in the Tennessee Valley; and the restoration of the historic Coco Palms Resort in Wailua, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii.

At Reef, our mission is to recruit, develop, and retain entrepreneurial individuals who desire to build and create something long-lasting and meaningful. Our business enables bright, committed people to work in high-performing teams within an environment that allows each person to achieve their professional objectives. Reef values a strong culture dedicated to the health and well-being of our employees.

Position Summary:

Reef is looking for a Design Manager for our Coco Palms development in Hawaii. The Design Manager is responsible for executing the approved design vision and portfolio design systems at the project level. Working under the direction of the Vice President of Design, this role translates established design standards, programming intent, and experiential objectives into coordinated, buildable project deliverables from concept through design freeze and installation support.

The Design Manager serves as the primary day‑to‑day interior design lead embedded within the project team. This role ensures design coherence, documentation clarity, consultant coordination, and alignment with approved budget and schedule parameters.

Responsibilities:

Project-Level Design Execution

• Implement portfolio design systems, standards, and the approved project design vision.
• Develop interior layouts, finish schedules, and design documentation aligned with approved intent.
• Prepare, coordinate, and track design deliverables through defined design freeze milestones.
• Ensure clarity, completeness, and constructability of interior design packages prior to technical handoff.

Consultant Coordination

• Coordinate day-to-day activities with interior consultants, external designers, and specialty vendors.
• Review consultant deliverables for alignment with approved design systems and project objectives.
• Track and manage sample reviews, finish selections, and mockups.
• Identify and resolve design inconsistencies prior to transition into technical documentation.

Budget & Schedule Alignment

• Work closely with Development Directors and Development Operations Managers to ensure design decisions align with approved budgets.
• Evaluate aesthetic and experiential impacts of cost-driven design revisions.
• Participate in structured value discussions affecting interior scope.
• Identify potential cost, sequencing, or schedule pressures early and elevate as appropriate.

Technical & Construction Interface

• Coordinate with Technical Design during the transition from design development to construction documentation.
• Review technical drawings in an advisory capacity to confirm alignment with approved interior intent.
• Support installation oversight to validate aesthetic execution aligns with approved vision.
• Assist in resolving interior design issues identified during punch and closeout.

Escalation & Governance Alignment

• Elevate material scope of changes, design deviations, or experiential impacts to the VP of Design for review and approval.
• Rely on Development Operations Managers to help mediate cross-functional issues impacting cost, schedule, or sequencing.
• Participate in preparation of structured summaries and exhibits when design matters require executive or PSG-level review.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Interior Design, Architecture, or a related design discipline.
• 5-7+ years of professional experience in hospitality, mixed-use, resort, or large-scale interior design with direct project execution responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience implementing established design standards and concepts at the project level.
• Strong background coordinating and managing external design consultants and multidisciplinary teams.
• Solid understanding of budgeting, scheduling, value discussions, and design-to-construction transitions.
• Experience supporting design through construction, installation, and punch preferred.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and disciplined in operating within defined governance frameworks.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills across development, construction, and design teams.

Company Benefits:

• 401(k) Plan with Company Match
• Generous Health Plan with HSA Match
• Relocation Assistance
• Vehicle Reimbursement
• Flexible Paid Time-off
• Daily Company Lunches
• Cell Phone Service Allowance
• Discounts at Company-owned Resorts and Golf Courses