Freelance Senior Designer

Studio Athena Calderone is seeking a Freelance Senior Designer with a strong focus in custom furniture and FF&E design to support ongoing product development, made-to-order production, and cross-partner coordination. This role is ideal for a senior-level designer who brings both a refined design sensibility and deep technical expertise, and who is comfortable working across concept development, documentation, and fabrication oversight within a luxury design context.

The Senior Designer will serve as a key liaison between studio leadership, international manufacturing partners, and sales teams, while also contributing more broadly to the studio’s evolving design initiatives—including lighting development, material research, and creative refinement across projects.

As a small, highly collaborative studio, we value designers who are proactive, detail-driven, and adaptable—able to move fluidly between creative design development and rigorous production execution while maintaining the studio’s design standards at every stage.

This is an hourly freelance role with an immediate start date.

Please send your portfolio, resume and a brief cover letter explaining why you’re a great fit to info@athenacalderone.com

Responsibilities

Furniture & Product Design Development

• Support the design and development of custom, made-to-order furniture and lighting collections throughout prototyping, production, and go-to-market
• Translate design intent into production-ready 2D and 3D documentation using Rhino and AutoCAD
• Develop and refine detailed models, assemblies, and construction details
• Source and specify finishes and materials aligned with the studio’s established design language

Production Oversight & Partner Coordination

• Serve as a primary point of contact between Studio Athena Calderone, manufacturing partners, and sales teams
• Manage COM workflows, finish approvals, pricing options, and other custom requests
• Review customization requests to ensure feasibility and consistency with brand and design intent
• Oversee prototype development, quality control, approval cycles, and delivery timelines
• Review and redline fabrication drawings to ensure accuracy, craftsmanship, and adherence to studio standards
• Monitor production schedules and proactively troubleshoot issues as they arise

Internal Studio Support & Design Management

• Work closely with principal on design evolution, material direction, and creative problem-solving
• Prepare design decks, spec sheets, and presentation materials for internal review and external partners
• Support Eyeswoon and Studio Athena Calderone with ad hoc FF&E and technical design input
• Maintain organized workflows, documentation, and clear communication across internal and external stakeholders

Who You Are

• A senior-level designer with 5 years of experience in custom furniture and FF&E design within a high-end or luxury context
• Experienced in made-to-order furniture systems, including COM processes, customization workflows, and fabrication oversight
• Highly detail-oriented with strong spatial, material, and proportion sensibilities
• Confident translating conceptual design ideas into clear, production-ready documentation
• A proactive communicator comfortable liaising with fabricators, sales teams, and creative leadership
• Organized, efficient, and capable of managing multiple fast-moving design and production threads
• Available to work on-site in the Tribeca studio as needed

Software Requirements

• AutoCAD (required)
• Rhino (required)
• Photorealistic rendering experience is a plus

Compensation

• Hourly rate: TBD, based on experience