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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Design Coordinator

💰 $50,000 - $80,000

DesignCoordinationProject ManagementArchitectureInterior Design

🎯 Role Definition

The Design Coordinator is responsible for organizing, documenting, and advancing design deliverables across multidisciplinary projects. Acting as the operational backbone of the design team, the Design Coordinator manages schedules, maintains design documentation (drawings, specifications, and BIM models), coordinates with internal stakeholders and external consultants, and ensures high-quality execution from concept through construction. This role requires strong technical familiarity with CAD/BIM tools, exceptional communication and vendor-management skills, and the ability to translate design intent into actionable tasks for production teams.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Junior Designer / Design Assistant
  • Architectural Technician / CAD Drafter
  • Project Assistant in architecture, interiors, or engineering

Advancement To:

  • Senior Design Coordinator / Project Coordinator
  • Project Manager / Design Manager
  • Studio or Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • BIM Coordinator
  • Specification Writer
  • Procurement / Vendor Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Coordinate and maintain the master project schedule for multiple concurrent design projects, tracking milestones, deliverables, and dependencies to ensure on-time delivery of drawings, specifications, and presentations.
  • Serve as the central document control point: organize, version, and distribute CAD and BIM files, construction drawings, specifications, and supporting documentation while ensuring compliance with office standards and naming conventions.
  • Facilitate coordination meetings across architecture, interior design, engineering, and construction teams, prepare agendas, capture action items, assign owners, and follow up to closure.
  • Manage the production and formatting of construction documents (plans, elevations, sections, details), perform QA/QC checks for drawing completeness and accuracy, and escalate technical issues to the design lead or principal.
  • Act as the liaison with external consultants (structural, MEP, landscape, lighting), collecting and integrating consultant deliverables into the project set and resolving conflicts between disciplines.
  • Maintain and update BIM/Revit models and coordinate model exchanges between design and technical teams; perform clash avoidance checks and communicate necessary model updates.
  • Produce and update design submittals, permit packages, and contractor RFIs, ensuring all documentation meets jurisdictional requirements and project specifications.
  • Support the preparation of client presentations, design boards, and schematic design packages by compiling drawings, renderings, material samples, and narrative descriptions.
  • Develop and maintain the project-specific material and finish schedules, coordinate sample approvals, and manage procurement timelines for long-lead items.
  • Track project budgets related to design production (consultant fees, printing, materials), log expenses, and notify project managers of potential cost impacts stemming from design changes.
  • Implement and enforce office CAD/BIM standards and best practices, train junior designers and interns on file management protocols and tool usage.
  • Review and coordinate subcontractor and vendor shop drawings against contract documents, verify compliance, and manage transmittals and approvals.
  • Prepare and issue design clarifications and addenda during permit and construction phases, ensuring timely distribution and documentation of revisions.
  • Coordinate site observations with construction teams and document field conditions to support design clarifications and as-built documentation.
  • Manage procurement coordination for design-related items (fixtures, furniture, finishes), liaise with vendors for pricing, lead times, and quality checks, and track delivery/status.
  • Monitor and document compliance with accessibility codes, building codes, and client-specific standards; prepare compliance checklists and flag issues for resolution.
  • Support sustainability and specification requirements by coordinating data collection for LEED/green-building documentation and integrating product data into submittals.
  • Create and maintain detailed punch lists during project close-out, coordinate resolution of outstanding items with contractors and consultants, and ensure final as-built documentation is delivered.
  • Oversee the archiving and handover process at project completion, compile record drawings, warranty information, and maintenance manuals for client turnover.
  • Proactively identify process improvements in coordination workflows, propose standard operating procedures, and help implement tools or templates to increase team productivity.
  • Assist in onboarding new project team members by preparing orientation packets, access to project files, and training on team workflows and communication channels.
  • Prepare periodic project status reports and dashboards for design leads and clients that summarize milestones, risks, outstanding decisions, and next steps.

Secondary Functions

  • Support business development activities by compiling past-project examples, preparing project summaries, and assisting with proposal document assembly.
  • Maintain vendor and consultant contact databases, track performance metrics, and assist in contract renewals and scope clarifications.
  • Coordinate photography and marketing assets by scheduling shoots, collecting high-resolution images, and preparing materials for firm website and social media.
  • Participate in internal resource planning; flag staffing bottlenecks and recommend temporary resource adjustments or outsourcing when necessary.
  • Assist in the creation and maintenance of libraries for standard details, templates, and reusable design components to accelerate future project delivery.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficiency in Revit (BIM modeling, sheet setup, and model coordination workflows).
  • Advanced CAD skills (AutoCAD) for production of construction drawings and detailed drafting.
  • Strong working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) for presentation and document preparation.
  • Experience with specification writing tools and construction specification standards (MasterSpec or similar).
  • Familiarity with construction document control systems and versioning (Bluebeam, Aconex, Procore, Newforma).
  • Ability to prepare permit submittals and coordinate with local authorities having jurisdiction; knowledge of building codes and accessibility standards (IBC, ADA).
  • Competence in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel for schedules and budget tracking, PowerPoint for presentations).
  • Experience with BIM coordination tools and clash detection workflows (Navisworks, Solibri).
  • Understanding of materials, finishes, FF&E procurement and vendor sourcing processes.
  • Basic knowledge of sustainable design practices and common green building documentation (LEED, WELL).

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional verbal and written communication; able to translate technical design intent for non-technical stakeholders and clients.
  • Strong organizational skills with meticulous attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
  • Proactive problem-solving mindset; anticipates coordination issues and proposes pragmatic solutions.
  • Collaborative team player who builds trust across design, engineering, and construction teams.
  • Time management and prioritization abilities; comfortable working under deadlines and shifting project needs.
  • Client-facing professionalism with the capacity to present status updates and resolve client questions effectively.
  • Diplomacy and negotiation skills for managing consultants and vendor expectations.
  • Adaptability to evolving project scopes, software updates, and office workflows.
  • Coaching and mentoring aptitude for guiding junior staff and interns in drawing production and documentation practices.
  • Analytical skills for identifying workflow inefficiencies and implementing process improvements.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Associate's degree or technical diploma in Architecture, Interior Design, Construction Technology, or related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Construction Management, Engineering, or equivalent.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Architecture
  • Interior Design
  • Construction Management
  • Architectural Technology
  • Civil or Building Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of professional experience in architectural, interior design, or construction documentation roles.

Preferred:

  • 3–7 years working directly in design coordination, BIM coordination, or project coordination for architecture, interiors, or MEP projects, with demonstrated experience managing design deliverables, consultant coordination, and document control.

If you’d like, I can tailor this job description for a specific industry (commercial, residential, healthcare, hospitality) or adjust the seniority and compensation range to match regional market data.

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