Project Designer — Interior Architecture + Multifamily

ABOUT MCA

Mary Cook Associates (MCA) is a nationally acclaimed commercial interior design firm based in Chicago, founded in 1986. For nearly four decades we've designed award-winning multifamily, student housing, and amenity spaces for premier developers and owners across the country. Spaces that don't just look good but deliver measurable results for our clients. Our studio of 35 designers and architects is fast-paced, collaborative, and deeply serious about craft. We reject mediocrity, embrace innovation, and hire people who feel the same way.

We've built our studio on designers who don't wait to be told what's next. We're looking for someone who shows up, takes ownership, and designs spaces that stop people in their tracks. If you live for a complex multifamily amenity project and you can't imagine doing anything else, keep reading.

THE ROLE

As a Project Designer, you'll lead the full design arc of large-scale multifamily amenity spaces, from concept through construction documents and installation. You'll own client communication, drive project profitability, and bring a point of view that elevates every room you touch. You'll work under the guidance of a Project Reviewer on our most complex projects, but you're expected to know what comes next before anyone tells you.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

→ Lead design on high-rise, low-rise, and clubhouse projects from schematic through installation

→ Build fully coordinated construction drawing sets: details, elevations, specs, the works

→ Determine overall design aesthetic, FFE selections, materials finishes

→ Own all client communication on your projects

→ Manage project profitability and resource allocation

→ QA/QC your own work and develop the ability to review your team's

→ Attend weekly studio meetings and surface project issues proactively

WHAT YOU BRING

→ 5–10 years of experience in interior design, interior architecture, or architecture

→ Deep expertise in multifamily residential amenity spaces, clubhouses, model units

→ Expert-level AutoCAD and strong Revit proficiency

→ SketchUp fluency you use it to think, not just to present

→ The ability to detail, you know how things are built and you draw it that way

→ A construction document set you're proud of (bring it to the interview)

→ Sharp critical thinking and a strategic design perspective

→ Genuine passion for technology and how it's reshaping the design process

→ The ability to manage multiple projects without losing quality on any of them

YOU'RE A FIT IF

→ You solve problems before they're brought to you

→ You have opinions and you can defend them with logic and craft

→ You stay current on design technology and you're always learning

→ You treat every project like your name is on it, because it is

→ You're driven by the work, not the praise

CORE SKILLS

AutoCAD · Revit · SketchUp · Enscape · Construction documents · Detailing · FFE · Multifamily amenity · Client management · Design technology

WHAT WE OFFER

We're a studio that takes the work seriously and respects the people doing it. That means flexibility built into how we work, benefits that have you covered, and a team that's invested in your growth.

→ $75,000 – $90,000 salary, commensurate with experience

→ Hybrid schedule: work from home Mondays and Fridays, in studio Tuesday through Thursday

→ Studio closes between Christmas and New Year's every year, no questions asked

→ Health, dental, and vision insurance

→ 401(k) with matching

→ Paid time off