Design Team Lead

Department: Design Central (Architecture & Design / Pre-Construction Governance)

Reports to: Administratively reports to the General Manager, HPI, with functional guidance from the VP of Architecture & Design

Location: Miami, Florida, with approximately 50% travel required across the Caribbean. About Hospitality Purveyors International Hospitality Purveyors International (HPI) is the exclusive design and procurement arm for all Sandals and Beaches Resorts International properties which are wholly owned and managed resorts. Key Relationships Internal: Technical Services (Project Management, MEP Engineering), Architecture, Product Development, Operations, Procurement, Finance, Brand External: Design Consultants, FF&E Consultants, Vendors, Architects, Engineers, Specialist Consultants About the Position The Regional Design Lead is responsible for providing design leadership and governance during pre-construction across multiple projects within the region. The role operates within Design Central and is responsible for the correct interpretation of the product brief, brand pillars, and design ethos, ensuring that this direction is clearly communicated to the design consultants and translated into cohesive, buildable, and operationally sound design solutions. The position is accountable for ensuring that design solutions are fully defined, coordinated, and optimized prior to design freeze, balancing design intent, operational functionality, durability, cost, and alignment with SRI Technical Brand Standards to maximize long-term performance and return on guest experience. Position Accountability Lead and be accountable for design coordination and product alignment within the design scope during pre-construction across assigned projects Provide design leadership and judgment on interior concepts, materials, layouts, and FF&E to ensure a cohesive and compelling guest environment aligned with brand positioning Establish and drive design meeting cadence, agendas, and decision tracking for the design scope Lead design reviews and hold authority for approval of design-scope deliverables at key milestones Ensure the correct interpretation of the product brief, brand pillars, and design ethos, and communicate that direction clearly to the design consultants Translate the product brief, brand pillars, and design ethos into clear design direction and spatial experience Support development and validation of space planning solutions to ensure layouts align with operational requirements, usability, and guest experience objectives Lead development and validation of FF&E scope, specifications, and selections Ensure FF&E selections align with durability, operational requirements, fire life safety design criteria, and SRI Technical Brand Standards Ensure design solutions align with accessibility-related project requirements and SRI Technical Brand Standards in coordination with architectural and engineering teams Align design with area programs, scope, and budgets Integrate operational and lifecycle considerations into design decisions Identify risks and drive timely resolution Ensure all review comments are tracked and resolved Facilitate alignment across Product Development, Operations, Procurement, Brand, and Technical Services Ensure deliverables are ready for procurement and execution Maintain consistency in quality and standards across projects Support long-term asset performance and guest experience outcomes Technical Focus Lead FF&E development and coordination across projects Review specifications, material selections, and design packages for alignment with SRI Technical Brand Standards, project requirements, and operational objectives Validate interior layouts, adjacencies, and spatial usability to support guest expe